How to make a Fairy Garden

I made this craft on May 1st, which is May Day.  Interestingly, this is also a day very much associated with fairies.  And since I love fairies, I decided what better way to celebrate with them than to plant a garden!  Fairies love gardens too.

Fairy Garden!

I got this present last year for my birthday.  I didn't plant it then not only because I didn't have time, and I was also worried about keeping plants alive.  I thought I had a black thumb of doom, and maybe I did for a while, but I have since learned how to keep my little green buddies alive.  I eagerly tore into the box and pulled out all the ingredients:
 

Everything you need!

The directions were the best part of the whole project.  Not only did they explain how to put together the container, but they gave instructions on how to care for the flowers, where to plant them, and why fairies like them.  The best part?  Their fairy mythology was spot on.  It wasn't a frilly Disneyfied Tinkerbell fairy history.  Granted, it also was not the dark and rather scary fairy history either, but it gave good and accurate information.

Step 1: Empty perlite into the bottom of the bin.

I emptied the perlite into the bottom of the potting container, and went looking for potting mix.  Instead of coming with potting mix, the kit came with two dried out-looking hockey pucks.  "What are these?" I asked myself.  Oh, apparently they are germination disks.  The next step said to fill the terrarium base with 4 cups of room temperature water.

One germination disk, before it has absorbed water.

 The only instruction problems that I had was that the perlite floated.  I was worried, since the instructions said it needed to stay at the bottom of the planter for drainage.  But it all worked out in the end.

Germination disk after water absorption.

I managed to scrape most of it off the disks and get it to the bottom of the container.  I don't think it matters that some of it was mixed in with the soil.

My hands got dirty during this process.  I love it.  I can't wait to do more gardening in the summer.  There is just something so satisfying about playing in the dirt, especially when creativity is involved!
 

Fairy gravel path

 I shaped a little path into the dirt, and even made a fairy mound (you can see it there on the left side).  Then I started to add the fairy gravel.  It came with the tiniest bag, and I thought I would use it all up and still need some more, so I grabbed my own bottles of crystals to add.

Turns out the crystals I added weren't necessary, as I had plenty of gravel to go around.  I added them anyway.  I didn't look up what they meant, I just added them, so here's what Healing Crystals For You says about each one: 

This stone has a distinct energy for strengthening psychic gifts... and will aid you to amplify gifts you already possess. It is also a strong psychic communication stone that will aid the expansion of a range of psychic powers.

Adventurine: Due to the Green Fuchsite within the stone, this lovely green crystal is one of the stones that will help you to make contact with elemental beings. Where you have plants growing will attract the members of the Devic kingdom.

(I didn't get a picture of the peridot that I used.) Using Peridot gemstones will increase your self esteem, and aid you to let go of guilt, felt from past experiences.  It may also help to create an increase in love, joy and bring improved emotional health.
 

This crystal offers protection from many types of negativity in the environment.

White Moonstone (again, no picture) carries the energy of the new moon at the height of its power, stimulating psychic perception, vision and dream work.

Super cool, right?  I totally didn't know what any of these crystals did before I tossed them on the fairy path, but I'm glad I chose these.  I'm sure the fairies that live with me are glad I chose them too!  I have no doubt that the plants will feed off this amazing mix of energies as they grow.

The glow-in-the-dark fairy came with the kit; I added some extra marbles and stones for decoration.

According to the directions, I had to decorate first, figure out where I wanted to put everything, and then plant my seeds.  I decided to find some more stones and some other decorations.  "Who wants to come live in my fairy terrarium?" I yelled, as I dug through my stone collection.  I found way more stones than I actually needed, since the terrarium is only about six inches in diameter.

I like the way it turned out; the gravel looks like a path, the thing in the middle looks like a bird bath!

I set my fairy up on the mound so that she could look out of the terrarium once everything was set up.  Then I gave her a "crystal ball" to gaze upon too.  The orange stone in the center right is a herkimer diamond, which are supposed to attract fairies as well.  I put away the stones I didn't use with an apology; but maybe I'll stick them out with my other plants once it's warm enough to put them on the balcony.

Then it was time to plant my seeds.  The kit came with four different types; Great Blue Lobelia, Clover, Thyme, and Evening primrose.

Tiny seeds!

Look at how dang small these seeds are!  I tossed all of them in the soil for good measure.  There were only four clover seeds, and they were barely twice this size.  It is amazing to think that everything a flower needs to grow is contained in something so small.

Then I put the seed markers near where I planted them.  I decided to keep them separated so they will grow in orderly patches.  I can always adjust, or maybe get more different seeds!
 

The dew of evening primroses gives fairies their magic powers of invisibility.

Evening Primrose went right next to my fairy, right on top of the mound where she can gather the dew as she pleases.  These plants like moist, well-drained soil and cooler weather (they are a spring flower after all).  Apparently they emit a phosphorescent light at night while blooming.  How cool is that?!

Lobelia attracts hummingbirds as well as fairies.

Great Blue Lobelia attracts good fairies to your garden.  I have to remember to remove the flowers after they have completed blooming.  They also like cooler weather.

Thyme will help to see fairies, but also can protect one from fairy mischief.

Thyme!  The boyfriend has thyme planted in his container garden.  Apparently in the 1600s, Scottish Highlanders would drink thyme tea to prevent nightmares.  It is considered to be a magical herb that is used in love spells (which is obviously why it's a staple in French cooking).  To prevent it from becoming woody, trim the flowers off once they have bloomed.  Hmm.  Not sure if I would want a woody plant in my terrarium or not.  We shall have to do some more research and find out!

Clover is a sacred fairy plant known to attract a variety of fairies.

I think clover is most associated with leprechauns (the wee folk!).  Four leaf clovers are known to break fairy spells.  I remember one summer at summer camp I found tons of four leaf clovers.  Nary a one before or since.  I like to believe that was the summer of magic. Apparently clover will germinate in a week and is easy to sprout.  I hope it takes over the spot that I planted it!

Then I watered my seeds (sprinkled water over the dirt with my fingers) and slapped the lid on.  Mini ecosystems are so cool!

A fully planted fairy garden, ready for some sunlight!!

And there you have it.  If you don't have your own kit, don't worry.  You can use lots of different things to make your own fairy gardens.  There are a lot of different plants that attract fairies too; a good rule of thumb is that if butterflies like it, fairies like it.

Don't worry too much if your first plants die on you.  Mine did that for the longest time.  Sometimes experience is really the best cure.  But it's hard to grow from seeds, so maybe it's a good idea to start with some little plants from Lowes first, just to build your confidence.

Happy planting!