Hardy Succulent Fairy Garden

I'm sure I've shared glimpses of my original fairy garden before, but it has been awhile. This is probably the 5th year I've had it... and it looked particularly photo worthy one rainy afternoon last week. I planted it in an old wagon I found at a yard sale for a steal, in the most gorgeous rust and blue patina.

 I poked a ton of holes in the bottom, and ammended potting soil with sand from my kids sandbox, and rocks from the landscaping we had at the house at the time (no joke, I'm resourceful and cheap). I found the fairy for $3 at Hobby Lobby-she's all metal, and about 7" tall. *sidenote* I was so excited about the fairy find- I was inspired by a photo from one of the owners of Tangletown Gardens in Minneapolis, MN- who had a beautiful metal fairy in a succulent bowl on his patio table in a magazine I saw back then; I later found the exact fairy at a boutique priced at $95! So my $3 fairy was jump-up-and-down-inthe-aisles kind of find. I bought the mini metal arbor at Cambria Pines Nursery, in CA, along with the fence, and the house that is supposed to look like a sand castle for $12 at Home Goods in So Cal, years ago. Various accessories have come over time. Including a turtle, a wagon, various tools, a glass cloche (beside the cottage to the left inside the fence), and the fence.

I added all the varieties of sedum and hens and chicks from various nurseries over the years, mostly from my favorite hardy perennial nursery, The Flower Factory. The moss just came naturally. I have tried a few over-wintering methods, including tipping it over in the vegetable bed, which made for a bit of putting things back together in the spring, and also leaving it exposed on the porch (the least successful, mostly due to winter wet). This winter, our first in Minnesota, I simply pulled it from the driveway into the garage. We have a freestanding garage, no heat, no added insulation. I didn't water it at all, from October until I pulled it out in late March. It looked perfect, untouched, and ready to begin growing again.

I pluck chicks and cuttings from all the sedum to keep them from filling in too much. I borrow her shovel when I dig in her dirt. No joke.  This year, I think she has her garden looking awesome. :)

Happy Spring!