Anyone can create a fairy garden. You’ll need one part gardening, and two parts imagination and before you know it, you’ll have a mythical, mystical, miniature garden. Historically, you would find a fairy garden tucked in old logs or beneath a feathery fern. More and more they’ve come out into the open for all to enjoy
April, 2012
Earlier this year I built my first fairy garden in an alcove of rocks in my back garden. I used twigs and flowers, bits of moss and pine cones, then added small ceramic stepping-stones and rocks. You can buy all kinds of furniture and accessories, or you can challenge yourself to make your own. I prefer the latter.
July, 2012
Planting proved challenging due to invasive pine roots nearby, so I moved to a small container. The chairs came from a children’s game. The “peace” stone was a gift. The table rests on a peat pellet covered with a small, heart-shaped lid.
September 2012
Eventually I relocated the garden from back to front yard so that others might enjoy it too. The back to school version, included a few LEGO Brick desks, a small playground and a “white board” for the front of the class.
October, 2012
Decorating for the fairies was especially fun at Halloween. It was spooky, but not over the top. You don’t want to frighten visiting five-year olds.
November, 2012
As the cooler weather approached, I built a small shelter using Blue Fescue. Amenities included a lavender bed with an orange shelter nearby.
December, 2012
I rounded out the year with a touch of winter wonder. It’s great fun planning and decorating for visiting fairies. Again using items from around the house, furnishings came from thread spools, a broken fountain and a pair of handmade chairs.
My hope is to inspire others to pursue this enjoyable hobby. Take your inner child by the hand and jump right in.
Gardening Nirvana 
Pingback: Look Ma, No Ads! | gardeningnirvana
the girls have loved the fairy garden whenever we have been at the house-we must start stopping by more often to see how it is evolving
LikeLike
Thanks, Betsy. I would love that. The neighborhood trees go up today. Stop by after that and you can enjoy the entire block lit up in lights, and stop by to see the fairy garden. I’ll serve apple cider.
LikeLike
Anything labeled ‘Frivolity’ warrants a look-see. So I shrunk myself very very small and wandered back through all your tiny fairy gardens. I skipped along a stone path, then stopped to inhale the heavenly Alyssum, threw a few hoops, investigated a pumpkin patch but left quickly when I heard a strange noise, had a little nap, dreamed of lavender, wrote a letter to Santa on a flower petal under a twinkly snowflake and here we are. Now, that was a such a lovely trip, thanks Alys.
LikeLike
Awww…You’re the perfect fairy guest. Stop by any time. I’m off to look for your letter to Santa…Mwaaa
LikeLike
hehe, I think maybe a little birdie took it with and flew off with his friends today. Did any of those shadows look like they had a flower petal in their little beak? 😉
LikeLike
Pingback: Fairy Mystique: The Young and the Young-Hearted | gardeningnirvana
Pingback: A Little of This and That | gardeningnirvana
When I was very young, I used to wish I could shrink down and be tiny and explore everything from that viewpoint – I was convinced I would find fairy kingdoms and no end of adventure on a miniscule level. Never thought about how terrifying it might be! Do you have any dollhouses? They appeal to me for much the same reason, but alas! I never had a daughter to give me an excuse to indulge my delight in them…maybe a granddaughter is on the way? (We’ll find out any day now.) Thanks for a lovely post!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A grandchild on the way! Lovely. If not a granddaughter, then an enlightened grandson that will enjoy your fairy frivolity along with you.
I too loved the idea of being small and exploring the grass. Seems we had similar imaginations growing up.
I don’t have a dollhouse (we could never have afforded such a thing), but my sister and used to make our own with cardboard boxes and things around the house. Always fun.
LikeLike
Pingback: A Gnome Home Of Your Own | Boomdeeadda
Pingback: A Little Queen | Boomdeeadda
You have the world’s biggest heart!
Mwaaaaaaaa
LikeLike
Pingback: In Search of New Friends | insearchofitall
Fairy gardening is a passion and I love viewing others to get ideas. I have a 2 1/2 year old grandaughter (Liberty) and we built a huge fairy garden. She loves it, especially the birthday party complete with cake. Tiny frogs and butterflies flit about and give rides to the fairies. Garden tools at the gate beside the sign – “Welcome to Libertyville”. Corsican mint carpets their gazebo and Columner Basil shades them from the suns rays when it gets too hot. They swim in a pool of cool blue glass beads and hang their wet clothes out on the fence to dry. At night I hear music as they dance and sing until wee hours of the morn. Then they scuttle back under the plantlife for a nap. Oh how I love my fairy gardens. My escaped from the crazy world we live in. – Sheila from Ohio
LikeLike
Hello, Sheila. Thanks for stopping by. I can hear the passion in your voice…you are indeed a fairy gardener.
