“When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.” – J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
The ever-growing trend of introducing fairy gardens into home gardens and landscaping is something we’ve been happy to embrace at Wagner Greenhouses. Fairy gardens are miniature gardens that include small structures such as furniture, figurines, and buildings, as well as carefully cultivated living plants. They get their name from their small size and charm, as many people build fairy gardens with or for their children as a place for “fairies” to live and play. They’re a great way to cultivate fun and whimsy while creating lasting memories – all in your very own yard (or just about anywhere, really)!
How do I build a fairy garden?
The best part of building a fairy garden is that it can be whatever you want it to be, so our first suggestion is to not worry too much about being perfect. Instead focus on having fun. You can create a completely original landscape or use pre-made miniature buildings and figurines to replicate a fantastical scene from a favorite book or film.
You can place a fairy garden anywhere, indoor or outdoors, as long as it fits the space you plan on placing it in. The two things you definitely need before beginning are a.) a container, and b.) a plan. Just about any container will do as long as it is capable of drainage, since you will be using live plants. Some containers we’ve seen used for fairy gardens include flower pots, wheelbarrows, wooden boxes, and antique tubs. What size container you use depends on your needs and plan but a depth of at least six inches and a width of at least a foot is a good place to start. As for b.), the plan, we just recommend having an idea of the scene you want to create before you start so you don’t find yourself getting overwhelmed by the possibilities.
After those two, the rest of the process is the fun part: decorating your garden.
When building your garden, you can integrate just about anything imaginable, including but not limited to: tiny chairs, ponds, pieces of pottery, herbs (the small size of their leaves blend into small gardens very well), spider plants, small ceramic animals (extra points if they’re mythical), peat moss, toadstools, watering cans, pieces of park, small colored stones, or one of the many pre-made buildings, figures, and decor pieces we sell for fairy gardens at Wagner Greenhouses.
Looking for inspiration?
Here are a few links to building tips and fairy gardens that have been created by crafters across the country that you can use as inspiration before coming to one of our retail locations to take the next step by buying your own fairy garden soil, flowers, and accessories.
- 25 Best Miniature Fairy Garden Ideas To Beautify Your Backyard from TrulyGeeky
- 12 Enchanting DIY Fairy Garden Ideas for Your Backyard from Country Living
- 40 Magical DIY Fairy Garden Pictures from Sorta
- DIY Fairy Gardens by Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper
- The Most Popular Fairy Garden Features from the Magic Onions
Stop in today to one of our retail locations to take a look at the wide variety of things we offer at Wagner Greenhouses that can help you build the Minnesota fairy garden of your dreams.
