The same area - a little turtle/tortoise (?) that I painted blue and yellow.
Fairy Garden NZ
Dear Critterologist ,
I am so happy that your folks are coming here .You can say that you know someone who lives in NZ ! It is the best time of the year to visit .
I'm sure they will have their itinerary worked out to the favourite tourist destinations - the two islands are completely different -if you saw 'Lord of the Rings ' ,the South island is where all the spectacular mountain scenery was filmed ,and it is not so densely populated as the North . I live near Hobbiton ,and many tourists visit there ,as it has been re constructed .
I hope so much that they will have time to go to Coromandel peninsula which is my favourite place in NZ -it is the peninsula on the Eastern coast N Is .If they like the Quirky ,there is plenty there! Barry Brickells railway (but MUST be booked ahead) and especially 'Waterworx' -all around Coromandel town .The east coast has the whitest sand you ever saw ,and the west coast is rugged and beautiful. If you can spare a moment or two ,go to Google and type in Coromandel NZ and you can see what I mean.
Here is the view Wgnkiwi was talking about - from my daughters deck .Wellington harbour entrance .You can see the South island on a clear day .It is a three hour ferry trip across.The main commercial area is on the far shore .
I hope they have a wonderful holiday ."Kia Ora (well being -good luck)
Marion
I thought I would put a photo of the South island too .This is at the Milford Sounds ,which all tourists go to .
Marion.
Fabulous, Emelle - I know nothing of New Zealand so I am more than appreciative of your photos!!!! Breathtaking view from your daughter's deck, too. Your Zoe looks exactly like my Friday, and those stones are to die for!!
WOW, I am just wishing I could stow away in Mom's big suitcase!
I have a copy of their itinerary... it's subject to change, but I do see a day marked "to Coromandel" and the following day marked "at Coromandel," so it looks like they'll be there during the last week of their trip. They are planning to go to the South Island first, then the North Island, and they'll be taking the ferry from Picton to Wellington. :-)
I guess my map of NZ isn't very detailed... I don't see Waikato...
You've done a wonderful job with those mosaics -- you really have an eye for color! I love them!
It's surprising what one can make out of nothing much - this was an old terracotta drainpipe I found -painted and put next to clematis montana .
Emelle
Emelle, you are so creative - I just love your gardens and
what you have done with them. Thanks for sharing.
Emelle, your pic of the entrance to the Fairy garden has a very lush looking Hydrangea, next to it a fairly tall Fuchsia. I have one that looks like it, called Whiteknight's Pearl, it is very easy and does often regrow from the last years stems, although I often cut it back. Mine is in a spot near the hedge which gets dry in the summer, it occasionally droops but flowers forever, I should move it and let it grow taller. I have F. magellanica which is about 8' tall, Whiteknight's Pearl I think is a magellanica type.
I love your lady with the flowering head on the drainpipe. Could you plug the bottom and fill it with compost, topped with a plant? A fern might do well.
Emelle, you've done such a wonderful job of echoing the colors of your plantings with your garden artwork. It gives them such a great feeling of belonging in the space. The blue and white area is particularly striking to me!
I rescued some pieces of old furniture from someone's barbecue - ( I wonder if it was an old rocking chair ? ),and nailed it all together ,painted it lime green .Children like to walk through things (and so do I ) .I did change the mosaic paving to the ones in the previous photo .
Wallaby -a little piece of the fuschia was given to me and I love it -it is so small and pretty -I never knew the name .It sounds as though it could be yours .I have tried to plant things that children and fairies and I like - granny bonnets ,primroses ,campanula ,snowdrops and whatever comes along .
Emelle, I've just come to your thread. and what a wonderful find it is! I've so enjoyed looking thru, seeing all your wonderful plantings, your fairies and little animals, love your mosaic stepping stones, and especially your very own little live fairy who is the highlight of the whole thread :0) also appreciate the pics of NZ scenery.
I, too have a fairy garden. here's a collage of my fairies and some of the flowers. It's pretty bare (although this was taken in spring before things started to bloom). I planted a ton of perennials & bulbs last season, so hopefully a much more cottagey look this year.
jan (aka gram)
Sitting on the newly planted ferns ,but I don't mind.
I don't think I'd mind either...let the ferns take care of themselves LOL
Just over the little 'bridge' a welcome sign . I found the branch ,and bought some striped paint for it.
I bought the fairies from the man that makes them ,between 6 -10 dollars .They are just concrete ,so come to life with paint .(To get skin tone ,you mix red and yellow into white paint ,and add a touch of blue )
Sitting on the branches up above there are a blue fairy ,a green fairy and a pink fairy .
This is the blue fairy before she moved up to her branch .
And here is the green fairy .
Emelle, the fairies are a delight - you are very, very artistic! And your gardens are so inviting! I love your little walk-through that leads to the wishing well.
