A Fairy Garden is a miniature garden created in a container or a dedicated area in your garden, designed to be a welcoming space for the fairy folk.

You may have heard about the Fairy Gardening, a craze that started in the States but has now spread further afield. They are a perfect activity for children to enjoy and a lovely hobby for the young at heart. Small-sized houses, furniture, and infrastructure can be added to create a haven for the fairies and encourage them to move in. The use of Alpine or miniature plants is ideal as they are in perfect scale for a tiny garden.

The History of Fairy Gardening

In Ireland we are very familiar with stories of the fairies, ‘the good people or ‘wee folk’, know that they are not always benevolent, it was important to keep on the right side of the fairies and appease them where necessary. In modern life, we tend to look on the fairies as nature spirits and the bringers of good luck. With that in mind, why not create a haven for fairies in your own garden or backyard? With a little time and patience, you can create a beautiful miniature paradise.

Fairy Garden Ideas

Before you start your miniature Masterpiece, think about what kind of fairy garden you would like to create. There really are hundreds of options, some popular ideas would be;

• Fairy Woodland
• Cottage garden
• Fairy Village
• Fairy Herb Garden
• Beach themed Fairy Garden
• Fairy Vegetable Patch

If you are Creating the fairy garden with Kids why not brainstorm and ask them to do some drawings of their ideal garden, they are sure to have some fabulous ideas!

Fairy Garden Designs

When you have decided what type of garden you would like to make, think about whether you will be making it directly in the garden or in a container. Although creating your it directly into the earth can look very magical and natural, a container garden from a Garden Centre is easier to maintain and can be lifted up off the ground to protect it from over-enthusiastic pets or toddlers! There are so many options for building your fairy garden into, including terracotta pots, old barrels, plastic tubs or wooden raised beds. I have recycled many old items as a fairy garden container, including wheelbarrows, wooden trunks, tyres and crates. 

Fairy Garden Accessories

You can find a myriad of Fairy Houses, Cute Figurines, and accessories online or more recently as the hobby becomes ever more popular in your local garden centre. There is a huge range of pre-made items available with everything from Bridges to Archways, housing solutions to duck ponds, and everything in-between. Alternatively, you can create your own accessories from clay, twigs acorns, etc. these can complement your ready-made accessories to create a lovely natural feeling in your magical fairy creation.

Fairy Garden Plants

There is a range of plants that would be suitable for adding to your Fairy Garden. Alpines or miniature perennials are ideal as they won’t grow too big and overwhelm the garden. Some examples of plants that you can use are;

• Sea Thrift
• Creeping Speedwell
• Miniature Roses
• Miniature Ivy
• Herbs can be added for a fragrant touch which will attract fairies even more!
• Creeping Thyme
• Dwarf Rosemary
• Chives
• Lavender
• Ground cover plants are  important for covering bare areas of earth, below are some suggestions.
• Moss
• Sedum
• Phlox

In Conclusion

However, you choose to create your Miniature Fairy Garden, remember this delightful hobby is all about having fun and it’s a perfect project to do at home with kids. The only skills you need are Imagination and a sense of magic to really enjoy this wonderful activity.