Handmade

I made this fairy garden birdbath/ urn planter last night! And the rock word. So excited to start selling some fairy garden accessories soon! I will keep you posted!

I found a great garden center!

I'm sure we all have our favorite go to places for plants. I had a few super favorites in southern Wisconsin; I lived close to some really fantastic places with massive selection. It took me time to find them all. I made a habit of internet searching, bookmarking magazine pages and each spring we'd go explore a new one. I went back to the best.

Now since we moved to Minnesota last year right during May, I had almost no time to garden shop- plus I brought a whole u-haul of plants and garden strucutres. I did get out to one great little place int the twin cities; they had great ideas and inspiration, but I was far too smart to pay their prices. This year I was excited to see if I could find some that rivaled those places I had in WI. This week, I found my first one!

I visited Tonkadale, in Minnetonka, MN. I somehow found it by searching online, and the website seemed promising. I was most impressed with the fairy gardens. The trip came about spontaneously, so I didn't have my good camera with me. I found their prices fair, and even some beyond fair. the selection was awesome! You have to sort of "dig" to find what you're looking for. The plants weren't very clearly organized, but perennials starting at $3.99 a piece, and fairy garden plants at $1.99- well you can hardly beat that! They had a great selection of tropicals, annuals, veggies... beautiful gift shoppy stuff, and even succulents at fair and reasonable prices.

I came home with a green aeonium, nicotiana sylvestris, echinops, a light blue delphinium, and a ruby red helenium, and a handful of fairy garden plants, including a heart vine, creeping fig, and varigated baby tears.

I loved how the perennials were situated among a grove of trees.

I will be back for fairy garden stuff when my budget allows; the selection was unmatched, and the displays were inspiring! I took some pictures of the fairy gardens!

And this three tiered fountain was in the back of the store, by what seemed to be mostly shade plants but also had vines, hardy succulents, and these great arbors.

 I could have spent a LOT more time here, too. My kids and husband were waiting in the car!

Old Towne Orange

Californis fun wasn't all for the kids; my mom and I took a day to roam one of favorite places: Old Towne Orange. We started by this cute garden shop, specializing in fairy gardens. The sweet pea on the fence were gorgeous!

I loved these cute arbors, but I didn't come home with them. I have a feeling a certain someone I know can make a variation of them!

And how awesome is this mosaic bird bath? Yum!

As we roamed down the street, I admired these red passion flowers:

And this tree, Jacaranda I think?

In another one of my old favorite antique malls I spotted this street sign, and wished I had the funds too bring it home.

And I do have aan old umbrella bird bath with a broken umbrella- I plan on putting these sticks in the pegs.

Out back they sell plants, and the fairy gardens were stunning!

 

 On our way back to the car I had to get one more lok at the sweet peas, with a golden gaillardia spilling through the fence, too.

If you are ever in Orange County California, visit Orange. You won't be disappointed.

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!

My Kind of Whimsy

The junk in my garden is nothing if not whimsical. I love making the garden feel like a magical place. Mostly, I like to accomplish through masses of flowers in dozens of shades and shapes, large leaves like elephant ears, or hostas, or vines clinging through walkways or scaling walls, and by attracting wildlife like birds, bees, butterflies, and frogs. The chaos is enchanting. I was so delighted to find in our new home, as soon as I planted, they all came, thanks most in part to the lush gardens of my neighbors, existing plants, and nearby lake, no doubt.

But my second favorite way to add whimsy is through objects. Here are some of my favorites. I found this odd metal structure on a Hobby Lobby clearance aisle. I immediately wanted it to be my side table lamp in the garden. I've had tons of different plants growing under the cage. My favorite was poor man's weather glass, with bright blue flowers. This year I have a succulent under it for now, but that is subject to change. There is a candle in the top compartment. The witch's-hat-like top comes off. I think ceramic birds and urns spilling with young succulent plants add to the whimsy also, but leave enough room for me to set my glass of wine.

These old chimes fell off their old wooden plate long ago, but I didn't like being without their whimsical sound. I had since turned a metal tin into a planter, and the top was sitting around doing nothing on my table in the garden. I put them together, bringing new life to the chimes. I hooked them on a whimsical shaped shepard's hook, low to the ground, among the roses and lilies.

I might as well start calling myself the queen of clearance, because as much I love junk- it is increasing harder to find on my own. While clearance sections abound. For gardening- winter means deals. These adorable whimsical cone shaped planters reminded me of a garden patio at the Wisconsin Renaissance Faire. And they were cheap. I have them hanging from the crab apples. This year I planted two types of ivy (plants are still very small). Last year it was fuchsia. Something about their shape, and having them in the trees is so very whimsical to me.  

Nothing says whimsy more than fairies, and I have fairies. This is a new addition this year. I have had the little metal house for years. Two sides of glass had broken over the years. I always stick something in there, like a potted succulent, or candles. This year I decided to actually make the whole bottom tray into a garden. I poked a few drainage holes, and created a rock border to capture the soil. I then used the two glass walls and shells to create a hill. So far it is holding up, but I put it right by the backdoor in case a really heavy rain comes. I don't know if the hill would hold up, so I can just pull it inside. The fairy was a gift from a student I coached years ago. An the shells are from a California beach.

This fairy sits in a tiny pot with various succulents. Seashells cover the soil where the young succulents haven't filled in yet. I want the aeonium the get tall and look like trees!

This guy might be my favorite thing in the garden. I plucked him out of my great grandpa's garden. I like to think he watches over things for me. Chippy, old, and definitely whimsical.

Birdbaths add tons of whimsy, as well as birds, butterflies, and more... but my favorite part of this old $5 cement yard sale find is the two green glass floating balls, and the cherub watching over the hostas beneath. Whimsy city.

Finally, the last bit of whimsy I have to share with you is this large fairy has a broken foot thanks to a careless lawn mower. She's tucked behind this johnson's blue geranium on a bed of moss, beside a old crumbling cement step. I say, the more broken up things are, the better. She's not going anywhere, any time soon.

 

Happy spring!