If you have moved from a home with garden space to a condo or apartment with no yard, you may still want to enjoy flowers and plants. If so, try container gardening! This type allows you to grow plants and decorate creatively in miniature. These gardens can be enjoyed on a deck, patio, balcony and even indoors.
The hottest trend in container gardening right now are Fairy Gardens. You can create your own enchanting miniature landscapes with tiny accessories, diminutive plants and charming fairy figures.
A fairy garden is a perfect style for those who remember the magic of childhood and the fantasy worlds described in fairy tales. I remember the fascinating stories about the fairies that my mom read to me. My favourite tale was Thumbelina written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story tells of a girl who was so tiny, she slept in a walnut-shell cradle. After many experiences, Thumbelina marries a tiny fairy prince and was given wings to fly by his side.
The famous pixie, Tinker Bell, was also beloved. I remember clapping my hands and saying, “I believe” to return Tink to life as I watched Peter Pan on TV. Probably the most renowned is the wee sprite, the Tooth Fairy, who magically removed my tooth and left a quarter under my pillow while I slept. These magical memories can inspire your very own fairy garden.
A fairy garden is limited only by your imagination. The popularity of this whimsical garden may be attributed to the ease of care and to the design itself, which provides an outlet for creativity.
The first step in creating a fairy garden is to think small in the selection of a container. This could be a flower pot, dish, bird bath or tea cup. Katie Elzer-Peters, the author of Miniature Gardens: Design and Create Miniature Fairy Gardens, Dish Gardens, Terrariums and More — Indoors and Out has created dozens of pint-sized gardens.
“Size is the main thing to keep in mind when selecting plants and accessories for fairy gardens,” she says. “You’re creating tiny worlds. Make sure everything looks like it belongs.”
The use of dwarf plants, miniature cottages or castles, little fences and arbours, and tiny-winged fairies create an attractive display.
What is your garden personality? The English poet Alfred Austin said, “Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are.” Your garden reflects you just as your clothing style and home décor. The type of plants and the accessories selected will create a theme for your miniature fantasy land. For example, pastel colours such as pink, pebble paths, ponds, and white picket fences and arbours portray a light-hearted fairy land found in storybooks. In contrast, you might utilize dark colours of deep purple, gargoyles, gnomes, and a gothic castle to produce a more edgy garden world.
Once a theme is determined, consulting with garden centres and nurseries is helpful in determining the correct plants to use for the landscaping.
The sun and water requirements determine the choice of flowers and foliage. Keep in mind the elements of design such as scale, proportion, and colour pattern. Accessories and contrasting colours create texture.
Some plants are irresistible to fairies. For example, thyme and moss provide a soft place for fairies to rest. The fragrant herb rosemary has always been regarded as having mysterious powers. A Sicilian legend tells of baby fairies sleeping in the rosemary flowers as the lowest petals of the flowers are ideal cradles. Foxglove, also known as fairy thimbles, fairy caps or fairy petticoats is a wonderful addition. Tiny blue forget-me-nots are suitable for partial shade areas. Pansies and primroses add vibrant colour and the fairy rose and pink hollyhocks are enchanting in the miniature world. The royal colour of purple violets honours the Fairy Queen in the garden. A dwarf plant that likes shady areas is the Blue Mouse Ears hosta, which grows only eight-inches tall. Its blue-green colour and curled leaves add dimension to the landscape.
Once the container and plants have been selected, adding tiny accessories to your garden enhances the theme. Twigs, stones and leaves are whimsical natural additions. Small-sized birdbaths, tiny watering cans, little benches and miniature frogs and bunnies enhance the fairy world.
If you need inspiration, there are numerous books and websites devoted to fairy gardens. One of the best websites is Two Green Thumbs. Two Canadian websites for purchasing accessories are Gardenworks and Fairy Garden. The bestselling book on the hobby, Gardening in Miniature: Create Your Own Tiny Living World by Janit Calvo is considered the most comprehensive, professionally written and photographed book that gardeners refer to it as “the bible of miniature gardening.” A revealing peek into the captivating world of gardening in miniature can be found in Miniature Gardens by Katie Elzer-Peters. This book has enticing photos and simple instructions, as well as tips on small-sized accessories.
Garden centres and craft and hobby stores have all the supplies needed to create your own miniature fairy garden. If you enjoy fairy tales and if you love to dream of mystical lands inhabited with fairies, a fairy garden is the perfect style. Filled with magic and charm, each miniature garden scene is a snapshot of a dream. This kind of gardening transports you to an enchanted world where dreams come true.
Nancy J. Schaaf is a retired English Educator and a Registered Nurse. She self-published two genealogy books and her articles have appeared in various magazines. She enjoys reading, travelling, riding motorcycles, jumping out of airplanes and writing.
Nancy suggests Dig This for fairy garden supplies:
In Oak Bay Village
1990 Oak Bay Avenue
Victoria, BC, V8R 1E2
Phone: (250) 598-0802
Email: oakbay@digthis.com
In Broadmead, Victoria
480-777 Royal Oak Drive
Victoria, BC, V8X 4V1
Phone: (250) 727-9922
Email: broadmead@digthis.com
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