Posts Tagged faeries

Miniature Fairy Gardening in the Archives

07/03/2012 at 3:06 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, D.I.Y. Ideas, Fairy Gardening ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Miniature Fairy House for the Miniature Garden

Miniature Fairy House for the Miniature Garden

Wordless Wednesday: Miniature Fairy Gardening in the Archives

Found these rooting around in the photo archives. A miniature fairy house made in 2008, from an old Juniper stump in a 22″ diameter water bowl. (Bowl was drilled for drainage.)

I’m culling the best of the best for my new miniature garden book coming out this fall of 2012, from Timber Press. Stay tuned by joining my mailing list here.

Miniature Fairy Gardening Archives

Miniature Fairy Gardening Archives

Miniature Fairy Gardening Archives

Miniature Fairy Gardening Archives

 

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Miniature Fairy Gardens at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show

23/02/2012 at 1:16 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, Customer Interaction, Fairy Gardening, For the New Gardener, Indoor Mini Gardens, Miniature Garden Accessories, Miniature Plants, The Business ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

This is becoming an annual tradition, it's our 9th year of doing a miniature garden display on the skybridge at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, Seattle, Wa. Here's a tour of our display:

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

How sweet she is! I started with an Amy Brown Fairy and glued, painted, glued, drilled, painted and glued things on her to make her stand out in the display - since she was to be the only fairy in the scene. I stole the swing off of another piece, glued the driftwood and moss onto to it. We hung it with fishing line so it would appear suspended. The gem sits there and sparkles like a holiday.

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

Found and broken object were "melded" onto the pots and used as miniature garden accessories helped to create the fantasy. It was fun to create with such careless abandon. I recommend it.

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

This Zmatlik Arborvitae is roughly 10 years old. A great forest-y looking tree for full sun that's great for in-ground or in a pot. It turns a brilliant amber color in the cold months.

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

Branches, air plants, and bits of miniature jetsam were tucked in the moss bed, then sprinkled with glitter that twinkled as you walked by it. This pot is 12" wide.

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

A "concrete" pond sets the stage, the Jervis Canada Hemlock creates an aged look and the colorful beads add interest. That leafy plant around the pond I believe is a type of Soldanelle.

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

The Cotoneaster came pre-trained for an easy bonsai look. We've had this one for about 4 years now. That's a 1/2" scale or medium sized bench. The pot is about 10" wide.

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

A young Daphne has the look of a perfect shrub in miniature. I didn't have the heart to limb it up a bit to show some trunk, it was just beginning to bud. That's a tiny angel fairy on the pedestal.

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

I was fun to create the pot and the miniature garden together for a more complete idea. By decorating the pots, it cinched the surreal, fantasy look. That is a Jean Iseli Hinoki Cypress that we've had for a few years, it's becoming a majestic tree in miniature.

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

A young couple sought me out at our booth to say, "We are very impressed with your creativity, it was the best display and most creative at the show. We had to come over and tell you that. Thank you for sharing." It was the best compliment ever. Honestly. I should have taken their contact info... it's that kind of encouragement that keeps me going.

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

We wanted the look of a forest floor. Our backdrop changed dramatically over the weeks leading up to the show. I'm happy with the simple colors, the attention went to the plants and pots where it should be. The colors weren't exactly idea for photography though..

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

Tiny details were fun to tuck here and there throughout the display. Another person had to stop me and say, "Every time I walk by your garden, I see something different!"

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

A mini miniature garden. The patio stones are locked in with our Mini Patio Mix Kit, now available at a local garden center near you! The gazing ball is 1 5/8" tall. Look for the new 2012 colors up in the online store next week.

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

Most of our plants are true miniature and dwarf plants with the occasional exception. These baby Monteray Cypress are a little faster growing than we normally prefer, but the color, and the fact that they can be grown indoors, outweigh the growth rate. They smell great too ~ you may know them as Lemon Cypress.

eNWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

We nurtured these young Monteray Cypresses just for the show, watering them with Moo Poo Tea from Authentic Haven Brand Soil Conditioning Teas to get them looking their best.

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

We customized just about every accessory that went into the display. With our passion trending these days, it's our way of staying ahead of the curve. You can find our One-of-a-Kind and customize miniature garden accessories in our Etsy store.

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

Fireflies in a jar adds a bit of magic...

