A Mordor garden is a place that any Orc or big bad evil Eye will find comfy, but also works to keep out all but the most determined Hobbits on a mission. Trees are used without care, plants are thorny (like the inhabitants) and furniture is appalling so as to keep you behind-schedule Orcs on the march and not on your behinds! This type of garden is well suited to a desert-like climate; or a hot, dry area with moderately sandy soil.

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Mordor Garden Plants

The plants suitable for your Mordor garden are types of Cacti, Hawthorn, Barberry and thorny shrubs & groundcovers. Plants rarely grow over 3 feet tall; all except boundery plants.

GROUNDCOVERS

Juniper

Type: Ground Cover
Mature Size: 30′ wide and 90′ long
Sunlight: Full Sun, Part Sun
Thrives in: Acid Soil, Alkaline Soil, Clay, Sand
Prone to: Rust, Scale, Spider Mites
Use: Accent, Background, Ground Cover, Hedge (informal), Screen, Specimen, Windbreak
Features: Low Maintenance, Tolerates Heat, Drought Tolerant

SHRUBS

Barberry

Type: Deciduous Shrub
Mature Size: 3′ wide and 2′ 6″ tall
Sunlight: Full Sun, Part Sun
Use: Background, Barrier

Holly Barberry

Type: Evergreen Shrub
Mature Size: 7′ wide and 7′ tall
Sunlight: Part Sun
Use: Background, Barrier, Hedge (formal), Hedge (informal)
Features: Low Maintenance

Sloe

Type: Deciduous Shrub
Mature Size: 12′ wide and 12′ tall
Sunlight: Full Sun, Part Sun
Use: Background, Barrier, Hedge (formal), Hedge (informal), Screen, Windbreak
Features: Low Maintenance

Jerusalem Thorn

Type: Shrub
Mature Size: 30′ wide and 30′ tall
Sunlight: Full Sun
Thrives in: Alkaline Soil, Clay, Sand
Use: Background, Barrier, Shade Tree, Woodland
Features: Low Maintenance, Tolerates Heat, Drought Tolerant

Hawthorn

Type: Deciduous Shrub
Mature Size: 15′ wide and 15′ tall
Sunlight: Full Sun
Thrives in: Clay
Prone to: Aphids
Use: Background, Barrier, Hedge (formal), Hedge (informal), Lawn Tree, Woodland
Bloom Season: Late Spring through Early Summer
Features: Showy Flowers, Low Maintenance, Tolerates Heat, Drought Tolerant

Dwarf Chinese Holly

Type: Evergreen Shrub
Mature Size: 8′ wide and 4′ tall
Sunlight: Full Sun, Part Sun
Prone to: Leaf or Black Spot, Scale
Use: Background, Barrier, Border, Hedge (informal)

Weeping Yaupon Holly

Type: Evergreen Shrub
Mature Size: 10′ wide and 15′ tall
Sunlight: Full Sun, Part Sun
Thrives in: Acid Soil, Alkaline Soil
Prone to: Scale
Use: Accent, Lawn Tree, Specimen
Features: Showy Flowers, Low Maintenance

Inkberry Shamrock Holly

Type: Evergreen Shrub
Mature Size: 4′ wide and 4′ tall
Sunlight: Full Sun, Part Sun
Use: Accent, Background, Border, Hedge (formal), Hedge (informal)
Features: Showy Flowers, Low Maintenance

CACTI

Crown of Thorns

Type: Cactus
Mature Size: 3′ wide and 4′ 6″ tall
Sunlight: Full Sun, Part Sun
Use: Accent, Background, Barrier, Hedge (informal), Specimen
Bloom Season: Early Spring through Late Spring
Features: Showy Flowers

Creeping Devil Cactus

Type: Cactus
Mature Size: 4′ 6″ wide and 12′ 6″ tall
Sunlight: Full Sun, Part Sun
Thrives in: Sand
Prone to: Root Rot
Use: Accent, Border, Ground Cover, Specimen, Woodland
Features: Winter Color, Suitable for Containers, Tolerates Heat, Drought Tolerant

Jumping Cactus

Type: Cactus
Mature Size: 8′ wide and 11′ tall
Sunlight: Full Sun
Thrives in: Sand
Use: Accent, Background, Barrier, Specimen, Woodland
Features: Showy Flowers, Winter Color, Low Maintenance, Suitable for Containers, Tolerates Heat, Drought Tolerant

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Mordor Garden Furniture or Orcature

The furniture of Mordor, or Orcature, is black, made roughly, and rather sturdy. It can have the trademark Eye on it as well. Orcature is not known for its comfort, but more for its ability to withstand some abuse. It is mainly for decoration, or to provide a quick seat for tired Hobbits in hiding.

