You won’t believe my luck!
Sheryl Normandeau, the blogger behind Flowery Prose, hosted a book giveaway. Yours truly, lover of all fairy gardening, won!
Sheryl reviewed two books on her blog, Fairy Gardening 101 by Fiona McDonald and Fairy Gardening: Creating Your Own Magical Miniature Garden – Julie Bawden-Davis and Beverly Turner, then generously gave both of them away.
Here is an excerpt of her review of McDonald’s book:
Side by side: My Fairy Garden and a book filled with future inspiration
This purposeful how-to book gives you all the information you need to create a fairy garden, with lists of supplies, suggestions for interesting containers or settings, and tips for successful long-term maintenance of your beautiful creation. Easy to follow, step-by-step instructions cover the making of miniature furniture, fences and other garden structures – and, of course, even the fairies themselves! What I’ve always loved about fairy gardens is the use of recycled/upcycled materials and found objects (either natural or man-made) that you discover in your home, yard, neighbourhood…or garage or thrift sale! The sky truly is the limit when it comes to sourcing materials for your mini-garden – and that’s half the fun!
In addition to blogging from the Canadian prairie, Sheryl writes numerous articles and short stories. She is a contributor to the forthcoming book “Growing Gooseberries” in The Prairie Garden 2017: Fruit and Berries available this month.
One of my favorite chapters gives instructions for building your own fairy garden furniture, including a fancy looking canopy bed. Once I’m back on my feet I’m going to give that a whirl. Another chapter features fairy garden kits to give as gifts. Isn’t that a fun idea? I don’t know if I’ll be able to muster the energy between now and Christmas, though I know two little girls that would delight in one. I might put something together next spring.
Thank you, Sheryl, for this treasured gift!
Gardening Nirvana 
The bits and pieces that comes from someone’s imagination are some of the best and most cherished gifts.
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Agreed, Charlie!
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Congratulations to you! Maybe you should go get a lottery ticket too 😉
I loved studying your fairy garden photos, delighting in the fabulous and fun details you have incorporated into your garden! Looks like a lovely place for fairies to call home 🙂 Enjoy reading Sheryl’s book – I picture you pouring over it with a big smile on your face!
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Hi Stacy! Thanks for visiting the fairy garden. Did you spot a fleeting wing around the corner?
I’ve already finished the book! LOL No moss gathers…etc., etc.
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Hahaha! Should have known 🙂
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🙂
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What charming little gardens you’ve created. Congratulations on winning the books. I bet you already knew most everything in them. Have you seen those little home entrances, sometimes with elaborate doors, carved into tree stumps?
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Thank you, Lisa. I have a lot of fun with my little gardens. I have seen those tree stumps and I think they’re absolutely charming. I wish I had wood working skills…and a shop…and the courage not to cut off a finger. 😉
Never mind…I’ll stick to fairy gardening. I’m going to go fetch a link. Have you heard of the Fairy/Faerie Doors of Ann Arbor?
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They were magical and took some woodworking skills for sure…
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Here you go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_Doors_of_Ann_Arbor
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Congratulations again on your win and I am so very happy that you’ve found some projects in the book to try out once you’ve recovered! Thanks tons for the wonderful post!
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Thank you, Sheryl. This post was a pleasure to write.
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Well done Alys! I was going to suggest many hours of happy reading and plotting the next incarnation of your faery garden – but I see you said you’d already finished them…….. Maybe you should write your own book 🙂 xoxo
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Pauline, it was great having the leisure time to read a book cover to cover. The hard part was not running out the front door and down to the local park to gather twigs for my over-the-top canopy bed. I’ve planted the seed on Marlene’s blog to make the world’s smallest quilt for her up and coming faeire garden. Soon faieries will rule the world. All that evil will be a thing of the past.
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Oh how fun to be the lucky winner. You could write your own fairy garden book hon! You are the one to inspire me. Alyster’s still in his summer garden atrium, although much of it’s overgrown and dead….what a bad Fairy tending I do, poor Alyster. I thought I was off to bed but now I feel like cake, LOL. “Must not have snack, must go straight to bed” (say it like a robot..snicker. xoxox
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It’s amazing how the mere site of cake…or chocolate…or taffy, can set off those cravings. Did the robot voice win or did you hit the kitchen for a snack?
Alyster is a bachelor gnome so he’s probably just fine (or hasn’t even noticed) the overgrown plants. BUT…you Ms. Boomdee whom I love, need a holiday from your hectic life. How I wish we were both heading to San Diego for a weekend. Sigh… xoxox
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Perfect as perfect can be. That book belonged with you. I have it on my shelf as my son fell in love with it. Time to garden is another story. 😦 I can see you reading through and plotting and planning as you go. That should keep you off your feet for a bit. :)) Giant hugs.
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Marlene, I love that you have the same book on your shelf. I’m delighted that your son fell in love with it. Winter approaches and so do the holidays. You’ll take it up again in the spring. Meanwhile, you can pull out the book, flip to the chapter on furniture, then quilt the world’s tiniest quilt for your fairy garden canopy bed. Come to think of it, you could probably sell them on Etsy. You know…in your spare time. Giant hugs, back to you, Marlene.
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Ity bitty quilts, I’m laughing so hard. I’m not sure I can sew that tiny, but hay, what the heck. I’ll give it a try. Thanks for the smile.:)))
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And thank you for the smile back!
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This book definitely found its proper owner–I can’t imagine anyone would appreciate the book, or put it to better use, than you!
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Awww…thank you, Kerry. Stay tuned for the fancy canopy bed.
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I am so pleased you won those books Alys – I always love seeing your fairy garden which, like any normal garden, is always changing. 🙂
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It is as it should be … meaning you were destined to be gifted with that book.
Alys, your photographs are just wonderful!
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