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

Our fairy bed made by Georgetown Home and Garden is cute as a button and looks great in any setting. They'll be up in the store shortly

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

The fairy magic is in the details when it comes to miniature gardening.

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display

NWFGS 2012 - Miniature Fairy Garden Display was a great success. Again, we did something completely different than anyone else at the show and if we made people laugh, smile and dream, our job is complete.

Find the plants and accessories mentioned here, or to visit our online store, the world’s only store solely dedicated to the art and craft of miniature gardening go here.

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Product Review: The Fiddlehead Fairy Garden Kit

04/11/2011 at 3:29 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, Fairy Gardening, For the New Gardener, Miniature Garden Accessories ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Product Review: The Fiddlehead Fairy Garden Kit

The Fiddlehead Fairy Garden Kit is copper colored and stands out nicely against the green plants. The How-To book that is included helps jump-start the learning curve.

Product Review: The Fiddlehead Fairy Garden Kit

With the recent explosion of this wonderful hobby, we are starting to see more and more companies come up with their own line of miniature garden accessories and, like any trend, their corporate mandate seems to leave out the end user. Most of the new accessories don’t “cut the mustard” with this Mini Garden Guru simply because they don’t feel strong enough, the quality is a bit dodgy, they are painted dark colors and they aren’t detailed enough to earn a place in my miniature garden.

Product Review: The Fiddlehead Fairy Garden Kit

As part of our Anniversary Celebration this month, the Fiddlehead Fairy Garden Kit will come with a complementary set of Holiday decorations as shown to help you decorate for the season.

But, here is a brand new Fiddlehead Fairy Garden Kit that has just hit the store shelves this fall that does stand a little above the rest. It is a complete, 10-piece miniature accessory set that includes everything you need to set up a sweet little scene in your miniature garden. With the holidays coming up quickly, it will make a perfect garden gift, it comes in a pretty box ready to be wrapped up.

But, alas, we at Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Studio cannot leave well enough alone. If it can be improved with a nip and tuck, we will do it if only for our convenience and enjoyment. (This is otherwise known as “kit bashing” in the hobby world.) Here’s our scoop:

Hand-welded piece by piece, this whimsical kit sets itself apart from the other miniature wire accessories available today, simply because of the color. The reddish-copper shines against the greens of the plants and you can actually see the accessories from a distance. A nice change.

Product Review: The Fiddlehead Fairy Garden Kit

The tools in the kit are more decorative than functional, so we mounted them on the sides of the arbor.

From a miniaturist point of view, the scale of the Fiddlehead Kit is generally 1” in scale (meaning 1” = 1 foot), some pieces are larger, some smaller.

The arbor is cute and the gates work, but we had to clip the legs shorter to get them into our in-ground miniature garden because we kept bending the long legs on the hidden rocks below the soil.

The bench is nice, sturdy, but on the smaller end of the 1” scale. It is well made and can be used solo in a mini garden container as an accent piece. See the picture further down, we made cushions for it to dress it up a bit.

The assorted birdhouses and birdfeeders are very cute and almost match the scale of the arbor. The birdbath is a just too short and the attractive detailing underneath the bowl gets lost when placed in the miniature garden bed.

Product Review: The Fiddlehead Fairy Garden Kit

Fun in the in-ground Miniature Garden, the rake fits perfectly on the other side of the arbor, wired on to stay put.

The tools are smaller and more decorative, so we mounted them on the sides of the arbor for fun. The wheelbarrow definitely has that fairy look so we filled it up with stones, gravel or some Sedum cuttings. The wee watering can is a bit big too, but you can plant it up easily using Sedum cuttings and thin rod to get the soil down into the can. Keep it out of the rain because it will fill up with water and rot your cuttings.

But, what makes this kit really stand out against the others in this soon-to-be-very-competitive-market is not only is it altogether in one box at a great price, but there is a How-To Booklet that’s included as well. And yes, it is from Yours Truly. ;o)

Product Review: The Fiddlehead Fairy Garden Kit

We made some cushions for the bench that really made it pop. Just like full-size gardens, you can change the cushions to suit your theme.

The How to Create a Living Miniature Garden booklet consists of everything you need to get jump-started in this wonderful hobby. The 12-page booklet includes information on container design and in-ground miniature gardens, matching scales, patios and pathways, fairy gardens, where to find more plants for miniature gardening. There’s a quick step-by-step too to help you get your fingers dirty.

