HerbDoc’s fairy garden

HerbDoc has an update on the progress of her “fairy garden.”

I’ve been working on my fairy garden for about three years now and wanted to offer some advice for those who are in the process of establishing one.

My first garden was set on the ground in the very front corner of the perennial bed next to a Josie lilac.  It was pretty simple and consisted of a solar toad house that I bought on line, a group of fairies (which were $2 a piece pot stickers), a (free!) beach stone walkway and some low growing perennial plants.

I really enjoyed it, but it seemed I was always weeding and cleaning up the area.  I hadn’t put anything under the stones and weeds loved to grow through them, and whenever it rained, dirt splashed on the house and surrounding area.

Fast forward to this year…My husband built a box which I promptly painted bright red and then put it on an old side table.  It was filled with various upside down plastic pots to keep the overall weight down.  I added approximately 4-5 inches of potting soil to the top.  The fact that the entire set up is about waist high made the process of designing and planting much easier.

Included in the garden are three plants with very tiny leaves:  a thyme with a reddish cast, a coltsfoot coleus and an Irish moss which to my delight had tiny white flowers for about three weeks.

Decorations include three fairies, the solar toad house with beach stone walkway, and a wrought iron bistro set on a stone patio.  There’s also a little bridge with a pottery scallop shell bath, a trellis, an acorn mailbox, a bee skep, 3 tiny terra cotta pots, and a hummingbird wind chime.

To save money, repurpose items you find in the house or inexpensive items from the toy or gardening aisles, especially in dollar stores.  I’ve found many items for the garden at the end of the season at cut rate prices.  Most stores which carry “fairy” items charge exorbitant sums!

My little garden always brings a smile to my face!  Children, especially little girls, are enchanted with the idea which could be adapted for boys by adding a small dinosaur and some Hot Wheels to the mix.