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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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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Greeting The New Year With Open Arms

Myleene pulled me aside this afternoon to say she was ready for her New Year photoshoot. Last year she had a photoshoot with the theme 'swinging in the new year' and I vaguely recall mentioning that we should do it again this year. Well, she remembered very vibrantly and was animate about it.

This year she is perched atop a Christmas ornament just underneath a crystalized mistletoe. Her arms are spread out with welcoming arms for the coming New Year ... or a kiss - she won't complain. We here at Grandma's Fairy Garden hope you and yours have had a wonderful holiday and will have a safe and happy New Year.

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Winter Non-Festival, Oops

As the days lingered, the Elves realized that there was a lot less activity in the community than last year. The packs of customers who constantly filled the store last year were no where to be found. Finally, the elves discovered that due to the huge celebration to commemorate the King's Return, year-end holiday celebration funding was cut short. The majority of the community members were out of town but here you can see three fairies gorging themselves on sweets. Simone on the left, Julip on the right and sweet Ivy in the middle who seems to be suffering from a toothache from all that candy.

Myleene is very photogenic and shows off her holiday decorations.

Myleene's home looks quite festive.

The trees in Woodland Grove are frosted over, giving a natural looking decor.

New to Woodland Grove but not to the community, Loopy (left) and Zoe-Zoe decided to move their home for a new view.

These Frosted Ferns are gorgeous and festive.

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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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The Elves Cottage

Last year the elves were the last to show up for the Winter Festival but when I stepped out into my Fairy Garden earlier this week, I saw that they decided to be the first to arrive this year!

They've spruced up their area a bit and have created a more welcoming space, complete with candy seats and a candy-lined pathway.

These trees are also a new addition to this area in the hopes that they can block the cold winter winds from fairies who come to visit the sweets shop.

The colorful candy-lined pathway was a good idea, but they might have to think about repaving it with something else because the ice is very slippery. It is a little silly to see the elves glide around.

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Local Happenings: Festive Fairy Garden Class

During our winter holiday Fairy Garden Class back in November we had over 30 participants. Everyone had a great time making fairy gardens and socializing. We also had a few people try their hand at a terrarium, something new I wanted to offer to the class. As much as there is support for this event, I unfortunately have to share with My Fairy Folks that the Sunshine Growers Nursery will be unable to host these events until sometime in the Summer - the exact date has not been decided. 

Fairy Garden Class, November 2015

I realize this might be a bit disheartening so I have decided to try and ease the heartache by publishing fairy garden class material (examples, pointers, how-to's, etc.) on my YouTube channel in the following months. If you have yet to subscribe, now would be a good time to do so. Oh look, a handy little link to my YouTube Channel.

I would like to reach out to you, My Fairy Folks, to see if you know any local business that would be willing to sponsor our Fairy Garden Class during the Spring months. I also would like to know what themes you'd like to see at our next class. And as always, if you have any questions about Fairy Gardens in general, please contact me. If you have not yet signed up for the Fairy Class email list, please email grandmasefg@gmail.com.

Here are a few featured photos taken during the class, followed by a slideshow. I tried to get a picture of every work of art. Thank you all for attending.

This lovely Winter scene is going places! What an inspired container.

Possibilities are endless when you use a large container.

This terrarium was my personal favorite, especially because of the magnetic hummingbird. If anyone knows where I can find such a thing, I'd appreciate the information.

There is quite a lot going on in this festive scene depicting a family of snow people.

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