Monday, May 23, 2011

Making Fairy Wonderlands

My daughter is in love with the mystery and wonder of everything Fairy. I have fostered this love by helping her create and maintain fairy gardens around our house. Watching her creativity and excitement in  nature come out is wonderful to watch.  We also read the" Flower Fairy" series of books by Cicely Mary Barker. If you are unfamiliar with these books please check them out.  The water colours, drawings  and poems are really beautiful.
 A couple of monthe ago I saw our locally owned nursery was having a Fairy Festival at the end of April, complete with a magic fairy tea party and make your own fairy garden. After we signed up we went to look at their selection of "Flower Fairy" ornaments  and their examples of the Fairy garden they were going to make at the festival.  I saw their fairy gardens and decided to make my own (each empty box was a crazy $24.99).  I went home and made three of the boxes myself (one for each of my kids and one for my daughters best friend). And after we attended Fairy festival we filled and decorated our fairy garden boxes.
 They are really easy and super fun to make.
 11"X 14" recycled cedar fencing. 2 pieces of 1"X 3"X 14" and 2 pieces of  1"X3"X10"for the sides and 2 pieces of 1"X6"X14" for the bottom. Screw the sides together and sides to the edges of the bottom from the under side of the box . (The bottom pieces are not screwed together.  You want a gap allowing for water to drain).
 Final box (absolutely not square), then we filled it 3/4 full with organic potting mix.
 The kids picked out the fairies and outdoor plants at the nursery. They each decorated their gardens with collected rocks, shells and glass form their trereasure boxes and  sicks, moss, tiny pine cones and other pieces of nature from our yard. This one is my daughters created.


This one is my son's.  He helped as much as a 2 1/2 year old has the attention for.
 These two are the indoor version made in 6" clay pots and indoor mini plants. (The plastic plant was not my idea) These two sit on our kichen table.
I hope these pictures and information help you to get inspired to create a fairy garden with your kids or just for your self.