Fabulous Fairy Gardening Part I

Beautiful Fairy Garden by theburghbaby.com

What is fairy gardening?

Miniature or “Fairy” gardening is one of the newest and most creative gardening trends!  Our customers (and their kids) love to create these miniature container gardens.  There are endless creative possibilities for miniature gardens with the use of dwarf sized plants, moss, “fairy” sized furniture,  mini patios, and more.  Fairy gardening can become quite addicting (just ask a few of us that work here at the garden center)! 

Tiny Fairy Garden by Kelsey at Ted Lare Garden Center

Choosing a Container for your Fairy Garden

Typically the containers that work best for fairy gardens have good drainage and have a wide diameter across the top.  The wider the diamater at the top, the more space you will have to create your fairy garden.  Traditional terra cotta pots with a low bowl shape work well but don’t be afraid to get creative.  Some of the prettiest fairy gardens I have seen have been in creative containers like wash basins, picnic baskets, bird baths, and hyper tufa pots.   

Birdbath Fairy Garden by fairy-gardens.blogspot.com/

Selecting Plants for your Fairy Garden

Since the whole purpose of the fairy garden is to have miniature plants, you’ll want to select plants that stay small or can be trained or trimmed to stay small.  Take into consideration where you will place your container when its finished.  You will want to choose plants appropriate for the sunlight conditions in that area.  You will also want to select plants that are zone hardy compatible for your container and decide whether you will leave your container outside for the winter or if you will bring your container inside.  Below is a list of plants that work well in fairy gardens.

• Baby Tears
• Ferns
• Creeping Thymes
• Irish Moss
• Jade Trees
• Succulents
• Sedums
• Rosemary
• Dwarf Conifers
• Dwarf Boxwoods 
• Moss
• Mini African Violets
• Bonsai trees such as Schleffera, Ficus or other varieties

Choose dwarf sized plants for best results in your miniature garden.

Select Fairy Furniture & Accessories

There are a multitude of fairy gardening accessoires available right now.  We carry benches, patio sets, arbors, hammocks, pots, cloches, gardening tools, hoses, wheelbarrows, fences, and much more.  You may also want to consider putting in a patio or walkway through your fairy garden. Small stones or tiles can be used to accomplish this.

Fairy Garden Accessories at Tedsgardens.com

Layout your Garden & Plant It

Fill your pot with potting soil.  Any regular mix of potting soil will work well as long as your pot has adequate drainage.   Before you begin planting we suggest laying out your fairy garden with the plants, stones, and/or fairy furniture you have selected.  This allows for adjustments in placement without making a big mess. 

Once you have determined placement, plant your plants in the soil and then add patio stones and fairy accessories to your garden. Some items may need to be staked down in order to keep them in place.  A paper clip or piece of wire will often do the trick.  If an item is top heavy a nail can often be glued to the bottom of it to act as a stake to put in the soil and keep it in place. 

Miniature Garden with Patio by minigardener.wordpress.com

So you ask, “Now what?” Relax, sit back and wait for the fairies to show up!

Look for my next blog posts that will show all the absolutely cool fairy accessories that are available and pictures of some inspirational fairy gardens.