Fairy Garden Class - Channeling Easter

As with most of these garden tutorials, we begin with a container and a theme. This month's theme is Spring but more specifically, Easter. As far as the container - get creative. Size, color, shape; that's all up to you but of course make sure you have a container that will fit all the decor you've planned for it. After choosing your container, place about an inch or two of small rocks to allow drainage before filling in the rest with potting mix. Be sure not to fill to the rim of the pot; leave an inch or two. This will insure that water and soil doesn't spill out and it also helps to give your plants support.

I always suggest in my classes that you visually plan a layout before planting your flora. This means setting them in the location you'd like there forever home to be and taking a step back to make sure things are even, fitting and visually appealing. Once your eyes have given you the okay, dig and plant. You might also want to think of making the "back" of your arrangement a bit more elevated. This allows you to place decorations without blocking any of your plants.

In this particular arrangement, I've actually allowed the tulips to remain in their container and buried it under the soil. The reason for this is because I know that the tulips will bloom and wither but the plant is not dead. Once the color is gone, I will pull up the tulip container and have it live alone for a bit before re-homing it, allowing the Daisies I've planted to have more room to spread. 

From front to back the plants I've used are white Viola's, light blue Pansies, darker blue Pansies and finally white daisies with a yellow center that corresponds with the tulips.

I'm fond of using moss in my miniature gardens because it locks in moisture, gives it a more woodsy feel and adds visual appeal. Pre-soaking your moss allows placing it in your arrangement to be more manageable; it becomes moldable, stays where you want it and allows better full coverage.

Once you're happy with their living arrangement, it's time to decorate. I found the three brown bunnies as a set and the rest were part of a bigger set, all at Hobby Lobby (and 40% off, woohoo!). I knew they would be perfect for a Spring themed garden.

I would love to see pictures from anyone who has created a garden based on my online tutorials. Please feel free to post them as comments or email them to me.

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Fairy Garden Class - Work With What You've Got

What if I told you that the Winter fairy garden I created using the items above cost me less than $10? Unbelievable, right? Well, in a sense I spent more but the snowmen were the only items I bought this year to make this festive scene. This month's class is a focus on using what you already have on hand.

This tray has been in my house for 10 years, holding jewelry and the like in my bedroom. I decided it would be a good base for my scene. The fact that it has a colorful spring design makes it difficult to be part of a winter scene, but that can be covered up as I chose to do with a few sheets of white wrapping paper found at the dollar store (that I'm sure some of you have leftover from the holiday season). Since the tray is only needed as a raised base, I flipped it upside down and tucked the paper covering underneath.

These trees have been used multiple times in my winter scenes. The snowflakes came in a package and were also leftover from a previous winter scene. The wood in the background is a piece I found that was just the right size for most scenes and is also used in many backgrounds. The white saucer is from a potted plant that I have in my yard.

I added a few more trees in the background because, why not. And I bet you didn't even notice the wick on the top of the snowy tree on the left. That's right, those trees are candles!

For a more natural look, nix the saucer and set the snowmen on the snowy base. There's no wrong way to create a scene.

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Fairy Garden Class - Terrarium, Home Edition

Terrarium Essentials; container, potting mix, pebbles, charcoal and potted plant(s). Optional; coffee filter, moss, decor

Add pebbles to the container. Pebbles will allow water to drain to the bottom of your container without drowning your plant. Your best bet is dark colored pebbles. This will keep your terrarium pretty when soil undoubtedly finds its way down to the bottom.

If you'd like to use moss, now is the time to use it. You can find moss in many different styles to add texture and color.

Next, I placed a coffee filter atop the moss. Why, you ask? Please, scroll down.

On top of the coffee filter is charcoal. I'd done some research online that suggested this method keeps odor from lingering. The coffee filter keeps the charcoal from dispersing down through the moss while still allowing water to pass through to its final destination amongst the pebbles.

Nearly done, I've added potting mix. If you are planning on planting succulents/cactus, you will need to use a potting mix specific for them since it allows more water to pass through (unlike the potting mix I'll be using).

Finally, plant those lovely flora in your potting soil. Slow-growing, ground cover, miniature or dwarf plants are good for terrariums. You want a plant that won't outgrow this container too quickly.

And here is our finished product! I've added some white pebbles to add to the festive winter scene. This container has a lid that traps moisture in which may fog up the glass but also means less watering (be careful not to over water). The pebble layer at the bottom really helps to remind you when a terrarium needs water or is being watered too much. To avoid mineral build up, be sure to use distilled water. You also might want to carefully wipe any remnants of watering from your container to prevent water spots.

Here is the same container with the snowman swapped out for a dainty little table and tea set. Be sure not to put any terrarium in direct sunlight. Just like a parked car on a hot day, things heat up real quick!

As you can see, terrariums are easy to start, easy to keep up with and easy to switch out decor with the changing seasons! Feel free to let me know how your terrarium turned out.

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