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| Add whimsy to your yard with a fairy garden. |
Fairy gardens enchant children of all ages, including adults who still enjoy a sense of whimsy. It seems every garden center and craft store has a section devoted to tiny model homes, thumb-nail sized garden stones and other Lilliputian accessories. With all the items available, creating a fairy garden can be similar to putting together a Christmas Village. If your yard space is limited or if what you want is a sweet little indoor show piece to delight the kids, a few store-bought accessories arranged inside a container really is all you need. But if your idea of creating a garden includes getting dirt under your fingernails, the possibilities for fairy magic are endless.
Step One: Choose a container. Just because the accessories are small, doesn’t mean your plans have to be. How much room are you willing to dedicate to your fairy garden? You can create an adorable miniature garden in a broken terra cotta pot, a beautiful brand new piece of glazed pottery, an old rusty wheelbarrow or a cornered off area of any flower bed. For indoor gardens, terrariums, oversized coffee cups and large bowls are often used. Whatever your choice, remember, the reason to contain your fairy garden is to protect small accessories and delicate plants from getting lost or trampled on.
Step Two: Choose the best location for your plants. Like any gardening project, choosing the right site for your plants is important. Plants for fairy gardens often include species with tiny leaves or blossoms. Some popular options include:
- Miniature roses
- Succulents
- Miniature ferns
- Sedums
- Baby tears
- Chamomile
- Creeping and Wooly thyme
- Alyssum
- Pansies
- Moss
Step Three: DIY or go to the store and buy? While you can buy everything you need for an entire fairy city right off the shelf, part of the fun of a fairy garden is exercising your imagination and creativity. You don’t have to be the queen or king of Pinterest to glue moss and pebbles onto an old milk carton (instant fairy house) or wire pieces of bent tubing together (instant garden arch). Before spending money on pre-made charm, take a look in the garage or shed and see what you already have that can be re-purposed or remade into a whimsical accessory for your new garden masterpiece.
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