Miniature Gardening: Part 1

  
Miniature gardening, sometimes called fairy gardening, is my new and captivating hobby. I have been fascinated by fairies since, as a small child, I received my first 'Flower Fairies' book by Cicely Mary Barker. I find Barker's combination of flowers and fairies irresistible and now I am thrilled to unite the two in my own garden.

Unfortunately, I am not a very creative person, so in my search for inspiration, I visited Greystone Gardens at Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. Here I found, not only an abundance of accessories but also some beautiful examples of completed miniature gardens. Come with me on a tour ...

An English garden center -- appropriate don't you think?

Sign at the entrance to their shop

Below the 'Miniature Gardening' sign is an intriguing garden in a tree trunk ...

The gnome garden at the top of this posting was one of the first miniature gardens to catch my attention. Notice the 'gourd' bird houses and his row of 'vegetables' in that picture. The sign in his garden says, Gnome Home for Sale by Owner.

The gnome home was created in a large urn. There were numerous container choices displayed such as hypertufa planters, glazed planters, and even a teacup planter.

Hypertufa container.

I have several hypertufa containers so this will be a good place for me to start my miniature garden collection.

Every sort of accessory was displayed on a large table in the garden shop: arbors, garden chairs, planters, bird houses, garden tools ...

... and this darling bicycle was my favorite.

                                            

That sweet bicycle leaning against an arbor.

There is a garden shed and garden inside this terrarium.

Finally, I think this is my favorite ...

None of the gardens shown here have fairies in them, but it is easy to imagine them stopping to rest on a bench or chair, or strolling along a path. I couldn't control my shopping impulses and bought a couple of fairies, and several accessories. I forgot the bicycle though ... I'll just have to go back!

In Part 2 of this series I will review some books that have given me more inspiration and practical advice. Part 3 will show how I will put it all together and build my first miniature garden. Betty Earl in her book, Fairy Gardens: a Guide to Growing an Enchanted Miniature World, says, "If this is your first fairy garden, remember that creating one that meets all your criteria can take time. There is no need to rush, as it can be completed in stages. Go slow and enjoy the process." As with all my gardening, winter is the time for planning, so I will make my first mini garden in the spring. In the meantime, I am enjoying the process!

We saw snow today!  Happy winter!

Pam x

HH enjoyed the garden's classic car.

Sign on the car.

~~ I love reading your comments. I hope you leave one so I’ll know you visited!

I look forward to visiting your blog in return.