February 26, 2015 by Born To Organize

When Six-Year-Old’s Decorate the Fairy Garden

Christmas Fairy Garden

The neighborhood kids were off from school last week, and a few of them came looking for the fairy garden. I moved my miniature garden to the back patio in December to make room for Christmas decor. I never moved it back.

My son helped me carry it back to the front deck and the little ones got to work.

Aliens and Azaleas: The Magic of Being Six

Check out the detail work

Finishing touches

When I was six, our street ended where a field began. A nursery operated on the other side, so we enjoyed an expansive view. Across the street was a vacant lot that filled with weeds after the rain. With the freedom to roam that we had in those days, I remember gathering milk weed and clover and spending hours day dreaming while weaving creations with those glorious, green weeds.

It’s been years since I thought about that field, but it may explain my love of fairy gardening. Creating in miniature carries you back in time. It’s part wanderlust and a generous helping of nostalgia, but also a connection to a simpler time, of days spent belly down in a field of greens lost in thought until my mother called me home for supper.

With my younger sister in our back yard, Ontario, Canada, early 1960’s

Pages: Fairy Garden Frivolity

May 29, 2013 by Born To Organize

My Secret Garden

secret garden girl The Secret Garden, published in 1910 by Frances Hodgson Burnett, is noted as ‘one of the best children’s books of the twentieth century.’ I don’t know if I actually read it as a child, but the idea of a secret garden has stayed with me always. Who doesn’t like a good mystery? Throw in a secret key and a beautiful garden and you’ve got the makings of a rich childhood fantasy.

Earlier this year I discovered a beautiful line of crafting paper by graphic 45 based on Burnett’s book. While I was purchasing my own sheaf of paper in California, Boomdee was doing the same in Edmonton, Canada. I just know they were thinking of us when they designed this nostalgic product line.

Secret Garden

Paper intended for scrapbooks doesn’t usually end up in the garden. For a variety of reasons (well one really) paper and water don’t mix. I decided to buck the trend, however, and figure out a way to combine my love of tiny gardens, secret gardens, crafting paper and children’s lit.

Using a plastic tray and a generous amount of cello-tape, I waterproofed the paper for the background as well as the sign. I purchased a small wooden frame for a dollar at our local craft store and painted it a soothing garden green. Touches of moss and dirt gave it a woodsy touch, as well as the Sedum and petrified wood nearby. A small gravel path leads to the heart-shaped entrance. Stairs (made from leftover tile pieces) sit on small wooden blocks. Just follow the colorful path.

Secret Garden Entrance

Please follow the path

Garden Steps

Please come this way…

Paper design by graphic 45

You’ll be seeing more of this lovely paper in a craft-it-forward project later this year.

For additional inspiration, check out the links below:

November 30, 2012 by Born To Organize

Look Ma, No Ads!

A little housekeeping was in order at gardeningnirvana. First up, no more ads! When I started this blog I had two to five “hits” a day, so I guess WordPress couldn’t be bothered. Then my following grew. Hurray and thank you. At some point, ads magically appeared at the end of each post. I never saw the ads, and didn’t know they were there until a friend pointed them out.

I hope you enjoy the ad-free experience.

Next up, I created a new page featuring my various iterations of a fairy garden. I started one on a whim, and had so much fun, that I’ve kept it up all year. It’s a terrific creative outlet. It’s also a way to garden on a smaller scale. If time or space is limited, you might want to give it a go. You can see photos of the miniature garden evolution at Fairy Garden Frivolity.

Thanks for reading, commenting and liking my posts. I look forward to logging on every day.