A New Fairy Garden

Back in 2012, I told you about the old barbecue grill that I recycled in to a Fairy Garden.  

Did I mention I have a *thing* about fairies?  In addition to the recycle grill fairy garden, I have a little fairy that used to sit out under the crepe myrtle where I used to live.  She now sits in the corner of the patio, under her little red and white spotted toadstool.

Just recently,  I was inspired by a photo on Facebook of a fairy garden created in a super-sized teacup.  While getting bird seed in Wal-Mart yesterday, what should I spy but the same large teacup planter?

Without thinking twice, I bought one, along with a bag of potting soil and some plants and then headed next door to Hobby Lobby to see what they had in the way of inspiration for fairy garden accessories.

The finished garden is very simple, with some ivy, verbena and dusty miller, a little fairy table and chair, as well as a miniature butterfly, sampling the verbena, a miniature bird house and a dainty little welcome sign.

 
 I set it on the patio table where I hope I will remember to water it and also to keep the plants trimmed (my selections were probably not really suited to a miniature garden, but I've never been one for too much planning!)

I love how it looks. The perfect touch of whimsy for this corner of the patio.  Thanks to the folks at Flea Market Gardening for the inspiration.

If you want to get inspired, visit their complete list of DIY Fairy Garden ideas.


Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.

The Fairy Garden

In May of last year, I told you how I repurposed our old grill and made it into a planter on the back patio.

Since then, it's seemed that everything I planted in it has been doomed to die a slow death.  First, I think in the location we had it, it was getting full afternoon sun and, being metal, it was heating up too much and literally cooking the plants inside. 

So then I moved it into the far corner, by the bedroom window, where it didn't get any direct light at all, except for perhaps a short time when the setting sun touched it briefly.

I had a Pothos Ivy in there for a while -- the photo below was taken right after it was planted.  It looked great at first, but within a week or two it just lay there drooping and leaves were dying off  until finally I dug it out and planted it in a pot and put it on the little plant stand next to the grill.

Within a week, the Pothos Ivy had perked up, had new growth and was getting its marbled coloring back.

I had to face it, what had started out as a good idea--to turn an old grill into a planter--wasn't such a great idea after all.  You could even call it an Epic Fail.

So now, here I had this "planter" on the patio, complete with the trellis I made from the saplings we cut from the lot next door before it was cleared, and nothing would grow in it.

What to do?

It just so happened, on the way back from a visit to the doctor, that I stopped in to Plants for All Seasons and became entranced by the collection of Fairy Gardens they had on display.

It came to me that it would be the perfect solution to my problem.

Using the gardens I had seen as inspiration, I used pine cones as bushes in my fairy garden, along with some items purchased at Plants for all Seasons. 

Here's a close up of it at that point.

Perhaps I should have stopped there but I added some shells and gravel, another toadstool and some actual fairies.

Below you can see the finished fairy garden in close up. 

 Maybe I over did it, but I'm happy with it :-)  And even the sweet potato vine is coming back!
 

Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.

The Milkweed Fairies are Ready to Fly

 When I was a child, I used to love catching "fairies" as they drifted through the air and then setting them free, with a breath of air and my best wishes for a good flight.  

Back then, of course, the "fairies" were dandelion seeds, with their fluffy white parachutes. 


I mentioned a week or so ago that the milkweed in my border were loaded down with seedpods. 

I've been watching them, knowing that any day now they would start opening up and the fluffy little "fairies" would catch the breeze and  distribute the seeds.

I caught some today, as I noticed some of the seed pods were open.  I put them in a paper bag and shook them gently and when I opened the bag, the "fairies" drifted out and away on the breeze, happy to leave their burden of seeds for me to look after till planting time.


I'll probably be collecting seeds for several days, judging from the amount of seed pods!  If anyone would like any, please let me know.


Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.