The Fiddlehead Fairy Garden Kit is now available through your local independent garden center or nursery in the US and in Canada. It’s also available online here.

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Product Review: The Fiddlehead Fairy Garden Kit

All boxed up and ready for the Holiday gift-giving season!

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Wordless Wednesday: Miniature Gardening, Where Craft and Garden Meet

16/06/2011 at 2:12 am · Filed under Because it's fun, D.I.Y. Ideas, Fairy Gardening, Garden Art ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wordless Wednesday:
Miniature Gardening, Where Craft and Garden Meet

A collection of photos from our award winning display at Sorticulture, the big garden art show held north of Seattle last weekend. Click on the photos to zoom in for the details.

Special thanks to Lori for your miniature garden accent pieces and yard art from Etsy.com

See a bunch of the new accessories up in the store here.

Stay tuned for Part II of How to Insert Charm into your Miniature Garden coming next week. Subscribe up there on the right to get these blogs delivered to your inbox ~>

 

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Miniature Gardening at the Big Garden Centers

25/04/2011 at 2:17 am · Filed under Because it's fun, Customer Interaction, Fairy Gardening, Miniature Garden Accessories, Miniature Plants, Resources, The Business ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fairy gardening at My Garden Nursery, Mill Creek, Wa

Fairy gardening at My Garden Nursery, Mill Creek, Wa had the best selection of items. There is a big Fairy Festival going on this Saturday, April 30th. (http://www.mygardennursery.com/)

Miniature Gardening at the Big Garden Centers

Every so often, I wrestle myself away from the office for a “recon mission” to tour the local nurseries in the greater Seattle area. After studying and promoting this wonderful hobby for many years, I am always looking for signs that the “big” nurseries are paying attention to this miniature garden niche that has been spreading like wildfire on the Internet.

My Garden Nursery does fairy gardening in a big way.

My Garden Nursery does fairy gardening in a big way with plants and accessories.

And this year, it looks like the fairy and gnome gardening has become popular enough for the big nurseries to cater to the trend in at least some way – thankfully.

And we must be thankful for what we can get.

Running a full nursery and garden center is no easy feat. Not only is it extremely seasonal, they must deal with a living inventory that is susceptible to the unpredictable weather that can change in a moment’s notice. (Think the of the 60+ tornadoes that went through North Carolina over one weekend last week.)

Gnomebody was doing the gnome gardening as well as My Garden Nursery, Mill Creek, Wa.

Gnomebody was doing the gnome gardening as well as My Garden Nursery, Mill Creek, Wa.

Owning a garden center can easily be more than the average entrepreneur can handle. Most people who have “been there and done that” or at least worked in the industry would never attempt such an unpredictable business and I have a high level of appreciation and respect for any nursery retailer.

Linking this point with miniature gardening in any form, we realize that the nursery that has brought miniature or fairy garden items into their store is out of a love of plants and gardening, not to make a buck or two – because that’s all they would make, after all! The big “full-sized” plants, trees and shrubs are what really what puts food in their fridge and pay the staff for their tireless efforts.

Fairy gardening at Sky Nursery, Shoreline, Wa.

Fairy gardening at Sky Nursery in Shoreline, Wa.

So, go and check out your local nursery for miniature and fairy garden supplies. There is always something there that you can use for your mini garden scenes, projects or gift-giving ideas this season and if you can’t find any miniature accessories, at least look for some small-leafed ground covers to act miniature “bedding plants.”

A nice selection at Wight's Nursery in Lynwood, Wa.

A nice selection of fairy garden accessories at Wight's Nursery in Lynwood, Wa.

Groundcover sedums are great for the full-sun gardens but look for the small-leafed ones.

Or perhaps you could get a small tree or a miniature/dwarf conifer to anchor the miniature garden bed. There has been a little surge in recent years in alpine perennials and rockery plants that you Shop Miniature Garden Accessoriesmay find will work as well.

Then to help you even further, I have just posted the instructions on How to Make a Miniature Garden in the online store. It is the instructions that were only accessible by purchasing one of our complete Miniature Garden Kits – but now you can download them right away and learn how to do-it-yourself with your own plants and materials.

Happy spring and happy nursery shopping!

