A Fairy Garden-Sweetwater Style

Garden fairies come at dawn,
Bless the flowers then they’re gone.
~Author Unknown

The little fairy garden in an old birdbath makes me smile whenever I look at it.

I imagine it may entice some fairies to come bless the flowers.

Do you think they could cast a spell on the weeds too? Here’s hoping!

Read on to learn how to make your own and find inspiration from some other fantastic Fairy Gardens out there.

A trip to TonkaDale Gardens is never complete without a visit to the Fairy Garden display.

Alas….I know my thrifty soul will never allow me to spend $200 on a Miniature anything! I would rather eat and buy shoes!

So in true Sweetwater Style, I found a way to make one for almost NO money.

Here is my first attempt….about 4 years ago. I used an old wooden box…lasted about 2 seasons.
The “tree” is a basil plant I pruned into shape.
Then I hit upon the idea of using the cement birdbath that was always full of ishy smelly water and leaves…..no birds….obviously better for fairies.

I have included links to several webpages with step by step tutorials for DYI Fairy Gardens.
Here is how I made mine:

Cleaned out the muck from the bottom of the birdbath.

Lined the bottom with a couple of inches of rocks and sand for drainage-no holes

I think one time I had to tip water out of the garden after a major rain, but generally it hasn’t been a problem

Filled the birdbath with potting soil. I made the center taller and packed the soil very well
Arranged the buildings
Put in the pathways and wall
Planted the plants
Put up the archway
Arranged the accessories

The little ceramic houses are from the Christmas section at Goodwill…..painted them with acrylic paint from the craft store. —$5 or so
The arch is just twisted grapevine-easy to do if you soak it first.—FREE
The plants are sedum, creeping thyme, moss transplanted from other spots in the garden—FREE
The little hosta pop up next to the mature plants…don’t know why this happens, but they are perfect—FREE
The “garden wall” and stepping path are just rocks from the landscaping around the house.–FREE
The “gazing balls” are big marbles—reused FREE
The little pots are from the dollar bin at Target—reused FREE

So for around five dollars and a little creative reuse…I have my Fairy Garden—-Priceless!

Here are some other great examples

From Sugar Creek Gardens

Don’t you love the idea of using an old roaster?

From Ohdeedoh