Fairy Garden 2013

Fairy Garden 2013

Some of you may remember our fairy garden from last year. If not, see our "Making Our Very Own Fairy Garden" Part 1 and Part 2 for setting up the barrel planter and our cute little mushrooms.

I'm not sure if our fairies migrated to the evergreen Holly bushes, left for warmer climates, or hibernated, but at the end of winter, our little garden looked like this:

We knew we had our work cut out for us. 

1. Clear the Debris. 

We wanted a clean start for our garden. We carefully removed all the river rocks, washed them, and set them aside. We got rid of all the plant debris. The fence and ladder pieces we set aside to be repaired. 

2. Repair.

Our fence and ladder pieces needed a lot of work, but nothing was a match for a new bottle of wood glue and a little patience. Sadly, the bench could not be saved. We're looking to buy another or perhaps might make one. 

3. Build the House. 

This year we decided to build a house for our fairies to live in. My husband had built the front panel for a different project quite some time ago. I found some shelf scraps and built a little three-sided structure. 

 

We then attached the front using some leftover hardware. 

 

 

We cut down a scrap piece of moulding and added it above the front. 

 

Finally, we applied our shingles with wood glue. We used canvas stretchers that came with the canvases for my painting projects. 

 

4. Shop! 

We love adding accessories to our garden. This year's purchases included a beautiful bridge from Petsmart, which is probably my favorite addition. It's made for an aquarium and has held up to the outdoor conditions pretty well. From the dollar store we bought a resin dog, artificial grass with butterflies, more river rocks, and a mirror to use as a reflecting pool. All of these were installed using river rocks as pathways and a riverbed leading to the reflecting pool.

5. Plants.

Last year we didn't have much luck with the moss, so we decided to skip it. Instead we planted several flowers including violas, petunias, and lobelias. We bought a few extra plants, so we had two secondary containers other than the main fairy garden. 

 

Pretty simple this year. Other than the house, we didn't do much. After a few weeks, our garden looked even better. This year was a pretty rough tornado season. A couple of days, we weren't sure what we would find when we returned from taking shelter. On both days, the fairy garden (and our house) survived. The ladder blew off once, but other than that, everything was still in its proper place (despite trees and fences being blown down in our neighborhood). We are very blessed and thankful.

This Fairy Garden has been entered into the 2013 Fairy Garden Contest on the Magic Onions. Check out all the fairy gardens here and maybe be inspired to make your own!

Making Our Very Own Fairy Garden Part 2

In my last entry, I discussed how we made our fairy garden. Since then I have been informed that it is a "Princess Garden", not a Fairy Garden. My apologies to our Miniature Master Gardener.

Our Princess Garden was almost complete at the end of the last entry, but we brought in the big guns (my husband) to make some neat wood projects that make the garden even more amazing. He made wooden mushrooms, fence panels, and a ladder for the princesses to get up to their garden.

Mushrooms

Taking inspiration from The Magic Onions, we decided to add mushrooms to our garden.

Here's what you'll need:

• Sphere halves (sold at a craft store, 6 per pack)
• 1/2" Diameter dowel rod
• Nails
• Patio paint- red & white

1. Drill holes in tops. 

To make his life easier, my husband drilled a hole through the center of each sphere half, slightly smaller than the nails he used.

2. Cut dowel rod.

He marked 6 2" long sections on the dowel rod and cut using a saw. The remaining piece of the dowel rod was saved for the top of the ladder.

3. Paint tops.

Our Miniature Master Gardener did this step. She painted the tops red. After they were dry, she added white dots.

4. Nail tops onto the stems. 

And you're done! Amazing little decorations for the amount of effort. They are probably the two-year-old's favorite thing about the Princess Garden as she is constantly rearranging them.

Fence Panels

For each panel, you will need:

• 7 popsicle sticks
• wood glue (preferably outdoor safe)

1. Cut the popsicle sticks in half. 

Cut 3 of the popsicle sticks in half. Set 1 half aside for another panel (or something else).

2. Lay out the pieces. 

Arrange 5 stick halves parallel to each other, about 1/4" apart. Place one of the whole sticks on either side, parallel to the others with the tops (round edges) flush.

3. Glue.

Run a line of glue along the remaining sticks. Place them glue side down onto the other sticks, so that one stick runs 1/2" below all 7 tops and the other stick runs across the bottoms of the half sticks and the middle of the whole sticks. See the picture if I've completely confused you.

Mushroom, Ladder, and Fence

Ladder

Our princesses were using the vine to climb up to their garden, but they decided the vine was starting to look a little worn and they needed a ladder instead.

Materials:

• 16 Popsicle sticks
• 1/2" diameter dowel rod
• Safety wire
• Wood glue

 1. Cut the sticks.

Using a saw, cut 8 of the popsicle sticks in half. Cut the dowel rod into 2 sections approximately 4-6 inches long.

2.  Assemble the panels. 

Arrange 4 of the half sticks parallel to each. Glue a whole stick across the tops of the half sticks. Glue a second whole stick across the bottoms, parallel to the first. Drill a small hole (large enough for the safety wire) in each end of each whole stick.

3. Wire it together.

Lay out the panels end to end. Using safety wire, connect the adjoining holes. Be sure to twist them together tightly and tuck all sharp ends under. At the top of the ladder, use safety wire to attach the dowel rod pieces. Stick the dowel rods into the soil.

And we're done!

Well, we're done for now. Our Master Gardener has mentioned painting the fence and some other projects. I'll be sure to keep you posted if we add anything. For now, they are enjoying the garden. Here are some pictures of the completed project.

Rearranging the Mushrooms

In the Garden

Of course, I had to take a ton of closeups. What photographer could resist such a charming and sweet space! I hope you are inspired to make your own Fairy Princess Garden. Thanks for reading about ours, we have enjoyed making it and playing with it.

Update: The Moss Rose is starting to bloom in the perfect shade of pink!