My Fairy Garden!!

I first got to know about fairy gardens when I accidentaly saw some figurines in a plant nursery. The plan of having a my own fairy garden was intriguing. I began fixing a broken terracota pot but my efforts to glue the pieces went vain. So ditched the idea of re-using! I picked a wide mouthed terracotta pot that was shallow with a drain hole, filled it up with a potting mix and decided on what miniature plants to have.

My last year's fairy garden was pretty bare without any miniature plants but few yard moss, pebbles, insense burner house(souvenier from my trip) and few figurines(fairy and dog). I made a fence and bench out of mini popsicle sticks.

Last year's Fairy Garden

This year I was determined to do more so went looking for miniature plants. They are bit expensive but a right amount of care can keep them long in your garden. Our local nursery store H.J. Benken carries varieties of these plants. I did have them last year for my indoor terrariums and they are still alive. I re-used the potting mix, and planted 4 miniature plants(ferns, mini elephant ears, baby tears and spider plant).

I have seen buntings at nursery costing lot of money so an idea to make fabric bunding came out of desparation. Took 4 different kinds of fabric from my scraps, cut them into triangles using pinking shears so the edges won't fray. I joined the top edge of triangle with a fabric glue and ensured there was enough room for the wire to pass through. I now had a wire with fabric triangles. I used chopsticks as my poles and wound the two ends of wire at the top. To blend with the surroundings, taped the chopstick with brown floral tape. Used black and white pebbles to make a road that lead to the incese burner house. I used the moss to make it look like a lawn. Finally decked up my fairy garden with a dog, mushroom, bench and a fairy!!

I will eventually replace fake flower pot with a miniauture Begonias, incense burner house with a miniature house!! 

Tip: The miniature plants can't tolerate cold weather, so in winter the fairy garden should be got indoors.

Kiddie Garden Bed!!

My soon to be turning 9 year old daughter was asking for a garden bed since last year. I was very busy setting mine, so did not heed to her request. This year it was more like a demand rather than a request. She wanted few herbs with lot of flowers.

I headed to a dollar store to get garden fence. Got 4 of them for $1 each. They can be connected with each other and hence we came up with a garden bed for her. We cleaned up the weeds first, added my half done compost from last year and topped it up with a bag of top soil.

Mint is a perinneal herb that comes each year so that was her first option. I got few Pansy flowers which can sustain Ohio's spring weather.The only problem is that deer love them too! I will have to figure out to protect them. Need to try with blood meal or bone meal.

I had to salvage my perennial herb garden as the wooden crate planter that I made last year did not do well in cold weather. I moved my Lavendar, Winter Savory, Lemon Balm, Sage, Bronze Fennel and Chives onto her garden. All I need to get her are the flowers as per seasons. She shouldn't have any complaints!!