Garden Photo of the Day

How we spent our Sunday afternoon

An overview of the fairy domain.

It's been a while since I've posted something from my garden! Luckily I have something new to share. This past Sunday was absolutely gorgeous in northwestern Connecticut, so Rob, Kaia, and I spent a couple of hours outdoors playing in the garden. I should have been raking leaves or planting bulbs, but….this was more fun! This little area is at the base of the wall that forms part of Rob's barn, which is a new structure on the foundation of the original carriage house for the property (our house was built in 1871.) Up until a couple of weeks ago it was a weedy mess, but recently Rob built a low retaining wall a couple of feet out from the wall with plans to plant a garden here sometime in the future. Kaia's been obsessed with building fairy houses lately, and when she asked us to help her, Rob thought this would be a nice place to do it (the wall means we don't have to get ALL of the way onto the ground–oooh, we're getting old…) Things quickly got out of control as we got more and more into creating and building. We scoured the yard for random bits of stone, sticks, and odds and ends, as well as some lingering flowers, small perennials, and moss from the roof of the shed. Our fairy house now has a patio, a small flower garden, a grove of trees, a sun umbrella on the private back lawn, and a winding pathway to a guest house! Kaia exclaimed several times that she wants to LIVE in this fairy home. I kind of want to, too!

SEND ME PICS OF YOUR GARDEN! Email me at [email protected]. Thanks! –Michelle

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An aerial shot taken from a tiny fairy helicopter….

The main house.

The front stoop and wall, with a ginkgo leaf doormat and thyme shrubbery.

The bed is woven from the blades of a big miscanthus, the blanket is a big Dutchman's pipe leaf, and the pillows are folded fuzzy verbascum leaves. A pretty rock serves as a headboard and beer bottle caps serve as trays.

The flower bed by the front stoop includes dianthus, lavender, fennel, and pennisetum flower spikes.

The sun parasol on the private back lawn is a datura bloom over a pennisetum flower stalk. The lounge chairs are sage leaves. The woodland garden beyond includes miscanthus blooms, sprigs of cuphea, lavender sprigs, a sedum flower, and a planted heuchera.

The patio off the main house. A big bolt acts as a pillar with a decorative rock as an ornament on top. A golf ball serves as a trendy garden sphere…

An overhead view of the path from the main house to the guest house.

The view from the main house to the guest house.

The spiral walkway to the guest house. Moss forms the lawn and the shrubbery is lemon balm. The red mats on the front stoop are viburnum leaves.

The guest house. The roof is twigs covered in Dutchman's pipe leaves.

The rug is an overturned Dutchman's pipe leaf. The bed is fuzzy verbascum leaves with an anise hyssop seed head pillow. A tray of wild hop flowers spruces things up a bit.

Kaia putting the final touches on the guest house.

We'd like to move in now, please.

Proud designer.

Bring on the fairies!

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Comments

  1. User avater
    meander_michaele 10/28/2014

    Gotta' admit, my inner child and my current grown up self thoroughly enjoyed every single picture and every single word...what a delightful thing to share with your daughter...such a cutie...I'll bet you could find an adorable fairy with her coloring. OK, I just outed myself...I've done a fairy/gnome project myself this year and I'm up on some good websites with very appealing little figurines. I love all the thought filled creativity your daughter tapped into in making such great use of natural materials. Please share with her that I'm a big fan of her work!

  2. perenniallycrazy 10/28/2014

    This is so precious!!! What better way to enjoy family time than creating a fairy garden. It has certainly brought a big smile on my face. Thank you for sharing Michelle, Kaia and Rob.

  3. susan749 10/28/2014

    Sweet!

  4. Nurserynotnordstroms 10/28/2014

    Fairy,family,fun......nice way to spend the day together and beautiful weather. Doesn't get better than that.

  5. sheila_schultz 10/28/2014

    I'd like to be a fairy... now, please!

  6. user-1020932 10/28/2014

    yep, i want to live there too! Kaia, i'm seeing a budding designer of many things in your future,,, fashion, interiors, buildings, gardens,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,you have it all covered!

  7. christianesterges 10/28/2014

    a fairytale come true ... thanks to a fairyrale creative family ...absolutely stunning !

  8. DarliBarli 10/28/2014

    Thanks for sharing your delightful fairy home afternoon with us. It was truly enjoyable? Kaiai's fairy home dwellers are blessed! What a beautiful child!