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Make your own Mordor-style Outdoor Hateseat …

MATERIALS

Legs – Four tree stumps. Cruelly-hewn and roughly 10 inches long, 4-6 inches across

Back – One plywood plank. 4 ¾ feet long by 2 feet wide, thickness at least ¼ inch.

Seat – One 5 feet by 3 feet pine board. ½ -1 inch in thickness.

PAINT

Main Color – 1 quart Black paint, latex for outdoors preferable.

Optional – small amount orange paint

HARDWARE

2 inch screws (gold color)
¾ inch screws (gold color).

TOOLS

Drill
Screwdriver
Small manual saw
Small ax or hatchet
Large paint brush
Small detail paint brush (optional)

Step 1: Take the pine board and attach the legs to it, one in each corner. The screws should go straight through the board and onto the legs from the top. You will need to pre drill holes in the board and legs, then attach with 2 2-inch screws per leg.

Step 2: Attach the back (plywood plank) to one of the long sides of the seat. Use 10 ¾ inch screws, evenly spaced. Pre drilling optional. Screws should come up from bottom and attach into back.

Step 3: You may now mutilate your loveseat to suit your orc or Uruk-hai tastes. Use your ax to carefully chip pieces off, your saw to cut grooves into the seat and back, your drill to add knotholes, and your screwdriver to slice and splice. For safety’s sake, do not damage the legs.

Step 4: When happy with your orc-tortured loveseat, or now, hateseat, paint all of it with the black paint. Do not sand it first; the look will be more natural if you do not. Apply the black paint thickly, and not with too much care, to retain orc-style. Allow to dry for 2 days. If you wish, you can now paint an Eye of Sauron on with orange and yellow paints.
I do not recommend using a sealant, it will hold up better if you use it, but if you do not it will retain a much more appropriate orc-style.

Mordor-style Outdoor Harmchair

MATERIALS

Legs – Four thick tree branches, cruelly hewn, 10 inches long (roughly 4-5 inches across).

Back – One plywood plank, 2 feet long by 3 foot tall, thickness ¼ inch.

Seat – One 2 foot by 2 foot pine board, ½ -1 inch thickness.

Arms – Two 2 foot long (3 inch thick) hewn branches or wood poles.

Arms – (cont.) Two 1 foot long (3 inch thick) hewn branches or wood poles.

PAINT

Main Color – 1 quart black paint, latex for outdoors preferable.

Optional – Small amount of yellow and orange paint.

HARDWARE

2 inch screws (gold color)
¾ inch screws (gold color)

TOOLS

Drill
Screwdriver
Small manual saw
Small ax or hatchet
Large paint brush
Small detail paint brush (optional)

Step 1: Take the pine board and attach the legs to it, one in each corner. The screws should go straight through the board and onto the legs from the top. You will need to pre drill holes in the board and legs, then attach with one or two 2″ screws per leg.

Step 2: Attach the back (plywood plank) to one of the sides of the seat. Use about 5¾ inch screws, evenly spaced. Pre- drilling optional. Screws should come up from bottom and attach into back.

Step 3: Attach one 1-ft branch to the base (just behind the leg) by screwing it in with a 2″ screw, coming up from the base. Then attach the 2-ft branch to the back with a ¾ inch screw. The branch should rest on the 1-ft one. Attach the two together, using two 2″ screws coming at an angle through the top branches side. Repeat entire process on the other side of the harmchair.

Step 4: You may now mutilate your harmchair to suit your orc or Uruk-hai tastes. Use your ax to carefully chip pieces off, your saw to cut grooves into the seat and back, your drill to add knotholes, and your screwdriver to slice and splice. For safety’s sake, do not damage the legs or arms.

Step 5: When happy with you orc-tortured armchair, or now harmchair, paint all of it with the black paint. Do not sand it first; the look will be more natural if you do not. Apply the black paint thickly, and not with too much care, to retain orc-style. Allow to dry for 2 days. If you wish, you can now paint an Eye of Sauron on with orange and yellow paints.

I do not recommend using a sealant, it will hold up better if you use it, but if you do not it will retain a much more appropriate orc-style.

~ Eowyn_Touched-By-Frost