Here is a video I took this morning when I discovered a sleeping baby wrapped in a bean pod. This little fairy's name is Sweet Pod.
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Showing posts with label Fairy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fairy. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
New Life in the Garden - Red and Jay
The twins had their babies at the end of April, just minutes apart. Ruth-Ann (in the yellow dress) is holding her newborn, Jay, a healthy baby boy. Her sister, Doris, rocks her baby boy, Red, on a matching flower petal receiving blanket. So pure and sweet!
You may notice that the boys do not have wings, but I assure you that they are fairies. Much like newborn humans that may not be born with hair or teeth, baby fairies are typically not born with wings (they form within the first few weeks). The boys were born less than 24 hours before I was able to capture the moment below, which is why they are wing-less! What a wonderful learning experience.
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Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Haul - Green Scene Expo 2019
Here are 5 succulents I purchased from a vendor at the Green Scene Expo in Fullerton. The four purple succulents were purchased especially for a project I'm working on. The four in the front were purchased due to their unique look and the fact that I do not have them yet in my garden. Unfortunately, I don't know the names of any of these plants.
I purchased these two watering cans from the Fullerton Garden Club booth, each with drainage which would make lovely container gardens. They're represented at this event every year and I always manage to find something at their booth for my garden.
Two golden berry plants! One of the main reasons I attended this event. This plant is hard to find and I just loved the berries from my garden last year so I made sure to get to the event early. I walked directly to this booth when I arrived to find a crowd of people already after my beloved plants! I was still able to purchase two healthy golden berry plants, but I'm sure if I was an hour later, they would have all been gone. What a popular plant!
This crystal flower was purchased at a booth that sold many crystal creations ranging from flora and fauna! I was even told by my friend that the vendor has a storefront and I plan to make a trip soon.
And finally, I brought two new fairies home! These twin sisters came with their own mushroom stools, sold by the same vendor as the crystal creations.
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Gifts for the Garden - April 2019
This month I received a few items from My Fairy Folks. First, in the center, is a beautiful fairy dressed in what looks to be a unique gown made from white Lillies. Her name is Aileen and was very excited to learn that I planted new Lillies recently.
I also received a few succulent cuttings, including some more jade.
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Sunday, February 17, 2019
New Life in the Garden - Nikolai
The new life for February is Nikolai, pictured here next to his big sister, Amy. Nikolai's thick pajamas and knit hat keep this rosy-cheeked baby boy warm in the chilly month of February. Amy is very excited to share everything with her new brother, even her favorite pink heart-shaped pillow.
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New Life in the Garden - Jasmine
Jasmine is the first new life to be brought in to this garden in 2019. This is the beginning of a year-long series that will feature at least one new, young addition each month.
Jasmine is being rocked by a gentle breeze in a cradle made from a large leaf being held up by two purple morning glories. She's keeping warm thanks to her long-sleeved nighty and knit cap.
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Sunday, January 27, 2019
Local Happenings: All Inclusive Fairy Garden
Wow, what a wonderful time we had over the weekend at Sunshine Grower's Nursery! Local fairy garden enthusiasts (and some new to the craft) were able to create a unique fairy garden with the bountiful supplies provided by the nursery, including a fairy (which in itself was nearly the value of the entire entry fee!). A few of the supplies and raffle prizes can be seen in the photo below. On top of the supplies the nursery provided, I brought succulent clippings from my yard for everyone to use and my granddaughter brought fun googly-eyed cups for the kids. Everyone who attended was able to win a prize in the raffle.
Guests were allowed to bring their own containers and decor from home to add personality to their creation. The artist of the container garden shown below got creative and decided to save the pot that the fern came in and use it in her scene to fill with water and act as a little watering hole for real wildlife.
Above is another example of an artist who brought decor from home, some of which I recognized as being from Dollar Tree!
This artist created a sweet looking beachy-forest scene. There were so many lovely gardens, I put them into the slideshow below.
If you're interested in attending a fairy garden class in the future, be sure to call Ken from Sunshine Grower's Nursery (909-797-9210) and let him know how much fun you had and that you're ready to do it again! As of right now, there is no set date for another class but I'm hopeful we can host another at some point this year.
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Monday, October 29, 2018
Unboxing - Seed Bank Box - October 2018
Bull's Blood Beet - I'm not the biggest fan of beets, but this particular type has bright, purple leaves that are great for salads. I'm willing to try it once, of course, but it's good that I know a few family members that enjoy beets more than I do.
