Getting Ready For Spring

Radella, left, and Diana have been absent from the garden for a few months on official business. Alvina, the third council member, has not yet returned. These two have set out to relax after their journey but realized their area needed to be spruced up.

The area is cleared of dead leaves. Flowers are added around the inner and outer perimeter.

Moss is added to cover the soil and create a lively landscape.

Phew! Now that that's done, Radella and Diana can relax comfortably.

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A Shiny, New Council Square

The video above shows some fairy houses I purchased last year that I was very happy to find. In my experience with fairy gardening, I've come to discover that while wooden houses and decor for the garden may look lovely, they do not hold up to Mother Nature very well. These houses are hand-painted ceramic which are then "baked" to lock the color in. The glossy finish is also water resistant which makes cleaning them even easier.

I bought these pieces all those months ago knowing they would be perfect for a Council Square upgrade, and here we are. Here's a look at the Council Square before the update.

Council Square, October 2014

I decided this area would benefit from wood chips. California has been under drought warnings for a few years now and wood chips help lock in moisture (much like moss which I use in smaller fairy gardens) which allows me to water my yard less without starving my plants. 

I placed a fresh layer of potting mix before planting new additions to this area, then covering with wood chips.

After the flowers have filled out the space a bit more, I now have a better idea of where I should place the council buildings.

Yellow Iris

White Daffodil

Yellow Daffodil

Radella can be spotted just outside one of the new buildings which is accented by Amaryllis and Tulips.

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Poppy Lane - On The Up and Up

 It wasn't long ago that Poppy Lane was introduced into our happy fairy community - March 2015 to be exact. In the photo to the right, the head gardener is surveying the grounds of Poppy Lane. This was taken before the area bloomed with a burst of color.

Poppy Lane was also home to a family of gargantuan sunflowers in Spring... and Summer and Fall and Winter. They reseeded many times and outlived the Poppies and towered over everything, including my house (although those particular sunflowers weren't planted in Poppy Lane)!

There would still be sunflowers there today if I hadn't pulled them. They will be back, no doubt, as this clever plant reseeds itself. I have new plans for Poppy Lane and have acquired an array of clippings from a very dear friend of mine. Poppy Lane is in for a new look this year.

New to this area is the cinder block border in hopes to contain the plants to this area, as well as outline the perimeter. Cinder blocks also offer a natural container and even spacing for small plants. I've planted poppies in these spaces which I predict will make this area stay true to it's name.

All of the succulents in this area were clippings from my friend's yard. Succulents need to be cut back every so often, so a few cuttings are easy to come by and save money. If you know a friend who had succulents in their yard, don't be afraid to ask for a cutting or two.

I don't know the name of most of these plants but I have an example from her yard of what these clippings will grow up to be.

Some of these plants have the ability to grow to be massive, so make sure to research how to trim succulents. Even the largest succulents can be delicate.

Here is a photo of a Poppy seedling (and an even smaller one near the rear).

This Poppy is quite a bit further along than the previous photo. I'm excited to take pictures of the finished product.

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Brianna's Tour - The Gardens

Queen AmberLynn continues Brianna's tour of the gardens. They make their way past the entryway of the Queens Court in full bloom.

Brianna asks to stop and view a small grouping of colorful Iris'.

They also flew above the flourishing Council Square.

AmberLynn decided to take Brianna past the newest section of the garden, Poppy Lane. They say hello to Johnny Jump and Daisy who are having a nice chat.

The head gardener is caught in action, sprucing up another section of the vibrant Poppy Lane.

Poppies

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Fall Fairy Garden Tour: Updates

Last week I introduced two new additions to my Fall Fairy Garden; Woodland Grove and the Council Square. Since then, I have made a few updates and would like to share them with you.

Here we see Woodland Grove. The addition that is most apparent is the moss covering which not only covered a colorless void but also allowed me to utilize the pavers as usable space. The creek is not new but wasn't featured enough in the first introduction. The playground was a bit barren last week, only a playhouse, bench and arbor. As you can see, new additions include a red wagon, a toy box, a buggy, a pink pail, a wading pool with tiny ducklings on their way in and a swing set. It looks like much more fun now!

The following photos are updates to the Council Square, mostly to show my lovely mums which have begun to bloom.

The Fairy Council sit and discuss what a wonderful time they had at the successful Halloween Festival.

The blooming Mums allow the Council to discuss things in private while enjoying the crisp Fall morning air.

Yellow Mums at all stages of bloom.

The Council enjoying their garden.

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August 2015 - The Magic Onion Fairy Contest Entry