Landscaping projects with your children can be a lot of fun. What child does not love playing in the dirt? All winter long, I ponder what new project I’m going to tackle in the spring; and although my children are no longer little and have lives of their own, over the years they helped me with many landscaping and gardening projects. Helping mom and dad with outdoor projects gives children a sense of accomplishment – like a job well done!
Last year I built a few raised box gardens and this year I’m going to move them all after realizing my vegetables either got too much sunlight or too little. I’ve been thinking about it and I would like to make one of my smaller boxes into a “Fairy Garden”. The last time I walked through my favourite craft store, I noticed that they had an entire aisle devoted to adorable items you could use in a fairy garden. I wanted to buy at least one of each thing.
Fairy Gardens are a magical space for children to play and a lovely addition to any garden. Making one is quite simple and quick and will bring hours of family enjoyment. The real imagination and magic comes alive when choosing the small details to place in your garden…with so many fantastic possibilities, your garden will always be changing and evolving!
There are all sorts of little interesting items you can use for your Fairy Garden, like tiny buildings, castles and houses and you can find all sorts of cool little treasures at garage sales and even cute bridges and mini pagodas in the fish aisle at your local pet store – and don’t forget the dollar store or general store! Rocks, pebbles, glass stones and gravel work well for pathways, dry river beds, and they add interest to your garden.
Fill up the empty space in the bottom of the planter with upside down (empty) plastic cat buckets (with holes drilled for drainage). Then, a piece of particle board was cut to size to make a "floor" for the fairy garden box. Place weed-block garden fabric on top of the particle board base and fill it with potting soil mix. Smooth it all out and start your “Fairy Land”. The fairies need a home too! Use your imagination; I can hardly wait to create my own Fairy Land!
When choosing plants for your Fairy Garden, be mindful of the scale you are after. You want it to look like a miniature garden. Use moss as the main ground cover and let your imagination run wild as you choose plants that you think might attract the fairies in your neighbourhood. A small tree sets the scale of the garden and makes for that miniature feeling. If your garden is in a smaller container, a shrub will have the same effect as a tree. Also, keep in mind the colour combinations – silvers, light greens, dark greens, browns – use as many colours as possible, as it adds texture and interest to the Fairy Garden. Another consideration when choosing your plants is to make sure all the combinations you choose like the same amount of sun and water. If you are going to be using moss, remember that moss likes sun to part shade and lots of water… make sure you choose other plants that like the same. If you are going for a dessert garden appeal, pebbles, rocks and various cacti look wonderful, but keep in mind that too many prickles may deter your little one from playing in his or her garden.
Water your Fairy Garden well…and then add your little fairy and gnome pieces in place. A bench, a table and a chair, an arbor or tiny little fences make great additions. You could even have a little pond, using a small bowl.
Be prepared for Fairy Garden making to be an all-day project! Playing in the dirt and arranging and rearranging the layout a hundred times is a big part of the fun! You can also use a small crate or barrel and make this into an event. Friends and neighbours could come over to get in on the Fairy Garden making-action.
The magic of a fairy garden is in the addition of all your own personal teeny details! I am sure every single person reading this article has tiny little figurines and things hidden in your junk drawer you can use to make your own magical garden.
Nothing would make me happier than to know I had fairies living in my garden! Your children will have magical dreams thinking and pondering the idea of fairies in their own backyard. There is nothing wrong with pondering the possibilities of magic in your life – it could happen.
References: mothershome.com, pinkandgreenmama.blogspot, themagiconions.com and happinessishomemade.net
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