Garlic Chives - This unique onion will fit right in with the new area of my garden. It's used often in Asian dishes but in the garden, the small flowers that bloom help to attract pollinators and keep my garden looking beautiful and alive.
Giant Prague Celeriac - This unique looking vegetable can be identified by it knobby roots and is popular in Europe. This relative of celery is commonly feature in mashed potatoes, soup or simply fried. Interesting!
Salt and Pepper Cucumber - They taste similar to most cucumbers but what sets this type apart from the rest is it's pale complexion. The tiny black spikes on this white cucumber is where the name is derived and is great for pickling.
Spring Tower Greens - The leafy greens of this lettuce can be good for salads, but the bitter stalks of this Chinese specialty is great in soups and stir fry!
Black Magic Kale - This dark-leafed beauty will add some contrast to my garden, nutrients to my dinner table and is suggested for making a healthy snack - kale chips.
Cherry Belle Radish - These round, spicy roots are great in salads and quick to grow!
Early Frosty Pea - These babies are frost tolerant so they can tolerate being grown in the cooler seasons. They're also great for freezing once harvested so you can save them for a later date.
As mentioned in my video, this will be my last Seed Bank Box delivery. I have so many seeds to be planted next season and I don't think I have much more room in my garden for any more deliveries. This service has been wonderful and I hope to be able to return to it in the future, but I need to cut down on what I'm spending on my garden.
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Sunday, October 21, 2018
Illuminate - Autumn Spirits
This month's featured light post is for this interesting strand of lights that I purchased over the summer on sale at Walgreens. It was $3.95 for this one strand which is battery operated. I am calling them "ghost pumpkins" to be festive.
The scarecrow in the rear is lit up by a well positioned lighted orb - I mean, a pumpkin spirit!
This Farmer's Market stand and bundle of wheat in the rear came from My Fairy Crate subscription box this month. With a closer look at the light, they are entwined in a twisted wire which make for a unique look. I might even be able to use these in a western themed garden and call them tumble weeds.
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Sunday, October 7, 2018
My Fairy Crate - September 2018
September's delivery of My Fairy Crate came with quite a few adorable items. I was so excited to see another glossy tarot card (which is what I'm referring to them as) which is one step closer to a whole set. I'm not sure what I will do with them yet, but the prospect of collecting more cards is strong encouragement for me to continue with this subscription box!
This elf and owl are so adorable! His facial expression is too cute and the design is lovely. Of course I'm in love with the fact that there are mushrooms on it! The rest of the items could work for a cute fishing scene - lantern, tackle box, fishing pole, log bench and a frog.
The frog on the left is the new one. The larger of the two frogs I currently have, I've decided to name him Hermitt. And because I've never got around to naming the frog on the right, today's the day. Say hello to Charlene.
Thermin the elf echoes the hoots of Oswald the owl.
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Saturday, September 29, 2018
Fairy Garden Class - The Garden That Tells A Story
This large plastic container came complete with drainage. Sometimes, building a story begins at the soil. This container is filled with soil that is low in the front and high in the back - this will help create the illusion of a hill.
This container garden will be a prime example of the "use what you've got" method. I did manage to purchase some flowers for this garden, but hadn't purchased enough ground cover. I decided to use fresh grass clippings to cover the bare soil. Among the grass clippings is some beautiful colored sea glass (as well as some frills of the ground cover Sedum japonicum, nicknamed "Tokyo Sun").
Stout, fluffy garden mums are on either side of the terra cotta saucer which will act as a sturdy base for the focal point. Having low foliage in the front and adding height gradually toward the back adds to the "hill" appearance we began with the soil. The taller, purple flowers are Celosia 'Intenz' and the yellow flower in the rear center is tickseed.
All that's left is to add decor to set the scene. I've added a tall tower at the end of a long, stone path headed off by a thin, golden banner that reads "happily ever after."
Building a story with the decor you use ins't mandatory but can be very fun. The grass clippings make the royal grounds look unkempt which seems contradictory to this golden banner. The story is slowly coming together.
I felt like the princess had a sassy facial expression and decided to create an unconventional story with some help.
A sad frog is seen at the window of the princess' tower. He longs to be free but the princess has him and many other frogs locked up. She has townspeople and servants to entertain and wait on the frogs and kisses them every night in hopes one will turn into a prince. One night, with the help of one of the townspeople, this frog was able to escape the tower.
