Fairy Garden Fun

Fairy Garden Fun
(By Mary Ann Lindsay) “If you have a tea cup, a broken pot, a wheelbarrow, or a yard, you can have a fairy garden.” So said Master Gardener Bonnibel Byars (pictured) at the February 13 meeting of the Robertsdale Garden Club. Bryars presented a slide show on various aspects of creating a fairy garden and also created one for members and guests. Several members and guests brought their granddaughters to enjoy the program. Bryars provided a handout which included a plan for building a fairy garden: (1) choosing a theme, (2) choosing a container; (3) layering the materials; (4) picking plants, and (5) adding the fairy or fairies with accessories such as table and chairs, frogs, mushrooms, etc. She suggested wetting the dirt base before building the garden. A tip she gave when creating the garden was choosing a “thriller” (examples: Angelface angelonia, Butterfly argyranthemum, Graceful Grasses); “filler” (examples: Diamond Frost® euphorbia, Superbells® calibrachoa, Supertunia® petunia); and “spiller” (examples: Snowstorm® Giant Snowflake® bacopa, Snow Princess® lobularia, Sweet Caroline sweet potato vine). This is a common way for container gardening and patio containers using three different types of plants to create well-rounded and upscale looking containers.
A plant list Byars provided included Scotch moss, sedum, air plants, dwarf conifers, creeping Jenny, various succulents, and many more. She used a regular size succulent plant which she broke down in pieces to use in the fairy garden. Following the program, door prizes were won by several members and guests.