careytearose

My latest addition is a stump from a cotton wood tree ~ 2' high and about 3' around, with a 'bowl' cut out of the top for plants. I stained it last night and will put a door, windows and a deck on it this weekend. Beside it will be a wishing well and a dry creek bed with bridge over it. (I got these off of eBay and they are sooooo cute)

My daughter is 12 and wanted her own garden. I had a raised flower bed, 20' x 20' that she put up a teepee in. Planted morning glories, pole beans, black eyed susans & other flowering vines around it. For the 'yard' part she has moss roses, petunas and other ground cover flowering annuals. Behind the teepee she planted chocolate scented & maxamillion sunflowers for shade. On the East side of it she cleared a 5' x 20' space for a deck and planted a butterfly bush. Most everything is pink as that is her favorite color. She also has bird baths, gnomes, fairy's & plant stakes of every animal you can think of!

Have fun with making your fairy gardens!

Some plants, herbs for fairy gardens:
Foxgloves, Saffron, Rosemary, Roses, Lavender, Oregano, Myrtle.

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She also has a succulent collection that has little fairy statues living among the plants that show up in different spots. The succulents are ideal fairy garden plants for her because they are small, easily transplanted, easily propagated, and very forgiving if she forgets to water for long periods. I consider them magical plants for children.

Her mermaid lagoon.

Here is a link to a couple other photos of her garden and doll outfits.

At our park we have an event every June (as close to Midsummer's eve as I can make it) in which children (aided by adults, and I don't know who really has more fun) build fairy houses in the gardens using only natural materials. No staples, wire, glue, etc. We read Tracy Kane's book first, for inspiration, and review the fairy building codes (never pick or otherwise harm anything growing, and only use artificial materials) before going outside to build. After about 90 minutes of building, we tour the "community" and the children can tell about their houses while we hand out "fairy food" (bird seed mixed with different colored split peas), which is served up in seed pods. Anyone is welcome to stay as long as they like, of course, but they're usually finished and happily pick up coloring sheets with pictures of different fairies and a handout on how to create a fairy garden at home (which, coincidentally, is also friendly to butterflies and beneficial insects) as they leave their creations behind. Some come back later in the week to visit; most visitors often find them charming. The houses - or remains thereof after the forces of nature have had their way with them - remain in place for at least a week.

We've held three such events now, and I'm still amazed at the originality and creativity displayed.