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New Miniature Garden Kit doesn't include plants.

This new miniature garden kit is now available in some nurseries - shown here at Molbak's in Woodinville, Wa. This kit contains the wire accessories, pebbles and the planter/box for $69.99. You'll find a complete kit for about the same price in our online store - and it includes the plants and complete instructions, plant, scale and design ideas too! (http://www.shop.twogreenthumbs.com)

Gnome gardening at Molbak's Nursery, Woodinville Wa.

Gnome gardening makes for cute fun at Molbak's Nursery, Woodinville Wa.

Fairy gardening at Molbak's Garden Center

Large sculptures add to the fairy garden display at Molbak's Garden Center

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A Miniature Gardener’s Northwest Flower and Garden Show Review

03/03/2011 at 10:21 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, Customer Interaction, Fairy Gardening, For the New Gardener, Garden Art, Life-sized Gardening, The Business ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tiny twig furniture floats on a miniature dock in this Wind and the Willows theme display garden at this year's Northwest Flower and Garden Show, the second largest garden show in the country.

A Miniature Gardener’s Northwest Flower and Garden Show Review

This year’s theme was Once Upon a Time, Gardens with Spectacular Stories to Tell and it produced a wonderful array of display gardens full of magical moments. Several different forms of miniature and fairy gardening where spotted throughout the show. It was good to see the professional designers finally recognizing the latest and hottest trend in gardening – and trying their hand a miniature gardening.

Here’s a review of the mini garden moments captured by Yours Truly.

The Three Little Pigs garden with the straw, stick and brick houses were great. I would have loved to get my hands on these miniature gardens as most of the plants used were a bit too big in scale for the buildings. Playful and fun nevertheless! This brick house was about four feet tall.

It was great to see these two fairy gardens tucked in the corner of another display garden. The brown wire mini garden accessories couldn’t be seen very well with the theatrical lighting at the show but the colorful fairies saved the day and probably attracted a number of children to the containers.

A couple of other vendors and a few school displays embraced the latest fairy garden trend. It was nice to see them peppered throughout the show too.

I finally met Gery Rudolf of A Small World Within Reach who did a garden bed display and a DIY seminar on the Thursday. Her specialty is larger miniature gardens of 1/6th scale and I found out that her gardens are really arrangements that are meant to last for a season or for a special occasion.

Last July, I volunteered to help with the children’s play garden for this show but alas, it went unnoticed. US Bank’s miniature play gardens didn’t quite make the cut with the children and were hardly played with. A girl parked herself in front of the gardens and began posing for me. Otherwise, that’s the only time I saw kids interacting with them.

And finally, Yours Truly did her own demonstration on the Saturday. There was a big typo on the signs and in the show guide that misled people into thinking that I was doing a completely different demo on “Guide for a Festive Brunch with Friends.” Huh? Some people got up and walked out once I began.

Nonetheless, the people that did take it in were so inspired by it, they bounced up to the stage afterwards to get a closer look to see what I was doing. It was fun to meet my fellow MGs and put faces to the names!

Not only were miniature and fairy gardens finally represented throughout the show but what I loved to see was the garden designers playing with larger-than-life sized objects to force the perspective the other way.

In this Paul Bunyan’s garden they included a large shovel to force the perspective the other way to make the garden appear smaller in relation to the over-sized shovel, about 6 feet long.

The Alice and Wonderland display garden had several larger-than-life moments that nicely done. The oversized teacup was about 18 inches in diameter. The “Drink Me” vial was about 2 1/2 feet tall.

All in all it was a great show for miniature gardening thanks to the main theme of the show. It was more than interesting to see professional garden designers trying to garden in miniature. I guess it isn’t as easy as it looks!

If you get a chance to go to the Philadelphia Flower and Garden Show (March 6 through 13th) or the Boston Flower Show (March 16 to 20th) these two shows have embraced miniature gardening – and have been doing so for years.

Join our email list to get notified of upcoming classes and workshops at our new studio, 15 minutes from downtown Seattle here.

Checkout the new true miniature trees and shrubs in stock here.

We have more plants that we couldn’t fit into the store – we’ve included them in our latest newsletter. Join us to get access here.