It turns out, that frog actually IS a prince but he did not like the princess so a kiss from her did not transform him. Now, back in his own castle, he is able to transform into his true form. He can live out his days happily, seeking his true love, but not before an extra bit of security.
Ahh, that's better. A big, strong wall to keep that rotten princess at bay. By swapping out some decor, the scene changed!
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Sunday, September 23, 2018
Gifts for the Garden - September 2018
I've received so many gifts for my garden this past month. A few decorations, some containers and some new DIY supplies.
This beautiful ceramic pot is part of a matching set that comes with drainage holes and a saucer, gifted to me by one of My Fairy Folks.
The two containers in the rear also came from one of My Fairy Folks, complete with drainage holes and saucers. The peat pot sleeves come in a pack of 24 and I received 5 packs. Since I have been receiving so many seeds, the follower suggested I pack these with soil and get the seeds started.
I don't have a single-serving coffee machine at my house but one of My Fairy Folks suggested repurposing these plastic cups as small planters (I didn't count how many I received, but I have a small grocery bag full). These won't decompose the way that the peat pots do, but they come with drainage and are reusable.
This tall beauty came to me as a hand-me-down from one of My Fairy Folks. She has been damaged in the past (weak ankles), but I have ways of hiding flaws in re-purposed items.
This cute little prince came from my granddaughter when she spotted him on sale at Jo-Ann. She knows that anytime she finds a little boy fairy, it needs to be added to my collection.
Also from Jo-Ann, this fall-themed decor will find it's way into a scene soon with the new season.
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Illuminate - Lights, Shadows, Action!
The last few months, I've made my monthly lighting posts focused on bringing artificial lights into my garden and that is what I plan to focus on most of the time. This month, however, I decided to focus on something that's not only important to my blog but also for taking better pictures; natural lighting and scene setting.
First I'll focus on scene setting. in the top left photo, the grass I've used for the ground cover is a bit wild and needs to be tamed, especially because it is blocking the view of the detailed chair legs. After removing all the decor and flattening the grass, I reset the scene in the photo on the right. The chair now looks great, but I've placed the teapot all the way to the left of the table, and it should be centered (or at least closer to the chair since that's where the character will be sitting).
Even when your decor is centered and your flora is in place, you may still not be ready for the best photo. Direct sunlight often washes out certain details and can make an otherwise great photo opportunity a flop. In the above photo, direct sunlight has completely washed out the details on the tea set and the back of the chair. The angle of your photo is also important. While this angle shows off the flowers in the background wonderfully, the containers edge is blocking quite a bit of the chair - the chair legs we worked hard to expose earlier when taming the ground cover.
Sometimes it's as easy as picking the right time of day. Familiarize yourself with your garden and the position of the sun at certain times of day. If your schedule is restrictive, a large sun shade might be what you need to get the best photo. The photo above is a good capture - the grass is pushed down, the decor is centered and the full scene is in shadow. The angle avoids the decor being blocked by the edge of the container but also cuts out the colorful, floral background. Once your scene is set, a few photos from different angles is a good idea so that you have a few photos to choose from for the best share.
Let's start fresh. New decor, same container. On the left, the container is in partial shadow and some direct sunlight. This completely washes out the fairies beautiful face. The lighting on the rest of the decor is good. In the photo on the right, the direct sunlight causes long shadows to be cast and the fairy is still washed out.
Spotted lighting is fine as long as it is angled appropriately (like not making a bright spot on a fairy's face to wash her out). If this does not happen naturally, you might be able grab a tree clipping to block the sun out or even a large, thick card stock with some hole punches in it. Get creative! If it wasn't for the fact that I forgot to replace the flower pot, this would have been a perfect scene! So here's a reminder, always make sure all your pieces are in the shot!
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Monday, September 10, 2018
My Fairy Crate - August 2018
My Fairy Crate for August had some beautiful surprises!
These two cards we assumed were large, glossy print tarot cards. One is the Nine of Winter on the right. The card on the left shows the beautiful artwork on the back of the card, and on the front is the Eight of Winter.
This little fairy looks like a fortune teller!
This set of wooden chairs and table have beautiful attention to detail.
In keeping with the natural feel, this wooden cart will surely help the fairies with any heavy moving, but can also be used just for fun, as shown by the porcupine who was also included in the subscription box.
A tiny flower pot that houses my favorite; sunflower!
What a great haul! And below is a container garden with all my lovely new pieces. I think it's great that the items in this box all fit so nicely in one scene!
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