Garden A Day Challenge - Day 30, Finale!

These 4 dwarves gathered together to celebrate the end of our Garden A Day Challenge! Alyssum surrounds them to the left and right and pink lily fills up the background. In a few months I'll be transplanting the lily to a larger container because it's quickly outgrowing this one. All decor was from my inventory and the plants were already in this container so this is a no cost container garden.

That's the end of 30 days of me meddling in the yard, disturbing the fairy community's peace and quiet - but we all got through it! I hope you enjoyed the spoils of this month's efforts and I hope to have inspired some of you to challenge yourself in your own garden! 

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Unboxing - Seed Bank Box - June 2018

My Seed Bank Box for the month of June came with eight seed varieties. Unlike last month, there are no flowers in this haul but there is no lack of color and quite a lot of uniqueness.

Peaches & Cream Corn - This corn will grow white and yellow kernels on each ear of corn. They will not be ready for this Summer's BBQ, but this is something I'm looking forward to growing. The previous subscription box came with some blue corn but I read that it requires a grinder so I didn't plant it (yet).

Slow Bolt Cilantro - Cilantro is an herb I use often in my dishes so this was a great surprise. With the number of seeds I received, I plan to plant a few each month so I will always have cilantro ready.

Jester Squash - This fun looking squash is a variety of acorn squash according to the information card and is meant to be harvested in the fall. It will have a sweet and nutty flavor, similar to it's appearance! 

Sugar Baby Watermelon - With receding real estate for plants, I'm happy to be able to grow watermelon that is manageable. These babies will grow to be 5-10 lbs and will also be a welcome treat at next year's summer BBQ.

Red Rubin Basil - The name is red but the color is purple. Basil, another herb familiar to my kitchen, will look lovely in my yard. The information card suggests making pesto to please your dinner guests.

Golden Squash/Zucchini - Yet another summer plant, this squash will brighten up my food garden with it's golden glow. And did you know the blossoms are edible? Time to look up some new recipes!

Bronze Fennel - The feathery leaves of this plant should add some unique texture to the look of my garden. This will be my first time planting fennel but I'm looking forward to it.

Orange Habanero Pepper - One of the hottest peppers in the world, this vibrant habanero will spice up any dish. A little goes a long way with these hotties and I'll have to take the advice of the information card and wear gloves when harvesting or preparing these.

If you'd like to watch the unboxing video, click here.

If you'd like to have your very own Seed Bank Box delivered to your house to brighten your garden and kitchen table, use this code that Seed Bank Box gave me just for My Fairy Folks! 

https://www.seedbankbox.com?rfsn=1330031.b0ef5

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Unboxing - My Fairy Crate - June 2018

Before I get right into the unboxing of this month's My Fairy Crate subscription box, I'd like to apologize for the low quality in the pictures. I simply grabbed these screen shots from the video I shot and the lighting wasn't great which made the focus off. Some of these items have already made an appearance in gardens this month so they may look familiar.

Upon opening the box, we were greeted by a lovely greeting card with a quote on the back that read "you can't tame the spirit of someone who has magic in their veins."

These miniature fruits can be used in many future fairy gardens since my fairies love having celebrations that include food. I'll only have to worry about losing these tiny things!

Unfortunately, this little fairy came to me with an abnormality on her nose but I'm sure it's a quick, easy fix with some paint. I really love this fairy and the interesting snail she is on. I decided she would be a good Halloween fairy because her wings are black with orange tips and she has a pointy hat, leggings and curly-tipped boots. I created a themed garden earlier this week with her as the main focus. This little frog is also adorable and can be a nice addition to any nature scene I create. 

This tall iron bench will be good for some seated fairies I have that may have been too large for my current furniture. It's always nice to have an array of seating sizes when you have an array of fairy sizes. It has already made an appearance along side the frog and new assorted fruit in a garden posted earlier this month.

This teeter totter can easily make any scene look inviting and kid-friendly. You can see it in this scene.

I have a few fences and gates in my inventory, but nothing like this. This piece can easily add some class to a fairy garden.

Finally, this bird nest can be a subtle way to add a peaceful, natural feeling to a future garden. If you'd like to watch the unboxing video, you can find it here.

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Garden A Day Challenge - Day 29, Money Don't Grow on Trees

In the background you can see red periwinkle purple viola and to the left and right are an array of colorful alyssum. The large green leaves are from my Lily of the Nile, another favorite plant of mine. The unique looking live plant inside this container garden is a Pachira aquatica. 

According to apartmenttherapy.com, this braided trunk coupled with long leaves has long been a symbol for luck and financial success, hence it's nickname, the "money tree". It can grow to be pretty large, space permitting, but is a popular indoor plant, especially for a bathroom since it enjoys high humidity.

This adorable teeter totter arrived in the most recent My Fairy Crate. Assorted moss used to decorate this scene came from my stock. It's always good to have a stock of moss set aside just for photoshoots. One bag of moss will last me anywhere between 6months to a year since I only use it to decorate a scene, take some pictures, and bag them back up.

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Garden A Day Challenge - Day 28, Cabin in the Woods

This cabin was given to me by one of My Fairy Folks last year (click here to read that post). The outhouse, bench and sign were gifted to me this year from two other of My Fairy Folks. That makes this a no cost garden.

There are restrooms inside this Bed & Breakfast, make no mistake, but this outhouse is just a quick relief for guests enjoying the scenery.

The plants in this garden are red and white violas (I'm not sure what the yellow flower is), a favorite flower of mine, all surrounded by jade, one of my favorite succulents. Jade is especially good for filling in an area. This particular cluster was formed from one simple clipping.

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Gifts for the Garden - June 2018

Lets take a look at all the lovely gifts I received from My Fairy Folks this month!

