Since I began making my
Enchanted Cigardens, I have had many interesting
experiences. Many of my customers find these tidbits entertaining, and I
have designed this column to share them with you. Please e-mail or write to
me regarding your own unusual tales about your Cigardens, and I will gladly
include them in future "Cuttings". The address is at the bottom of this page.
Former President and Mrs. Clinton own an Enchanted Cigarden.
I was once introduced as "the miniature horticulturist". Since I am 5'2",
the speaker realized he may have been misunderstood, and quickly apologized,
saying, "I didn't mean to imply that you were miniature!"
The most ridiculous feedback that I have received is that someone watered
her Cigarden and couldn't understand how it got ruined.
When two elderly ladies tried to pick out Cigardens as birthday gifts for
each other, they found they were having a difficult time narrowing them
down. I encouraged them to stay and enjoy them to their hearts content, and
got great pleasure at their delight when I served them tea and pastries from
my best silver and china.
An exhibit of 28 Enchanted Cigardens was held at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
All Cigardens were sold before the show opened.
I have personally collected boxes from cigar factories and stores all over
the Caribbean.
The largest single collection of Cigardens to date is 11.
I have had great fun doing speaking engagements at many garden clubs in the
Chicago area, presenting the Cigardens and explaining the unusual materials
I use to achieve my effects. While planning my first one, I was a bit
apprehensive, and told my husband I was not sure I could speak for a whole
hour. He choked on his coffee.
Several issues of American Girl magazine have featured my miniature work,
and I recently collaborated with them on the book Tiny Treasures, which is
available at bookstores everywhere.
The Chicago Tribune featured a story about my Cigardens on the front page of
the Home Section (Dec. 10, 1995).
People are often amazed at some of the things I use in my Cigardens, which
include coffee stirrers, soft drink bottles, those green strawberry baskets,
molded sheets of white styrofoam used in packaging, the papier-mache
carry-out trays from fast food restaurants, spools from curling ribbon, and
the plastic things that hold up the lid on the pizza box.
One bitter winter day I found myself low on pebbles needed for the day's
Cigardening, and went to the beach near my home. There was one other figure
on the beach, and as I watched from a distance, I saw she was digging under
the snow for stones and putting them in a bag, as was I. As we worked our
way, we got within speaking distance and I asked her what brought her out on
a day like this. She said she was an artist, and was working on a project in
cigar boxes. What was even stranger was that she and I looked like we could
have been sisters, which finally explained why the owner of the store where
I often went for boxes kept thinking I had just been in there when I hadn't.
Keep in touch with this column for updates on facts concerning the Enchanted Cigardens. Please e-mail us your interesting stories and comments about your Cigarden at swolfson@e-cigarden.com, or send them by postal mail to:
Sheila Wolfson Studio
600 Central Ave., Suite 375
Highland Park, IL 60035
Copyright (c) 2015 The Enchanted Cigarden