Cuttings

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