BIG
IDEAS
Fairy gardens are filled with big ideas and plants scaled down to size with small-leaved perennials and shrubs. When you add in inanimate objects like a little bench or birdbath, it becomes a magical place of whimsy and life all at once.
Indoor Miniature Plants
Most fairy garden setups include one or several centerpiece plants that resemble miniature trees and bedding (smaller plants that stay low to the ground). Some centerpiece plants can even be trimmed to make the stems look like trunks. These plants include: English Boxwood, Ellwood’s Blue Cypress, False Cypress, Norfolk Pine, and Parlor Palm. You want to be careful not to include plants that grow too fast because they will take over the miniature garden.
The bedding plants are what really bring the mini garden to life by keeping everything to scale. You will need to make sure the type of bedding you use is correct for the growth requirements of the other plants you choose to put in your garden. This means monitoring hydration needs and sunlight directions. Good choices for indoor bedding includes: Tears, Dwarf Mondo Grass, Corsican Mint, Sugar Vine and Zebra Haworthia.
Baby tears feature small, round leaves and resemble the appearance of moss. They stay below 6 inches tall and don’t expand past 6 inches wide which makes them ideal for fairy gardens. They prefer moderately moist soil and moderate daylight, so pair them with plants that have similar requirements.
Baby Tears
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Dwarf junipers are one of the most popular centerpieces for fairy gardens due to their tree-like appearance, but they are also difficult to maintain. Never let the soil get dry, keep in moderate to high sun, and allow the tree to go dormant in the winter with a cool environment and little sun. To keep the plant small, you'll need to trim and pinch new branches.
Dwarf Juniper
JEAN'S Dilly Dwarf Spruce®
Jean’s dilly dwarf spruce® looks like a miniature Christmas tree and is fairy easy to grow in zones 3-6. They require moderate to high sunlight as well as moist ground. Soil conditions do not matter as long as the soil doesn’t go dry.