Where a majestic castle once stood, dragons have taken over, keeping watch of the gold and riches held deep inside the castle’s vaults. For best effect, use wild-looking spillover plants beside the old walls of the facade – the ideal setting for dragons to roam the abandoned grounds and breathe fire.
Gather your supplies
- Imitation half wine barrels in large and small sizes
- Potting mix, quantity to suit
- Trowel (optional)
- Assorted plants such as Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’, succulents and violas
- Dragon Castle Garden Kit
- Small white pebbles, quantity to suit
- Artificial or dried moss
- Spray bottle or small spout watering can
Here’s how
STEP 1 Fill large and small half wine barrels with potting mix. Level surface of mix in both barrels using trowel or hands. Put small barrel on top of potting mix in large barrel, in an off-centred position, close to one edge of large barrel.
STEP 2 Dig a small hole and put first plant in position towards back of small barrel. A spillover plant, such as Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’, is perfect for this. Press potting mix around plant to secure plant in position.
STEP 3 Position other plants, such as succulents and violas, in assorted positions around large wine barrel, keeping in mind the size and shapes of castle components, pond and pathways.
STEP 4 Put castle facade in position in small barrel, in front of spillover plant.
STEP 5 Put ladder in position, leading from small barrel down to large barrel.
STEP 6 Put bridge in position, at front of large barrel.
STEP 7 Put pond in position near bridge.
STEP 8 Using stepping-stone pieces, make pathways from pond to bridge and from bridge to ladder. Also make path in smaller barrel, leading from ladder around front of castle. Put lampposts beside paths.
STEP 9 Pour a handful of small white pebbles underneath archway of bridge, on top of potting mix. You might also like to scatter pebbles around perimeter of pond.
STEP 10 Position pieces of moss about the scene, on upper and lower barrel levels, to fill gaps between castle feature and plants.
STEP 11 Put dragons in assorted positions throughout castle garden scene, on upper and lower barrel levels.
STEP 12 Water plants lightly, as required, using spray bottle or watering can.
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For 4 more magical miniscape projects, pick up a copy of the May issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine – on sale now!
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