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Discover the Truth about Miniature, Fairy and Gnome Gardening

04/02/2011 at 2:45 am · Filed under Because it's fun, Customer Interaction, D.I.Y. Ideas, Fairy Gardening, For the New Gardener, Life-sized Gardening, Miniature Garden Accessories, Miniature Plants ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Miniature Garden with Pond and Koi

What makes a miniature garden a fairy garden?

Discover the Truth about Miniature, Gnome and Fairy Gardening

With the surge in interest in miniature gardening over the past couple of years it has been interesting to witness how the many different forms of gardening in miniature have been embraced and have become a part of our everyday lives.

Terrariums, dish gardening or simply a set of small potted herbs on the windowsill are all ways of growing small.

Miniature, fairy and gnome gardens have also become increasingly popular for a growing number of gardeners too. For many, these types of gardens now have a permanent place in the garden, but has anyone ever stopped define them?

What about fairy gardening? What is that? Isn’t that miniature too? And what is a gnome garden anyway?

Here is a brief overview to give you either an understanding, or a jump-off point for more ideas you can add to on your own. (And yes, I actually have thought about it extensively over the last few years, what else is a professional miniature gardener to ponder? ;o)

A true Miniature Garden

A miniature garden is defined by the use of naturally dwarf and miniature plants and in-scale miniature garden accessories that replicate a scaled living model of our full-sized gardens.

Miniature Gardening

What is it - A miniature garden is defined by the use of naturally dwarf and miniature plants and in-scale miniature garden accessories that replicate a scaled living model of our full-sized gardens.

Where planted – In containers or in-ground.

Main plants used – Miniature and slow-growing dwarf forms of trees and shrubs. Low-growing plants no more than 3” tall, some flower spikes excluded.

Size or scale used – Dollhouse miniature scales, railroad garden scales and sometimes Barbie or GI Joe scale.

Main themes or accessories – None, any theme can be used.

Identifying characteristics – All trees, plants, patios and accessories are realistic and perfectly in scale with each other.

A Fairy Garden by definitiion

A fairy garden is a garden created and nurtured for fairies to live in.

Fairy Gardening

What is it - A fairy garden is a garden created and nurtured for fairies to live in.

Where planted – Most often in-ground where fairies would have access. Container fairy gardens are what we know as hotels or condos

Main plants used – Any flowering or herb plant. Most trees, flowering shrubs and hedgerows.

Size or scales used – Fairies are approximately 3 ½” to 4” tall, not including the wings.

Main themes or accessories – Tea parties, birthday parties or any seasonal celebration. Furniture and garden structures are normally made from twigs or other naturals but there are many exceptions.

Identifying characteristics – Look for the furniture set up on the patio, fairy houses or fairy doors in tree trunks or along the side of fences or buildings. Most herb and flower gardens have fairies too.

A gnome garden that is any garden taken care of by gnomes.

A gnome garden that is any garden taken care of by gnomes.

A Gnome Garden

What is it – A gnome garden that is any garden taken care of by gnomes.

Where planted – In-ground.

Main plants used – None.

Size and scales used – Gnomes range in size depending upon where they live.

Main themes and accessories – Anything garden. Accessories include wheelbarrows and garden tools.

Identifying characteristics – Look for the gnomes in the corners of the garden bed, beside tree trunks or peeking out from behind shrubs. Note the odd little pot and shovel that they often leave behind.

With using two very general words “miniature” and “gardening” to identify an emerging hobby, it is no wonder that the definition is vague and often leaves the listener begging for more details.

I hope this helps you identify your type of miniature gardening. For more information on anything true miniature garden, look forward to the release of “How to Create Living Miniature Gardens.” Please sign up for our mailing list for our Mini Garden Gazette, the release date and fireworks here.

Sources for this article: Ten years of professional experience in the miniature garden industry and the fairies and gnomes in my garden. ;o)

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My Favorite Miniature Garden Things

21/12/2010 at 9:06 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, Conifers, Customer Interaction, Fairy Gardening, Life-sized Gardening, Miniature Plants, The Business ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Raindrops on the Jean's Dilly Dwarf Spruce, a true miniature Christmas tree.

Raindrops on the Jean's Dilly Dwarf Spruce, a true miniature Christmas tree.

