Fairy Candy

Now that our fairy garden is in full swing we harvested a few of our herbs and edible flowers and decided to make some tasty "fairy candy". These sweet little treats look great on top of ice cream, garnishing iced tea or lemonade or just in a pretty dish. The best part is - they taste great too!!

Here's what you need:

fresh herbs - mint, lemon balm scented geraniums, etc

edible flowers - rose petals, pansies, lavender flowers, etc

egg whites

fine sugar

**ALWAYS check to be sure your chosen flowers/herbs are actually edible, here's a great resource:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/EdibleFlowers/EdibleFlowersMain.htm

 Wash your flowers/herbs and let them dry well. Place 2 egg whites in a dish and lightly beat them. Dip each petal/leaf in one a time, using your fingers to make sure they are completely coated. Then dip into the sugar and place on wax paper to dry. Drying will take around 12 hours - you may need to flip your petal/leaf once during drying.

If you want to make a garnish for your favorite beverage lay dip the petal/leaf as described above but place around the rim of a glass to dry.

Second Hand Gardening Continued

There are so many things that you can find in a thrift store that can be made into treasure. I grabbed a few forks and a baby spoon and set to work.

I took two forks the same size, twisted their tines, wired them together then added some glass bead leaves with the wire to make this fairy tree.

To make the Fairy Throne, I bent the spoon, poured a little glue in the base and sprinkled it with purple flocking powder. I finished it off with twigs (for legs) and a star. Now the Fairy royalty has a place to sit in our garden!

Second Hand Garden

A quick trip to the local thrift shop provided the makings of these fairy garden extras.

This polka dot creamer was too cute to pass up. I used a ceramic tile drill bit and put a small hole in the bottom and then screwed it into the tree (with a small screw to avoid hurting the tree). These birds have one of the cutest homes in the garden!

                                                                   

A small gold flower pot turned upside down and a cute little saucer make the perfect feeder for the birds and chipmunks.

This fairy/bird bath is made of another little saucer and an old cake stand base. I added a few glass pebbles and some pixie dust to attract the wee folk.

~*~ Fairies in the Garden ~*~

Inspiration for your garden can come from many places...

 

We are fortunate enough to live close to Willow Oak Flower and Herb Farm. From Flower Fairy "Teas" to a winter fairy walk, this place is amazing all year long. Springtime is absolutely magical. They have amazing vintage flowers and every herb you can imagine.

It is a treasure trove for fairy fans - fairy gardens, villages and lore are all around. If you live in the Maryland/DC area you won't want to miss this gem. For more information visit their website : http://www.willowoakherbs.com/

                                                                                   

                                                                                     

How Cute Is This?

Need some decoration for your new fairy terrarium? Or just for general cuteness? Then...

How cute is this?

I can totally picture the tiny little gnome ladies on laundry day!!

Get this one here:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/45024835/miniature-gnome-mushroom-clothes-line?ref=sr_list_1&ga_search_query=gnome+laundry&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

Or make your own!!

Crafty Friday ~ Garden Stones

Super cute and easy to make, these garden markers are sure to brighten up your garden. Here's what you'll need:

Smooth stones - seashells work great too

Permanent ink stamp pad, Stazon is our favorite (Did you know they make metallic colors now too?!?)

Mini alphabet stamps - these were purchased for $1.00 at A.C. Moore's

Make sure your rock is clean and dry and stamp away, it's that simple.

 You can label your plants, create a meditation/inspiration garden or simply write your name. You don't just have to place these in your garden or terrarium. You can make place markers for a dinner party or make them into "wishing" rocks or good luck charms.  Mother's Day is coming up, wouldn't it be cute to have the kids paint a little picture on a rock them stamp their name under it? Go ahead, get crafting!

Make Your Own Fairy Terrarium

Want to make your own Fairy Terrarium? It's super easy.  Start with selecting your container - there are so many possibilities here - an old fish bowl, a glass hurricane lantern (with a base of course), a tea cup....  pretty much anything that allows you a clear view of your miniature garden. Terrariums can be as big or small as you want.

Once you have selected your container here's what you will need:

small gravel

horticultural charcoal (found at most plant stores)

orchid  or fir bark

soil

miniature plants - I used mini African Violets, Irish Moss, Club Moss, Angel's tears and Sedum

Gently place the gravel in first. Mix a bit of the charcoal with the bark then add a this mixture as your next layer. Finally add soil and plants. Give it a little spritz and your finished! Be sure to place your new garden in a sunny place but out of direct sunlight. Remember to make it a welcoming place to the fairies add a rock for them to sit on or a few pine cones, some little glass gems or even that cut clay mushroom from yesterday's post.

If you are feeling extra crafty check out Martha Stewart's adorable Fairy Terrarium (she has even added lights!!):

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/fairyland-terrarium

How Cute Is This?

Fairy Gardens come in many shapes and sizes...

