I have garden fairies with a sweet tooth.....

Fairies secret
 garden...

A trend in gardening that has been gaining popularity in the last few years or so is fairy gardening. If you look around sometimes they even offer classes on getting you started in this exciting new hobby. I mentioned fairy gardens in passing to a few friends and to my gardner guy recently and he had no idea what I was referring to, in fact he thought I was making it up. Even after I explained it, he didn't seem to get the point, but a lot of people have taken to this new trend and are looking at their gardens in a whole new way. My garden guy still rolls his eyes...my grandcritters are fascinated with playing and living in the land of fairies. Of course, Grandpa AKA  My Gardner Guy keeps telling the grandkids he is going to feed those garden fairies some cheese burgers so he can fatten them up and chase them with the lawn mower!!!

The basic idea of fairy gardening is gardening in miniature, creating the appearance that tiny fairy creatures have taken up residence in your garden. This is also a great chance for the children in your life, be they friends, grandchildren, or your own children, to be part of the process. I think that is what inspires my desire as I am excited to see how the grandcritters are going to react when they are introduced to the magical fairy land.

Like a lot of trends, you can spend a lot or a little in participating. You can find fairy houses and accessories  in many gardening catalogs and stores, often times with high price tags attached. I have taken a more economical approach by looking for items with fairy garden potential that are not labeled as such. I first started buy looking around my home...you will be surprised at what you can gather up. Consider items found in the toy department, home décor, or even odds and ends found in nature or in your garage or junk drawer in creating a space to welcome fairies.

What is the best place for a fairy garden? Most sources suggest it be slightly hidden, at the base of a tree or an out of the way corner of the garden to create an element of surprise and discovery for visitors to your garden. Incorporating small plants into the scene increases the feeling that the space is inhabited by tiny fairies. I have chosen my front door entry, created an area with pots and making use of a corner near the stairs...

Creating a fairy garden can be as big or as small a project as you'd like it to be. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• No garden to make a fairy garden in? Use a container. Place it on your porch or deck to enjoy the tiny landscape. If you use houses or other accessories that can't take the elements, this makes it easy to move them indoors during inclement weather
• Another idea for a portable fairy garden: use an old suitcase and plant one side with your garden, close up the garden when extra protection is needed.
• Look at items with a child's eye, or better yet, work with your children or grandchildren to re- purpose items you already have. My young friend that lives next door has come up with amazing fairy houses just using items she finds outside plus what she discovers while sorting through odds and ends in my craft supplies.
• Check the Christmas clearance items for fairy garden potential. Many of the items typically used for Christmas village scenes are perfect for fairy gardens at a fraction of the price.
• Fairy gardens don't need to stay outside. Use small houseplants grouped in a container or terrarium as a backdrop for your fairy landscape.

A fairy garden is a chance to rediscover the fun and wonder of gardening. We all know we have a lot of outdoor chores in the garden at this time of year. I highly suggest you throw in some "just for fun" activities like building a fairy garden. You'll be glad you did.

Put a door on your tree trunk...

I have allowed the fairies to live on and around the front entry notice the small sunflower door in the corner of the stairs...

using a small trellis I attach to fairies homes
we call them the fairies condo
cute miniature furniture adds to the fun

As you can see our fairies love sweets
These cute fairies followed me home from the dollar store!!!

Another fairy dwelling using a saucer, moss, stones, mini tiles...the mushrooms I found at the nursery

Buy using walkway stones, rocks I gather, moss and miniature  children's doll toys

This picture allows you to see the sunflower door better
I told the grandcritters that the magical fairies use their power to make these dogs smaller so they could not chase the neighbors cats...

I have not done this...but I like it and I am making plans to make one

This is where the fairies go to renew their magical energy and powers 

Since I took this picture I have planted some seed awaiting it's growth, this is were the fairies come to learn
The wise  Mr. Owl teaches them to apply wisdom in their lives...
The birds teach them how to sing and warn them of any danger in the skies...
The snails teach them to be grounded in good values and warn them of any danger lurking on the grounds of our home
The turtles teach them to be consistent in all their duties
The frog teaches them to hop to it....get it done...work before play
And the hedge hog teaches them how to protect themselves....
I think these are sweet lessons for my grandchildren...AKA...grandcritters can learn ;)

This is Mr. Caterpillar

I think I want to add something like this to the fairy garden in the fall...