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Fairy gardening is a fun and unique project that’s just perfect for beginners. This type of garden is easy to put together and allows you to be as creative as you want.
Creating a fairy garden is a particularly good idea if you are planning on taking up gardening for stress relief. There aren’t too many rules to adhere to. You just need to know the basics and you’re on your way!
What is a Fairy Garden?
Fairy gardens are just what they sound like – miniature gardens that feature an assortment of small-sized fairy figurines, plants, and statues.
When you create a fairy garden, you will be planting real plants and flowers in it. The figurines and statues add a touch of whimsy to the garden and give it a magical look.
A good thing about these is that you can do as much or as little as you want with it. From the container you choose to which fairies you include, the type of fairy garden you want to create is entirely up to you and your imagination.
Whether you want to have girls at a slumber party make their own little fairy garden in a jar, or you want to have a slightly larger one in your yard, working on one can be a wonderful way to spend a weekend. Tending to the garden extends the fun infinitely.
Fairy Gardening Basics – Things to Know Before You Get Started
#1 – Choose a Theme
When looking for fairy gardening ideas, the first thing you need to do before the next planning stage is to choose a theme.
You can go with a traditional fairy garden theme, or get a little more imaginative and create your own magical universe within your miniature garden.
For example, you might have a house by the ocean and want to go with a coastal fairy garden theme. This might feature small, blue marbles and rocks to create water, real sand and seashells, and little fairies decorated in their swimsuits. The rest is entirely up to you.
Some other ideas for fairy garden themes include:
● Farm
● Carnival
● County fair
● Enchanted Forest
● Playground
● Backyard
● Camping
● Zen
● Woodland
There are two ways you can go about creating your themed fairy garden. You can either buy a fairy garden kit or you can look for fairy garden accessories. Scroll below for more resources.
#2 – Select the Right Scale
You also want to choose the right scale for your fairy garden. It is a good idea to start with some aspects of the garden first and make sure the rest of the plants and accessories match that scale.
For example, if your fairy figurine is 4 inches tall, the house obviously needs to be larger than that. This is an important distinction to make, since different houses, flowers, plants, fairy figurines, and furniture will all fit different scaling.
With these basic tips, you are well on your way to creating your very first fairy garden!
Let Your Imagination Soar with These Fairy Gardening Ideas!
Step1: Choose Your Type of Container
Once you’ve decided on the theme and scale of your magical garden, it will be a lot easier to choose the right container. This is going to be the basis for your entire fairy garden, so it is an essential decision to make.
The type of container you choose will determine how much space there will be for accessories and plants and how it will look when completed. It will also determine the types of flowers or vegetables you can plant in it and which is the best good location to place it in your garden.
Some good containers to choose from include pots, birdbaths, tree stumps, and right in the ground.
Here is more information about each of these types of containers.
Fairy Gardening Pots
Pots are one of the best types of containers to use for fairy gardening because they give you as much space as you need for the fairy garden, and also provides holes at the bottom for proper drainage.
You can go with just about any size, shape, or material or pot you like.
Clay pots are best as they tend to last a long time and can handle a lot of weather elements. These are very durable, so you can fill them with soil and plants of your choice without causing too much weight or stress on the pots.
You can get a more authentic look by choosing an old clay pot. These really add a look of history to the fairy garden. However, if you don’t have an old one, you can visit a local garden store or search online for a pot of your choice.
Birdbaths
If you want to get a little more creative with your fairy garden, you can create one in a birdbath. This is an ideal choice if you want to put the garden out in the middle of your yard as if in a natural landscape, instead of placing it on your patio or balcony. A birth bath will already be standing up, so you don’t need to worry about placing it on a table or tree stump.
Birdbaths are usually strong enough to handle as much as you need for the soil, plants, and figurines. It also adds a more unique look for your new fairy garden. Consider a decorative birdbath that might show the signs of aging as that will make it look more magical.
Tree Stumps
Do you have a tree stump in your backyard that you’re not sure what to do with? Why not turn it into a fairy garden! This is a great way to make use of a tree stump after cutting down a tree.
A tree stump fairy garden will be extra durable since it is still in the ground. It’s also a great way to use an existing stump without having to worry about stump grinding or another way to remove the stump.
To create your magical garden, you will need to first dig a hole in the center of the stump so you can make room for the different plants and accessories you want to include.
Another excellent benefit is that tree stumps tend to be large in diameter, which gives you a lot of space to let the creative juices start flowing.
Like the ideas of creating a miniature landscape in a tree stump but don’t have any in your garden? You can still go with this fairy gardening idea with any of these readymade tree stumps.
In the Ground Near Trees
If you want the fairy garden to actually be in the ground, you can definitely make this happen! Instead of a container, you are actually planting it close to a garden or tree. You will use a small area of land where you want to add figurines, accessories, plants, and flowers.
You can also use a shallow container for the area, but not actually have it on the ground where pests can find it. This type of shallow pot is perfect for this purpose.
Step 2: Select the Right Soil and Plants
By this point, you have selected a theme, know what scale you want to work with, and have also chosen the container to use!
