Thanks for the inputs!
Deb, going by height, I would (did) get herbaceous perennials and exuberantly creeping ground covers. I typed: under 12" and got no results. I typed: 12" and got 162 results, 3 of which would be suited to a mini garden. I put a 6 in the box and got 259 results. There are some candidates, but few, this is not a collection of plants to browse for mini gardening. Spreading ground covers are generally avoided for the same reason a woody entity would be, it would too quickly take over the whole container. Mini garden plants are not just (or always) short. They must also have small foliage and generally grow slowly.
Dave, most of the woody entities used for bonsai would be completely unsuited to a mini garden, for the size of their foliage, and proclivity to quickly become as big as the situation will allow (far too large for proportionate appearance overall, and for the size of the container.) One doesn't need to apply pruning techniques to maintain a mini appearance on the foliage of plants used in mini gardens, or apply advanced root pruning techniques to keep them in small containers. Bonsai is an art/skill that takes years to learn, and has objectively correct and incorrect aspects for shaping and presentation. Although some bonsai may have a mini scene, rarely are any other plants besides moss included.
Not to be argumentative, sorry, but I don't find either of these suggestions anywhere near the realm of being able to supply this info for these reasons. Thanks for reading!
