Do you remember the Living Spring Centerpiece and the Fairy Garden projects? Well, I was needing a little “plant time” last week and hopped on over to one of my favorite local nurseries/garden centers (Dickman Farms in Auburn, NY). They have a wonderful greenhouse selection and to my surprise/delight all of their house plants were 50% off! Sa-weet.  I knocked myself out.

Now, before I go further, you must know that I was driving hubby’s car listening to the new Coldplay CD Mylo Xyloto for the first time. I pulled up into the parking lot and was completely overcome listening to #5 – You and Me Against the World. Oh. So. Warm and Beautiful… the acoustic guitar and Gwenth’s Chris Martin’s voice. Love….Love.

Where was I? Shopping. I’m not a shopper typically- much to Farmboy’s delight. Plants, plates and ponies are some of my preferred items- much to Farmboy’s dismay. When I need a little retail therapy I head for the local nursery or Marshall’s rather than a horse sale, thankfully- for all of us.

Enough of my late-night, The Clone Wars is on (they all look the same)- pontificating. Here is the “how to” part.

Take a large container with no hole and fill the bottom third with gravel for drainage unless you plan to use a saucer of some sort to catch the water. Be especially sensitive to moisture when using a container with no drainage. Low and wide is better since it will be displayed on a table indoors.

Fill the remainder of the container with potting soil.

Get together all of your plant goodies…

Arrange low growing, mossy plants in the front and center of your Fairy Garden and add the taller ones to the back. Once your plantings are finished water gently until evenly moist.

* I found some wonderful Fairy furniture to add to my indoor garden at Dickman’s! Here is a link to fairy furniture images.

Be sure to add a stone path, some boulders (small rocks) and whatever you can think of to add ambiance! I wish that I could string lights in my little fairy garden. Wouldn’t that be great?!

This little garden has been inhabited so far by the following: Zoobles, My Little Ponies and Princess Polly Pockets. I think its magic is working. Soon, word will get out and the fairies are bound to come. We have recently put little Santa hats out and decorated the place for Christmas. I’m thinking that it’s enchanting- I think the fairies will agree.

First, set a fairy trap. No, just kidding. That is impossible from what I’ve heard. However, there are many ways to create a fairy garden. I was inspired to start one in an old tree stump after hearing a lecture on “Fairy Tales in the Garden” by blogging diva Amanda Thomsen of Hortmag.com’s Kiss My Aster. A timely lecture considering that it just so happened we had an old tree in the barnyard that was getting cut up for firewood. I found the perfect hollowed out stump complete with a fairy door in the bottom. Yay.

After zipping over to the barn with the skidsteer and picking up the enchanted stump, I found a lovely spot with shade in the morning and late afternoon situated in front of a young blue spruce. While I would love to have a sweet little wooded spot, we live on the top of a hill no mature trees. It could have gone in the nearby hedgerow but I wanted it close enough to see it daily and for LaLa to visit there often.

Note the lovely little fairy door at the bottom. All it needs is a walkway, paint and a doorknob!

Planting the garden in a tree stump is nice because it raises up the viewing level and creates numerous places to introduce your fairy decor.  Speaking of fairy decor… did you know that you can order anything that you can dream of online? I had no idea! I have my eye on a particular metal table and chairs after finding the sweetest tea set at a craft store. Stay tuned on that one.

Varigated ivy, Irish moss, Hinoki cypress and creeping thyme.

A fairy garden doesn’t haven’t to be expensive to make. I used a dwarf Hinoki cypress that had gotten stepped on a couple times in my perennial bed that needed a little TLC. It made a nice small tree for the arrangement. We used a small little wren house for the fairy’s cottage with a cute little ceramic gazebo and mushrooms from a set that LaLa got for her birthday.

Some good materials for a fairy garden include:

• Moss covered stones
• twigs
• low growing plants such as irish moss, creeping thyme, creeping phlox and miniature conifers
• pebbles
• mushrooms- real or faux
• polished stones
• shiny things
• picket fencing
• rhinestones
• doll furniture and accessories
• your imagination

Once your little miniature outdoor landscaping project is planted start adding little accessories to bring it all together and enchant the fairies, your children and yourself. I found a charming little red wagon, some potted plants and a garden hose to add to my garden. I think the perfect little gardening fairy will come. I hope she will be willing to work for her keep!

So what are you waiting for?! Start that fairy garden and enjoy it with wonderment as though seeing it through the eyes of a child. Mine is far from complete so stop back in and see how it evolves! What would be featured in your fairy garden to make it uniquely yours?