These are a Few of My Favorite Miniature Garden Things

(Sung to the tune ‘My Favorite Things’)

Raindrops on spruce needles and Fiskars in my mittens
Bright miniature daisies and a hobby from Britain
Tiny trees in containers and planted with zing
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored containers and matching mini conifers
Friendly, warm customers, fellow miniature gardeners
Silver white winter that melts well before spring ;o)
These are a few of my favorite things

Groups of mini plants all ready for planting
Miniature beach gardens with scenes that are enchanting
Garden gnomes, elves and tiny fairy rings
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the news stinks
When the day goes bad,
When I’m feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad.

Christmas in the Miniature Garde

Christmas in the Miniature Garden

Happy Holidays!
Joyeuses Fêtes!
Joyeux Noel!
Felices Navidad!
Trevlig Helg!
Boas Festas!
Mutlu Bayramlar!
Sarbatori Fericite!
Tanoshii kurisumasu wo!
Buone Feste!
Merry Christmas!
Ii holide eximnandi!
Forhe Feiertage!
Hau’oli Lanui!
Beannachtaí na Féile

And have a wonderful New Year!

From Janit and Steve Calvo,
Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center

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Have a Very Fairy Christmas Without the Froufrou

02/12/2010 at 10:43 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, D.I.Y. Ideas, Fairy Gardening, For the New Gardener ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

A very fairy Christmas tree at one of the local nurseries here in Seattle.

A very fairy Christmas tree at one of the local nurseries here in Seattle.

Have a Very Fairy Christmas Without the Froufrou

Do you like the fairy garden idea but don’t care for the froufrou?

With the recent surge in fairy gardening we are seeing a lot of fairy ideas flitting about with lace, glitter and everything girly-girl pink. Now, I do like fairies and I do like the idea for an interior design or a holiday decoration theme, but I know it is just not going to fly with the husband. (Pardon the pun. ;o)

Here are a few ideas to bring the fairy feeling into your holiday themes without going completely girly-girl-glitter everywhere.

Color Tips

An example of matching the colors and varying the textures.

An example of matching the colors and varying the textures.

- Use three main colors: one “hot,” one “cool,” and one metallic. Normally I would recommend a neutral color as the third, but we are looking for a little fairy magic with a bit of twinkle. Hot colors are yellow, red, orange or any variation of those. Cool colors are blue, green or any variation. Metallic colors come in a variety of forms these days, ribbon and glitter included.

- Tweak it: instead of using the predictable pink, use coral, salmon, or peach. Instead of the usual hunter green, use olive, khaki or wintergreen. Substitute burgundy or raspberry red for the traditional cherry red color.

- First choose three light colors, or three dark colors, to match or complement your interior décor where the tree will be. The wintergreen, coral and silver combination is my new favorite this year, or you can darken the scheme by using deep olive, pumpkin orange and gold.

- Now add a bit of flair. Continuing with the examples from above: Add deep cherry red, creamy ivory and metallic green to the wintergreen/coral/silver combo. Add raspberry red, eggplant purple and metallic bronze to the deep olive/orange and gold combo.

Texture Tips

- Pick one of main three colors from your palette and find it in three different textures. Texture ideas include, glitter, ribbon, metal, gauze, glass, wood, organic, stone, fur or feather. Remember the tree is a texture.

- Be sure to include woodsy items and textures like barks, moss, leaves and flowers. There are a lot of wonderful silk and artificial options out in the stores these days.

- Combine smooth textures with fine textures, or big with small. A green silk ribbon with a glitter ball in the same color against the foliage of the tree can be a quick and easy combo.

Get that fairy feeling without too much froufrou.

There are plenty of ornaments to get that fairy garden look without the fairies.

Ornament Ideas

- Flowers, mushrooms, anything made of bark, branches (paint or cover them in glitter and stick them in the tree) anything with wings, insects, small animals (rabbits, turtles, snails) stars, moons, sun, leaf shapes, hand tools or garden equipment.

Proportion Tips

- Less is better than more – it is easier to add than it is to take away decorations from your tree.

- Balance the textures evenly throughout the tree or room.

- Stand back often to look at your work from all corners of the room. You can’t see the impact if your eyes are six inches from the tree.

- Stuck? Let the decorating sit for a day if you are not sure of what you have done or where you are going with it. Usually “living with it” for a day can bring out more ideas for tweaking or embellishing but don’t leave it for too long or it may fall off your to-do list.

Lights to Use

- Use all white lights or a combination of green and white to add that extra fairy magic.