  9. User avater
    Tim_Zone_Denial_Vojt 10/28/2014

    Alright. I reluctantly admit that you have won me over. It really is adorable and a work of art. Frederick Law Olmstead would be proud. And I would like that stone foundation in my yard, please. You guys are great!

  10. user-7006958 10/28/2014

    What a cool way to spend time with family! It turned out very nice and inviting and I have my eyes on that guest house. Your girl is adorable!

  11. NCYarden 10/28/2014

    beep, beep, beep, beep, beep...that's just the moving truck backing up. I'd like to move in as well - I'm certainly short enough it seems.
    Way to take advantage of a beautiful weather day and have some real fun in the garden. I mean, we all love getting dirty in our gardens and draw enjoyment from the work we do, but sometimes it really is meant to just play in. It is so creative, and I love that it is integrated into the rest of the garden and natural surroundings. I couldn't help but notice the little Japanese maple - always my favorites. Glad to see it was a family affair as well, so nice to have everyone involved and sharing an interest. Great project. And beautiful stones and foundation too, by the way.
    What fairy wouldn't want to be in there?

  12. GGal 10/28/2014

    What a fabulous way to pass on your love of gardening to the next generation. It's important to put aside the 'to-do-list' and just enjoy your garden, your family and the beauty of nature once in awhile. Wonderful project.

  13. wittyone 10/28/2014

    Definitely a work of art. Your ingenuity is to be congratulated-----it's nice to see so many natural things used and fewer of the miniature prefabricated additions. Love the gazing ball there by the main house steps.

  14. lesliefarrelldelongpre 10/28/2014

    What a wonderful idea full of whimsy and magicalness! Is that a word? Doesn't matter you get my drift. My Grand girls are going to want to try this in my garden. What imagination, which I'm all about. Thank you for posting! and.....Thank you for all the gardens you put on the site. It is sooo much fun to check everyday for a new garden to study and oohh and aahh over. Great Job all around.

  15. GrannyMay 10/28/2014

    Michelle, Rob and Kaia, what a perfect way to spend time together! Such fun! I can just imagine the excitement as the ideas and bits come together and are added to create this lovely fairy home. Wonderful detail and design! Kaia can definitely be proud; who wouldn't want to live there! Thank you so much for sharing your creative family with us.

  16. greengenes 10/28/2014

    How cute! This is a great idea to do with my granddaughter. Maybe this type of creativity will get her interested in plants and gardening! Kaia, you have a great ability to design and create with simple natural things! Keep going! I hope you will enjoy gardening and carry it through your life! This is such a wonderful family time! Love it and thanks for sharing with us! Hm,,,now my thinking cap is working this morning. We use to make forts when we were little and would play Indians and run through the woods. We used ferns for the walls, moss for our beds, etc.. Its so much fun!

  17. GrannyCC 10/28/2014

    What fun! Thanks for sharing your delightful project Michelle,Rob and Kaia. How creative you are. I am sure it will be the envy of the neighborhood.

  18. Meelianthus 10/28/2014

    This is just too cute! What great fun the three of you must have had on this great family project. Every little girls dream. I have looked at every detail several times and yes, I could move in there also ^_^ Thanks for sharing these Kaia, Michelle, and Rob - in this troubled world we need many happy, light hearted scenes like this, you have made my morning.

  19. blommor 10/29/2014

    Michelle I just love your fairy garden. I'll press a visit when i come to your neck of the woods next time.
    Kerstin

  20. janeeliz 10/29/2014

    What an awesome family project! And what a sweet daughter you have! Thanks for sharing this wonderful creation...love all the details..... so very inviting! Please reserve me a long week-end in June.

  21. perenniallycrazy 10/29/2014

    Saw these two garden signs today and couldn't help but think of your post today Michelle.

  22. annek 10/29/2014

    Sorry for the late post, but Better late than never. I'm loving it! What vision the designers have and decorating with so many natural materials. I'm thinking about using Verbascum leaves forr pillows in the house! Is Kaia available for hire?

  23. thevioletfern 10/29/2014

    Way too much fun and so creative! I must have a fairy realm in my garden. Perhaps a budding designer might offer plans? I just love all the little details and I love that it is au natural! I am always drawn to the fairy houses made strictly of natural materials.

  24. maryannborcherding 10/29/2014

    When I was a young girl I used to head to the woods and create a fairy house/town along the creek. I would be out there for hours, and I'm sure had my mom worried. I had forgotten about this so thanks for the memory.

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