Fairy gardens are a charming option for gardening enthusiasts and provide an enchanting, imaginative look in almost every setting.
Photo credit: Enchanting Whims
Specifically, fairy gardens are miniature landscapes created with small-scale plants and accessories. Depending on the size of your area, fairy gardens can be as big or as small as you choose. You may choose to build one in a birdbath, at the bottom of a tree in a shaded area, in an abandoned tree stump, and more.
According to Celtic folklore, fairies make their homes in a variety of places, from fallen logs to holes in trees. But a ready-made fairy house and garden is always appreciated because fairies would rather play than work.
Here’s how you can make your fairy garden:
- Pick a container
Your best bet is to choose a container that has a drainage hole, particularly if you’re using live plants. You can use plastic or terra cotta pots, while glass bowls and jars allow you to show off all the layers of your garden.
- Layering your materials
The layer of your container should contain pebbles for drainage. Then add a layer of charcoal to keep the soil fresh before you add potting soil. Finally, cover the soil with bark, additional pebbles, or sheet moss. These materials can also be used to create grass and paths.
- Theme
Your next step is choosing a theme for your fairy garden, whether it’s English cottage, nature-based, tree house, fairy tale, and more. Most garden centers have areas devoted to the fairy garden hobby. Here are just a few of the many themes you could choose:
*Washtub house
A washtub house is perfect if you don’t have a lot of room in your backyard. You can use mini trees, tiny succulents plants, a porcelain mushroom and much more.
The roots of a large tree provide a perfect fairy’s “getaway.”
*Other options include a planter box fairy garden and a broken pot fairy garden.
Photo Credit: Beneath the Ferns
- Choose your plants
Miniature plants or those that are pruned easily are perfect for your fairy garden. They should also have similar light and water requirements. Some examples include ferns for trees, ivies, angel vine, and lipstick or goldfish plant.
- Add accessories
Last but not least, add fairy garden accessories such as chairs, benches, trellises and other items you like and that fit the theme of your garden. And don’t forget to water and fertilize your garden carefully because everything is on a smaller scale. Moreover, be sure to give a careful pruning to any plants that outgrow their space.