This planter stand and the bench were given to me by one of my oldest followers. The tiny Garden Gnome book came from a new follower - hello and welcome! This DIY door was spotted by one of My Fairy Folks in Los Angeles during a shopping trip and it made her think of me. How wonderful to know that I'm in your thoughts when you're out and about! The trail sign and pen came from one of my granddaughters. The pen is great for taking notes on paper and my tablet since it has a soft tip for touch screens.

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Garden A Day Challenge - Day 27, Caged

I purchased this bird cage at the 99 Cents Only store for $2. The moss and ribbon came from my stock, and Poppy the fairy was from a recent subscription box. There are no living plants in this garden so to bring a natural look to it, I stuck it amidst existing foliage. There are many possibilities with this decoration which I hope to explore in the future.

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Garden A Day Challenge - Day 26, Canoe Race

Today's garden was a bit rushed but these two have a special treat. Today is Canoe Day according to the Days of the Year calendar and they each believe they are the best behind the oar. 

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Painting and Prepping for a New Look

I'd like to share with My Fairy Folks a story about how these two characters came to look so full of life.

In late 2017 I found this male fairy at Parkview Nursery in Riverside (this photo was pulled from a different post but shows the fairy best). Unfortunately his face was a little expressionless so I would try not to get too close in photos. A few months ago I came across a similar male fairy in a canoe at the same nursery and decided to purchase it. This wouldn't be the first time I've used two different figurines to play the role of the same character; I've also done this with some Disney character miniatures.

This gnome on a mushroom was gifted to me earlier this year by one of My Fairy Folks. I could tell that he was in need of a repaint. When I spotted a blue shirt, red hat gnome in a canoe recently, I knew this was a perfect opportunity for a canoe race scene. I had two characters that would be represented by four miniatures. But first, I needed to get new paint on the pieces.

In the few years I've been doing this fairy garden blog, I've been able to meet some very talented folks and am happy to call most of them My Fairy Folks. I reached out to one in particular who I was told does wonderful work with painting miniatures. I asked if she could add a face to my two leading characters and she was happy to help. When they were returned to me, I was very impressed with how they came out! 

Not only did she add personality to their blank faces, but she also repainted texture and clothes so that each character truly looked like their match. While the boy fairy was a bit easier since they came from the same miniature designer, the gnome required a bit more effort and finesse. I'm so very grateful for her work and friendship. I am pleased to know that there are people out there that stand behind giving new life to old things.

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Garden A Day Challenge - Day 25, Halloween in June

If there can be a Christmas in July, I would like to suggest there be a Halloween in June. This container garden was created using a basic terra cotta pot, stones and some shade-loving plants, all of which take a back seat to the main attractions. This is a no cost garden since all Halloween decor came from storage and mostly from discount stores. 

This is Tia the fairy and Jeoffrey, her chauffeur snail. I felt this was a Halloween fairy due to the black and orange of her wings as well as the popular witch wardrobe of a hat, dress, leggings and boots. She is one of the newer pieces in this  garden (and the inspiration for it), acquired in the last subscription box from My Fairy Crate.

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Garden A Day Challenge - Day 24, Atop the Pot

This fairy garden home is the third home to round out the terra cotta trio. This home is a mix of crafted and natural, using a terra cotta pot and saucer for the bulk of the home, topped with a pine cone roof and embellished with some mushrooms.

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Garden A Day Challenge - Day 23, Tipsy

This tipped over terra cotta pot has been turned into a cozy home. This container garden is a good example of minimalism; just one decorative piece is enough to make a statement.

The sign on the door is the sentiment that is spread across the entire fairy community. I also would like to welcome any name suggestions for this new area of my garden that will revolve around fairy garden homes made of terra cotta pots.

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Garden A Day Challenge - Day 22, Terra Cotta Cottage

I've had this fairy home made of stacked terra cotta pots for about a year. I found it in storage recently and remembered I have two other pot-related fairy houses that were purchased before this one. This is now the perfect opportunity to create a themed area of the garden which was the purpose of purchasing the piece in the first place. I re-used plants, pebbles and rocks from previous gardens. 

I'll get to work on the other two terra-cotta houses but would appreciate some suggestions to name this new area of the garden. Please comment here, email me or reach out to me via social media. See you tomorrow!

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Garden A Day Challenge - Day 21, Living in a Mushroom

This scene has an array of rock/pebble sizes that create a rugged landscape and a few live plants surrounding a mushroom house.

The person who lives here has an empty mailbox (that you may have missed at first glace due to it being tucked away) and a wheelbarrow ready for the next job.

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Garden A Day Challenge - Day 20, Cozy Fireside Chat

Today's garden was basically at no cost, other than the plant. Julip and Ivy (left to right) have been part of my fairy community for a long time. The chairs and BBQ were acquired a while ago on clearance, but from where exactly, I cannot remember.

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Fairy Garden Class - Stacked To Impress

These are the flowers I purchased from Home Depot to go in to my tiered garden.

This pot was gifted to me by my granddaughter. I prepped it by adding some coffee filters, rocks and topped with soil.

This is the house I planned to go in the garden. I like to make sure to clean up decor before putting it in a garden.  

These odd shaped do-dads are pot feet which will help to elevate the top tier. I planted flowers around the edge of this container which will still allow them space to grow. You do not want to plant anything directly in the middle because this is where the top tier will be placed, and plants in this area won't get enough sunlight to thrive.

This is the final product. The top tier is filled with the same fillers plus snapdragons and succulents. The empty area in the bottom tier should eventually fill up when the flowers grow into the space. Does this garden look familiar, that's because it debuted in this post last month.

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