The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 6 Spring 2013 | Page 28

Gardening for kids

Magical fairy gardens
For ages 3 and upwards
What you need

Container with good drainage
Potting soil
Pebbles/shells/ buttons
Small shade loving plants
Bits and bobs to decorate the
garden
A bit of help from Mum and Dad!

Just a touch of inspiration, a cute container, some
plants and a few accessories are all it takes to get
the magic of a fairy garden growing.

Select plants
The perfect place for a fairy garden is
a shady corner as the fairies, kids and
plants might get burnt if they play in the
sun. Then, choose small shade loving
plants of all textures and colours. We
used Peace in the home as the lawn,
Festuca grass as a small bush and small
flowers like Violas to provide colour.
Other good choices would be Mondo
grass and shade loving annuals like
Lobelia, Pansies, Alyssum and Primulas.
Don’t forget to water after planting!

All the family can help with this project
– mums with the planting, dads with
making small pieces of furniture and
the kids with the inspiration! The beauty
of a fairy garden is it can be maintained
almost completely by your child with a
small watering can. Here are some tips
to help you get started:
Pick a container
Be creative, but make sure there are
holes at the bottom to allow proper
drainage. Terra-cotta pots with saucers
work well. Choose smaller containers
too, so they can be easily moved around.
Add soil
Use potting soil or fine compost.
Accessorise
Lily had great fun accessorising her fairy
garden by using buttons as stepping
stones, shells as baths, pebbles for the
gaps and other small trinkets. Use your
imagination when accessorising as you
can create so much for the fairies.

If you are keen to find out more about
our school, contact Laura Dreyer on
0778 218 773

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