They don't all  have to be big weekend projects, they can be sweet little terrariums...like this one! Nothing super fancy or exotic but a mossy oasis for your fairy friends to visit. A low maintenance plant like moss is  perfect for the fairy garden enthusiast who doesn't have green thumbs! (Please keep in mind those are not real mushrooms...real ones are not such a great idea...take our word for it!)

But really, How cute is this?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/45332186/fairy-garden-moss-terrarium?ref=sr_list_29&ga_search_query=fairy+garden&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title

Freebie Friday! Part 2!!

As promised, here are the rest of the Fairy Gardening Templates:

Here is the Container Garden Planner:

And here is the Plant List sheet:

Good Luck with all your Fairy Gardening!

Freebie Friday!

Beautiful spring days are finally here and it is time to get your ideas on paper and then get your fairy garden planted!!  Here is a little template for a fairy garden to print and use:

We will also be posting a plant list sheet and a fairy container gardern planner template later on today or over the weekend!

If you prefer the super techy method..... try this:

http://download.cnet.com/Garden-Planner/3000-18499_4-10285889.html

for free downloadable garden planning software.

Have a great Friday!

Fairy Gardens

Ready to plant your garden? Not sure what plants to use? Here is a list of some of the Fairies best loved flowers and herbs…..


Pansy – said to be the favorite flower or Oberon – king of the fairies. Picking one with dew on it is considered to be very bad luck. In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Oberon tells us that the juice of a pansy sprinkled on the eyes of someone who is sleeping will make them fall in love with the first person they see when they open their eyes.

Heather – associated with fairy Queens

Irises – attract noble helpful fairies, especially Kings and Queens

Lilacs – the scent brings flower fairies

Jasmine – used by fairies for love spells

Foxglove – also known as “Fairies Thimble” the flowers are worn as hats and gloves

Daisies – invite frequent fairy visits

Thistle – repels negative energy and harmful fairies

Carnations – draw healing and helpful fairies

Snap Dragons – best if kept a bit secluded, we wouldn’t want any of the Wee Folk getting bit!

Ferns – used as beds for baby fairies and adored by Pixies

Moss – any type for the Wee Folk to nap on

Chamomile – if you drink chamomile tea before bedtime you will dream of fairies

St. John’s Wort – provides protection from harm, When picking ask permission first and then only pick with your left hand.

Thyme – attracts garden fairies. Sprinkle around the house, on doorsteps and windowsills to invite the fairies in.

Marjoram – invites joyful, happy fairies

Moon Flower – these delicate blooms open only at night – you may be lucky enough to see the fairies dancing around them

Clover – for luck of course!

Other great plants that attract our magical friends are roses, marigolds, sunflowers, mint, bluebells and morning glories.

In the interest of keeping the Snap Dragons from snapping, my son made a "fence" to keep them in.

How Cute Is This?

There is just no end to the amount of talented, cool, crafty folks out there.  That's one of the things we like so much about Etsy...just so much cool stuff to look at...Like these:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/45637386/custom-herbs-set-of-5-vintage-silver?ref=sr_list_14&ga_search_query=plant+markers&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title

Seriouly cute, and crafty right? I bet the fairies in your garden would love these!! I know we do!

Crafy Friday! And A Freebie!

In honor of our series on Fairy Gardens, we thought you might like a little crafty project to go along with it. We have created a gnomey plant marker for you to print and add to your garden. He is a baseball card sized marker with a space for you to put the name of your newly planted seedlings or cool new plants. Print out two for each marker you want to make and staple them back to back, label and slide them down a twig and you are good to go! Hope you have a great day and enjoy our digi-freebie fun. (Click on photo and save picture as...) You know the drill!

Fairies in the Garden

You've hung up your fairy door and invited in the wee folk. What next? Planting a fairy garden that both you and the fairies can enjoy would be perfect. Fairy gardens can be indoors or outdoors, big or small, extravagant or simple. There are just so many things you can do it is hard for me not to ramble on and make the worlds longest blog post! I'll try to contain myself, every Wednesday I'll have Fairy Garden tips, hints, ideas and more. 

 So first thing you'll want to do is decide what space you want to use for the garden. Fairies are shy and they hate loud noises. You do not need a large area. If you are thinking indoors is best for you choose as peaceful a spot as you can find, where you sit and read, a sun room or balcony or simply the quiet corner of a room.

If an outside fairy garden works best for you, then try somewhere off the beaten path. Somewhere away from the constant traffic of kids and pets (think Godzilla lumbering through your town). Fairies love old Oak trees. They have several uses for the acorns - hats, bowls, planters, etc. Oak trees are so magical that they may sometimes already have fairies living in them! If you are lucky enough to have an Oak tree in your yard

planting your garden nearby will most likely prove a success. Finally, consider the animals in your yard, fairies are fiercely protective of nature and love and care for the plants and animals.

Whether it be indoors or out try to choose somewhere that gets a bit of sunlight and moonlight.
Starting a fairy garden will create a truly magical and peaceful place for all!

Next week I'll talk about what plants attract the faeries!!!