Here is a view taken from the WW looking towards our house .The ferns have started growing well -(must take a close up ),and I have put pink bizzy lizzies in the gaps .Also aquilegia (granny bonnets) The cedar drops needles every day .
emelle
Some little helpers - the needles are swept up and into the barrow , now for a ride to the compost bin !
Emelle, you are too cute! striped paint LOL thanks for the close-ups of your fairies. you've done a wonderful job of bringing them to life. if they ever want to take a trip to the states, they are welcome to take up residence in my garden :-)
ps the helpers are precious
jan
Emelle, do you get to have those little darlings around all the time? I miss mine so much - ages 19, 16, 9, and 8 . . . all too busy these days (although the nine year old boy will be with me next week for a few days!). And a new baby due September 1st.
I love hearing 'Bizzy Lizzies' - haven't heard that for ages and it's such a great name!!!
Too cute for words. You're one lucky grandma,
and they are sure blessed to have you in their lives.
I have nearly come to the end of the story ,but I guess it will never end ,really .
Murmur,the little ones live in Wellington ,about 6-7 hours drive away ,so I see them only a few times during the year.
However ,the paths are a figure 8 (sideways) shape ,and I haven't finished laying stone paths down properly yet around the back..I want to concrete the stones in but I feel tired thinking about it !
The centre path of the figure 8 ,I have saved till last - I made round stepping stones with the first letter of each of my grandchildrens names -C ,K ,M,M ,E and J .
Looking the other way along the centre path .I still have some stones and other bits and pieces to place ,alongside the path.
Makes me want to do a happy dance, Emelle!! Absolutely delightful - thank you so much for sharing. Sorry the little ones are so far away, but glad you get such wonderful photos when they are there. It looks like they have a terrific time!
Thank you everyone for your friendliness and welcome . I have a couple of other photos of things I have made for the garden ,so might post them when they are developed.
As you see ,the part of the garden at the front is growing nicely ,and hopefully lushly .
I hope it will encourage others to make something like this -it wasn't expensive ,as I mostly used things I found and decorated them .Grampapa -do you have some pictures of yours somewhere ?
Love to all
Marion NZ
Marion, I have so enjoyed this. when you asked if I had any pictures I looked back up and realized I never posted the collage. Some of the flowers that grow there, a fairy door that I got for Christmas, some of my fairies that inhabit the garden (I love the flower fairies from the Cecily Mary Barker books). and one long shot of the garden., but not in bloom. I find I take too many closeups of flowers and not enough of the gardens. I'll have to pay more attention to that this year.
jan
here's a little better shot. looking thru at the neighbor's houses. again not in bloom
Thank you so much ,Jan -your pictures are gorgeous .I made some doors for the tree too ,but when I put them up they looked too big and out of proportion ,so I took them down ,but will get to work on making little ones .I love the shape of yours and I will copy that design if that's OK ...- Real fairies have doors shaped like that .... Yes I like C M Bakers fairies too . Marion.
Your new picture came through as I was writing - you have cedars too ! ! - they are just perfect ,aren't they !
And I love the placement of your rocks - very natural .They will be gorgeous as things grow up around them.
Marion
PS I've just returned for another lookat your photo , and you have an obelisk too ...I have a thornless rose on mine ,and it has climbed up into the cedar and over the branches. It wasn't planned ,,but looks stunning hanging down in clusters.
Marion.
Another PS - I've just told hubby that I'm having a chat with a lady in New York -and we are wondering if your snow storms have eased . It is Saturday afternoon here.
It must be a pleasure for your grandchildren to visit, I think they must be very excited to explore your Fairy garden Emelle. I can imagine them running around those paths, finding new small delights at every turn!
Gram, another Fairy lover! I love your little door too.
ps.....(in secret fairy fashion).....I bought The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies, all of Cecily Mary Barker's works in one volume as it had originally been published, reproduced from the original watercolours. I am a fairy fan! I bought the book for my eldest granddaughter several years ago but couldn't give it away! She was allowed to look at it when she visited! Now I will have to look at it again.....the fairies are portrayed so well, each imitating the flower they are named after.
I have six decorative plates with her fairies on them. I had quite a collection of plates at one time, but sold all by the Cecily Mary Baker ones a couple years ago. I don't even have them displayed at this time, but think I might put them in the guest room (which doubles as my office so I would get to see them!).
To see a lot of fairy things -and butterflies and birds and fairy flowers see the fairy website... gardenfairy.com ....-it has Cecily Mary Barker 's fairies on it -
February fairy by Cecily Mary Baker
Emelle
I had a look at the site, they are selling the figurines. It's close, but facing the wrong direction and doesn't have the leaf underneath or the Geranium in her hand, I guess it would break off.