The next step in making your fairy garden is to select your soil and plants. This should be done before adding your fairies and other accessories as it is going to take up the most space. Once everything is planted, you know how much room is left for your accessories.
Choose soil with organic matter
Since you want the fairy garden to appear as natural as possible, the soil shouldn’t just be any generic plant soil. You should choose soil that has a lot of organic matter, since it will look more like what you imagine a real fairy oasis to include. Instead of just a uniform color of soil, it should have dark and light parts with plenty of bits of plants and other organic matter. This will not only look natural in the fairy garden, but it will keep your plants nice and healthy.
Include real plants and trees
With a fairy garden, you don’t want to use fake foliage otherwise it isn’t much of a garden! Use real plants and trees, all in mini versions.
If you want to keep the fairy garden indoors or in a covered patio or sunroom, some good plants are:
● False cypress
● Parlor palm
● Norfolk pine
● English boxwood
● Small succulents
For outdoor fairy gardens, use these plants and foliage:
● Ivy
● Wooly thyme
● Aloe succulents
● Primrose
● Mini roses
● Blue spruce
● Licorice plant
● Oregano
● White star creeper
● Baby’s tears
● Boxwood topiaries
In the end, you can choose any types of plants you want, as long as they are easy to care for and they are small enough to fit in your chosen container.
Step 3: Start Adding Fairies and Decorations
Now comes the fun part! At this point in your fairy garden project, you are already finished with the plants. It is finally time to add your fairies and decorations!
Let your imagination guide you in the right direction, considering the theme you are going with. Remember, you don’t need a unique theme to have a beautiful fairy garden. A traditional garden is still tons of fun!
Add the Big Accessories First
It is a good idea to start with the larger accessories first, such as a fairy house, a fence around the outside of the garden, or some furniture items. You might want to add some outdoor picnic furniture, an arbor, or little chairs and table made of twigs.
Try to choose accessories that look like something fairies would make if they were real, not something generic made of wood. Try not to use furniture items for dollhouses, as it looks too perfect and modern. You really want it all to be fitting for an outdoor space.
Start Adding the Smaller Decorations
Going down in size, you will then reach the accessories that are a little smaller. Once the house is in place, you will be able to start adding decorations like stones scattered around the garden, acorns, or dried flowers and leaves. You can find little figurines of mushrooms for a traditional fairy garden, or little umbrellas if you are going with the coastal theme. You can create your own little garden within a garden with a small shelf that has small ceramic pots and topiaries.
Some items that work really well with fairy gardens include:
● Marbles and stones
● Popsicle sticks
● Twigs
● Dried flowers and leaves
● Dried herbs
● Wire and steel
● Copper
● Gemstones
● Pine needles
● Gravel
● Moss
Time to Set Up Your Fairies!
Your fairies should be the last thing you add. You won’t really know where to place them until the garden, house, furniture, and decorations have found their rightful place. In addition to the fairies, you can also add small woodland creatures, birds, and other friends for the fairies.
These brands have a wide selection of fairy houses, fairies, and an assortment of fairy garden accessories in a variety of sizes. Click on the links to browse through the various fairy garden kits and accessories they offer. You may just find something that triggers your imagination.
Bliss Fairy Garden Collections
Section 4: Additional Tips
While you may be more than ready to get your fairy garden started, it helps to know just a little bit more. Here are some easy and helpful tips that will give you the fairy garden you want!
Add the house near the back. When you first start setting up the garden with accessories, you will be starting with large items, such as the house. While it can sometimes be difficult coming up with a good layout, a good rule of thumb is to place the house first. Put it near the center-back of the container to get started with your layout.
Use pebbles or marbles for paths. Having a path or two in the fairy garden really brings it up a level. You can make paths with just about any material you find, those flat marbles and pebbles are ideal. You can get these in a lot of different colors, from cool blue and purple to natural shades like yellow, green and brown.
Create a pond. A fun feature to have in the fairy garden is a pond. This is a great place to have a fairy standing, overlooking it. You can use any type of blue or green material you find, from pieces of glass to marbles, stones, and even plastic beads.
Use moss to create a landscape that looks natural. In addition to the plants you will have for the natural landscape, you can improve it by adding some moss. Take some scissors to cut the moss into small pieces, then scatter it around the garden, such as going around the fairy house, in front of mushrooms, or in front of the fence.
With these easy tips, you will have a beautiful and creative fairy garden. Make it as a gift or get together with the kids to turn it into a fun family activity.
There are also fairy garden kits that include all the basic items you need to get started right away.
Looking for More Fairy Gardening Ideas?
These books are a treasure trove of information about how to create fairy gardens easily.
Fairy Gardening: Creating Your Own Magical Miniature Garden
Fairy Gardening 101: How to Design, Plant, Grow, and Create Over 25 Miniature Gardens
Fairy Houses: How to Create Whimsical Homes for Fairy Folk
Have fun implementing these fairy gardening ideas and let us know how it went in the comments below!