Now hide a wee fairy or three in the room, or in the tree, to reward the viewer for looking closer. Create a wee scene at the base of the tree – or next to a chair or under a table if you have young children coming over for the holidays. (You don’t want them playing directly under the tree for safety reasons.) Note that the children are going to want to play with it so don’t use your good china fairies or anything that is delicate for this scene.

See the fairy section in our store for more ideas.

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Faith, Hope and Pixie Dust: Miniature Gardening with Disney

11/11/2010 at 10:20 pm · Filed under Because it's fun, D.I.Y. Ideas, Fairy Gardening, Resources ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Disney latest line of fairy toys can easily be used in the miniature garden.

Disney latest line of fairy toys can easily be used in the miniature garden.

Faith, Hope and Pixie Dust: Miniature Gardening with Disney

A trip to the toy store the other day, instigated a trip to the video store to rent the latest fairy movie from Disney, Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue.

You bet I watched it and no, I don’t have children, nor do I have a child in my life that I could borrow for the excuse to watch it. I just did.

Oh, you’re doing it again, aren’t you? You’re laughing at me!

Note that it is this kind of invaluable market research that is part of my job as leader of the hobby, researcher of everything mini garden and owner of the world’s only Miniature Garden Center. This is the level of sacrifice…

;o)

No, really. I just wanted to see if there were any cute ideas I can share and, never-to-be-disappointed-by-Disney, there were more than a few new ideas that you can put in your bag of tricks the next time the kids or grand kids want to get miniature gardening.

 

Miniature Fairy Garden

Get the kid's imaginations working with some hands-on fairy fun and magic in the miniature garden.

 

Fairy Origins and Lore via Disney

- Each time a baby laughs for the very first time, a fairy is born. This is called their Arrival Day, similar to our Birthdays.

- Fairies are from Pixie Hollow and each fairy has a different purpose. They come to the “mainland” to help with the change of the seasons by coloring the flowers in the spring, help pollinate and grow gardens and crops in the summertime, paint the leaves in the fall and make icicles and snowflakes in the winter. Just place what they do before the word fairy and you can create any character for your own purpose. Examples include, “Wind Fairy, Pumpkin Fairy, Animal Fairy, etc.

- Fairies are about 5” tall and are dressed in anything natural that usually illustrate their purpose.

- They help to put the hibernating animals to sleep in the fall or to wake them up in the spring. They take care of wounded animals everywhere.

- They paint the stripes on bumblebees and design the patterns on butterflies.

- They use fireflies as flashlights. When you see a firefly, it is fairy flying around.

- Male fairies are called Sparrowmen. They look like elves with wings and acorn hats.

A pretty fairy in the mini garden.

A pretty fairy in the mini garden.

Points of Attraction

- Fairies love shiny objects. Place a small mirror or something shiny in the garden to attract them.

- Use buttons as stepping-stones to lead the fairies to your fairy house.

- Create a wee leaf-plate for the “fairy offering” to help lure them into your garden. Fairies eat fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts and bread. Place a wee snack as an offering and see if they take you up on it.

- Fairies smell slightly like cinnamon. If you catch a whiff, there is a fairy nearby.

- They use mint leaves as a toothbrush and pine needle combs. They use cotton balls as pillows and leaves as blankets.

- Fairies adore human-made fairy houses and dollhouses too.

If you are NOT going to see the movie, here’s a synopsis:

The movie was very fun in typical Disney fashion. The only characters are the Dad, the daughter and the fairies. The Dad is very pre-occupied with his work collecting, studying and mounting bugs and butterflies, which is completely horrific for a fairy to see! The daughter catches a fairy by accident (Tinkerbell) and they bond. Dad eventually finds out, catches a fairy and rushes to expose his find to the world. Just before it is too late, he is swayed when he sees his daughter flying with the fairies, pleading for the release of her friend. The fairies befriend the Dad and, with a heavy dose of pixie dust, make him fly too. I love the end where the Dad, daughter and all the fairies are all hanging out spending quality time together.

Checkout your local toy store for a number of different fairy figures to use in the miniature garden that are child-safe, washable and durable. Introduce fun and magic to the children while you still can.

Sign up to be on my mailing list to keep ahead of the miniature garden curve here.

Visit the Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center here.

Checkout Disney’s wonderfully Interactive Pixie Hollow Website here.

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