What fun to share that love with your granddaughter. Great description, too.
LikeLike
I went to Tennessee in May. There is a store in downtown Franklin that had these beautiful fairy garden “supplies”. If I can locate a picture, I’ll send it to your email, Alys.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That would be great, Minigirl. I would love to see it. Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
No pictures, but I did locate the shop on Facebook. It is Yarrow Acres, located on Main St in downtown Franklin. If you look through their photos, check May & June of this year. There are a few pics of some ideas, including a fairy garden in an old red wagon.
https://www.facebook.com/YarrowAcres
LikeLike
Hello Minigirl! Thanks for remembering this and for sending the link. I will happily take a look.
LikeLike
Very sweet. I imagine my daughter would like to make one–maybe we will give it a try this fall. I don’t think I’ll be able to get her to surrender any LEGOs to the project, though–she is far too attached to them to give them up to another purpose.
LikeLiked by 1 person
These fairy gardens are a lot of fun. I think your daughter (and you) will have fun. I like to challenge myself to use what I have and items from nature. I recycle all sorts of things. I learned this year how to fashion chairs from the top of a champagne closure. I’ve decorated my fairy gardens with half-used birthday candles, bits of all packaging, leftover craft supplies. If you give it a go, please report back.
LikeLike
Pingback: Fairy Garden Valentine | Gardening Nirvana
I love the creativeness of your settings. I wish I had a yard to make some. I just have a porch. I enjoyed looking at them though. I may make one for my mom.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Kim. You know, this one is in a pot on my front deck, taking up very little room. You could definitely make one for your porch. They’re a great conversation-starter, and fun to change out with the seasons.
I love the idea of making one for your mom as well. Please share if you do.
LikeLike
I was inspired by your pics and have made one pot and making another for indoors. You can see the one I just made on my blog http://www.slimshay.com Thanks for the fun and inspiration of your blog.
LikeLike
I’m so excited for you. I left my comments on your blog. Following along now, too.
LikeLike
Pingback: Fairy Garden Additions: A Little *Little* Free Library | Gardening Nirvana
Pingback: In Search of the Handbasket | insearchofitall
Hello there, we are in blogging 101 together. Since the assignment was to comment on 4 blogs, I’ve been scoping out blogs. I’m not interested in commenting on the first 4 I look at. I take the assignment seriously, and I want my comments to be genuine. Now, I must tell you that my mom has the greenest thumb on Earth, but somehow, I was born with a black one. However, I like seeing pretty gardens, so I clicked on your blog. Well, I have to say you caught my eye with the fairy garden’s! I fell inlove with fairy gardens after discovering them on pinterest almost a year ago. My mom and I would talk about them. Well, for Christmas she asked me for something to start her fairy garden. I made her a house. I made the entire thing from scratch. Literally. And it turned out so good! I couldn’t believe it. I had so much fun making it. My 4 year-old son enjoyed going on supply-hunting walks with me. We’d go walking and look for anything we could use on the fairy house. Since then, he’s always talking about starting another fairy house. I showed him the fairy garden photo you posted using the Lego’s. He is dead set on doing that now. He thought it was the coolest thing he’d ever seen.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I love this idea of making a fairy garden and changing it for the seasons! Your’s is adorable and makes me want to try my hand at green things for the first time. Thank you for the inspiration.
LikeLike
Gynellie in Germany it is such a relaxing and creative hobby, I wish I had tried it sooner. Give it a whirl. You are limited only by your imagination.
LikeLike
I like your fairy gardens. I have done quite a few myself and enjoyed them.
LikeLike
O
LikeLike
How wonderful! I used to do this as a child. I day dreamed of fairies. I need to do this. Thank you for the lovely memories. 🙂
LikeLike
Alys, this is beautiful. We have five acres of woods and so the perfect place for fairies to come visit. I have done some work for the knomes and now I have some lovely ideas to get me started to work on a place for the fairies. Take care. Thank you for sharing.
LikeLike
These came out lovely!
LikeLike
Thank you! Another fun series of projects to engage my inner child. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi there
I wanted to Pin some of your lovely images but it just went black on me so I will try from your main Pinterest page.
x
LikeLike
That is so kind of you. I’ll have to see what’s up with the Pinterest feature. Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think it was my iPad actually. Sorry about that, x
LikeLike
This is so amazing. I gotta try this soon! 🙂
LikeLike
It’s fun and relaxing. I hope you give it a try.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will 🙂
LikeLike