These eye-catching fairy gardens will add whimsy and beauty to your home or garden.
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What is a fairy garden?
Supposedly attracting fairies, whimsical miniature gardens can be created in your own backyard or in containers indoors. We spoke to gardening expert Julie Borden Davis to find out more.
What are the rules of a fairy garden?
“While there are few hard and fast rules for fairy gardens, there are some guidelines that will result in an eye-catching and fascinating miniature garden,” says Borden Davis.
Keep the scale consistent: “When choosing plants for your fairy garden, it's important to consider scale,” says Borden-Davis. “Use true miniature plants for your fairy garden, as small plants will grow large and clutter the landscape, throwing off the scale.” Less is more: “Be wise with your choice of accessories and plants,” says Borden-Davis. “Avoid overcrowding your fairy garden, as this can make it look cluttered.” Consider sun requirements: “Plants in your fairy garden should be in either full sun or partial shade,” says Borden-Davis. “Mixing plant types is a recipe for failure.” Have fun: “Creating and growing a fairy garden is a process and takes some practice,” says Borden-Davis. “You can always correct mistakes if you make them. Fairy gardens are small, so mistakes tend to be small.”
What are the basic elements of a fairy garden?
The possibilities are endless.
“The basic elements of a fairy garden are miniature plants, fairies and their friends (dogs, cats, ducks, etc.), and accessories,” says Borden-Davis. “The accessories can range from tiny watering buckets to tiny rakes and hoes, bird water basins, benches, gazebos, and gazebo globes.”
“If you're planting a fairy garden in a container, you'll need a container that's large enough for your planned fairy scene. Also, be sure the container has drainage holes.”
About the Experts
Julie Borden Davis is a bestselling journalist, blogger, speaker and novelist. She is the founder and publisher of HealthyHouseplants.com and the author of Fairy Gardening: Creating Your Own Magical Miniature Garden.
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Courtesy of @momster_nessa_/instagram
Two-tier fairy garden
An indoor fairy garden can be enjoyed all year round, but this one from @momster_nessa_ is twice the fun: the two-tiered serving tray allows you to create two complementary gardens.
The lower garden has a glass stone bridge over a river, while the upper garden has a cute little fairy house – a stick and string ladder provides easy access to both levels.
Why we like it
Other than the feature containers, there's not much packed into the design: “Choose one item — a plant, fairy or accessory — and design your garden around that focal point,” says Borden-Davis.
In this case, the main element will be a fairy house made of sticks.
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Courtesy of: @tami_omalley/instagram
Planter Fairy Garden
Terracotta planters make great fairy garden containers because they can house miniature objects and can be moved into your outdoor space as needed.
This garden by @tami_omalley includes succulents, tiny river stones, and fairy accessories from the dollar store. The little pond was created by painting mason jar lids blue and pouring in clear glue to create a watery effect. So clever!
Why we like it
Portability.
“Try to place the pots in a location that gets the right light for your plant type,” says Borden-Davis. “This will change throughout the year, so you'll likely need to move your fairy garden around depending on the season and the growth of nearby plants.”