Fairy and Miniature Gardens in Containers

Winfield, IL(Zone 5a)

Hello -
I am new to this forum and am really enjoying my contacts so far in the terrarium gardening forum. What an impressive website this is!

I thought I would share my photographs and experience making my first Fairy Garden, where my husband built me a 24" square box to make it in. I used an old birdhouse and some annuals and mini landscape embellishments, and built a little path with landscape rocks and a terrace to put a bench on. I'll post some pictures of the finished project. I even tried to figure out how to save money on a mini gazing ball, and made one out of a spray painted toggle bolt and a marble (see pictures)! My husband and I took some branches from a bush in our front yard, stripped the leaves, twisted a few together and bent them around a nail to dry out into an arbor arch, which I used in the garden. It was fun trying to be innovative and save money on the embellishments.

I had so much fun, like a kid playing in a sandbox! I'm trying to come up with other ideas for containers - I'm working on one now where I took a polyurethane whiskey barrel liner and spray painted it with textured paint for plastic to look like stone or concrete.

There is a nursery in our area where I first saw the mini garden idea - they have a clever one on display with a stone cottage and fencing, in an old wheelbarrow! It's adorable!

Please share your experiences with me if you've done some creative mini gardening in containers. Thanks!

Thumbnail by kiwiluvsme
Winfield, IL(Zone 5a)

Another view of my fairy garden.

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(GayLynn) Appleton, WI(Zone 5a)

That is way tooooo cute.

Winfield, IL(Zone 5a)

Thank you! It looks like my other pictures didn't post? I thought I posted another 7 pictures but I don't see them here - is it possible I didn't do something right, or is there a slower process for posting I'm not aware of? Maybe I need to go back to the home page and get more familiar...

Thumbnail by kiwiluvsme
Winfield, IL(Zone 5a)

Here you can see the gazing ball I made out of a marble and toggle bolt! Next to the bench

Thumbnail by kiwiluvsme
Winfield, IL(Zone 5a)

A better view of the "terrace"





Having trouble posting other pictures...

This message was edited Jun 22, 2007 11:59 AM

Thumbnail by kiwiluvsme
(Zone 1)

Kiwi: That Fairy Garden is sooo adorable! What a great job! I just love the idea of a little miniature garden! Did you use doll house furniture or what for the scenes? Wonderful idea of using the marble with a toggle bolt for the gazing ball and stand. Very creative you are! Love it! Keep posting your photo's.

Lin

Winfield, IL(Zone 5a)

Thanks Lin - there's a nursery around here called The Growing Place that sells all these miniature garden accessories, and they even have little children in addition to the fairies, so you can make up all kinds of scenarios. They have the benches and fencing, birdhouses and birdbaths. I've also seen those things on line and you can buy them from several sources. Here's one http://www.miniature-gardens.com/ The people behind this company look like they are having so much fun, and are so, so talented. I love the little houses, and they even encourage you to make a garden in containers as little as a flower pot.

Stay in touch!

Mary

(Zone 1)

Oh my Goodness ... That is such a neat website! I love it! I can just imagine doing an entire little "Garden City" with Churches, Houses etc. How cool! Thanks for posting that link Mary! I'm going back now to look some more!

Have a very Happy & Safe 4th of July!



Happy Independence Day Everyone! Stay safe around all those exploding fireworks!

Lin

The Heart of Texas, TX(Zone 8b)

Mary, now those are really cute... Loved the website too...thanks for sharing the link.

MsC

The Monadnock Region, NH(Zone 5a)

Thsnk you so much for that link. I can't wait to try a 'fairy garden' with my granddaughter. She will flip!!

Winfield, IL(Zone 5a)

Thank you and glad to pass it along! I've just ordered some things from there myself.

(Taylor) Plano, TX(Zone 8a)

Kiwi-
love the toggle bolt and marble gazing ball. How clever & thrifty.

What is the little blue plant that you used?

Welcome to a new forum! :0)
-Taylor

Denville, NJ(Zone 6b)

so nice.... would you be able to take a full shot... would love to see the whole thing at once

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