Top 10 Gardening Ideas For Fairy Gardens
Are you considering making your very own fairy garden? There is a seemingly unending supply of tips and tricks for how to go about it. With so much information it can sometimes be hard to sort through it all! Well no need to worry, because here are our top 10 gardening ideas for fairy gardens!
Table of Contents
Use Broken Items
Whether or not it was originally an item for the garden, you can make use of it! Really good items are things that won’t fall apart or get damaged by water due to occasional watering.
This can include things like a broken earring for a chandelier in the fairy house. A chipped coffee mug would make a cute house for the fair folk.
A broken picture frame can add a fun element to your fairy’s garden decor by highlighting a particularly colorfully foilaged specimen. (A great place to find broken knickknacks is garage/estate sales!) The only limitation is your imagination! So get creative!
Re-pot Struggling and Overgrown Plants
Sometimes you’ve got a houseplant that just doesn’t like it’s corner, or needs more or less light. Other times there’s a plant that has done a little too well and needs a little breathing room.
This is the perfect opportunity to start a fairy garden! (Make sure you look up how to 
thin out and re-plant your plant without killing it first!) This is also a good idea because if you’ve got a plant that is thriving under the current care conditions, then you’re more likely to have a thriving fairy garden!
Add Elements to a Current Houseplant
You can also simply add to one of your existing potted plants and have the beginnings to a tiny fairy oasis within minutes!
It can be as simple as adding a door to the base of a thicker part of the plant, or a welcome sign that leads towards the underside of the foliage.
You can order entire themed sets online or find them in specialty or craft stores and just throw them in with an old friend. This is probably the easiest and fastest way to have a complete fairy garden right away.
Use Kitchen Scraps
There are a number of produce varieties that will continue to grow after purchased at the supermarket. Some prime examples of this are potatoes, green onions, celery and pineapple.
If you are going to have an indoor fairy garden, why not make it useful too?! Under a window in the kitchen can be the perfect place for a multi-purpose money saver!
Things like green onions (when bought with the roots still attached) celery and pineapple can be planted after the ripe- “good to eat” part has been removed by simply putting the green onion’s roots, the bottom of the celery’s stem and the bottom of the pineapple’s stem about an inch below the surface of the soil.
You could even buy several types of herbs that will grow well if tended in the kitchen and go for a full herbal fairy paradise!
Provide Adequate Drainage
You can put together a beautifully arranged and meticulously detailed miniature garden and end up with a bunch of dead plants if you don’t make sure you provide some room at the bottom of your pot for your roots to breathe.
A small layer of rocks at the bottom of the planter gives your roots that breathing room they need. You always want to make sure you know the kind of plant you’re putting in, but even knowing, accounting for, and caring for will not help if your roots sit in water.
They don’t have to be any particular kind of rock, but if you keep them between 1/2″ and 1″ sized stones, you’ll usually be good on the drainage. Here’s to preventative measures! Some plants like more water, and some like less.
The best way to keep a thriving space is to do a bit of research beforehand to ensure your garden gets exactly what it needs in the time each needs it. Allowing for drainage is a safeguard against the occasional double water day, or busy weekend that the garden got neglected for.
Life happens to us all, and this step will make sure your plants don’t pay too dearly.
Keep an Eye Out When You’re Out
One of my favorite accents in any fairy garden is the pine cone. There are surprisingly a lot of different kinds of pine cones. I never really thought about the variety of pine cones much before, but I do now!
Having 2 or 3 different kinds interspersed through the landscape of your fairy garden can really “spruce” up the joint (pun intended)!
Acorns, pine cones, rocks, shells, broken off parts of flagstone
or brick, bottle caps, all sorts of stuff that you can find when you’re out and about can be used for your fairy’s space.
So just keep your eye out and your fairy garden in the back of your mind. You’d be amazed what jumps out at you that would be perfect for one space or another.
Put in a Water Feature
I know it can sound intimidating, but water features can be super simple and super easy! The trick is to find a plant that loves water, but is also very hardy!
My favorite is Pothos, also known as Devil’s Ivy. When you learn to recognize it, you’ll notice that you see this plant everywhere.
Most of the time (in my experience) a doctor/dentist’s office, waiting room, or lobby will have one or two of these tucked in a corner or on a desk/table somewhere.
It is one of the most popular indoor potted plants because of its resilience and it’s good growth rate when tended well. In my first ever fairy garden, we put a couple holes in the bottom of a small circular Tupperware container, and put a layer of 1/2 inch rocks on the bottom, followed by a 3-inch section of a 6-inch pothos vine (with 2-3 leaves on the end of it) that was curled in on itself, and followed by several 1-2 inch larger stones.
I buried the Tupperware up to the rim in the soil of my planter, and surrounded the outside with more of the same 1-2 inch rocks. So it looks like a rocky outcrop with a pool in the center. 
(I also added a few quartz points to make it even more magical, but you do whatever you feel is good for your space.)
Then just fill the Tupperware up to the rim and over the next few days, the water will go down. Some water will go into the soil out the bottom drainage holes, and some will get absorbed by the plant. (make sure your holes are not too big that all the water falls out the bottom right away.)
You can get more fancy and add a pump for a flowing river or miniaturized waterfall or a bubbler to make it look like a spring! Don’t be afraid to try something over and over again until you love it!
Use Smaller Plants That Look like Larger Plants
Have you ever heard the phrase, “as above, so below”? There’s a large and small version of everything! For example, the Dwarf Primo Arborvitae looks a lot like a tiny spruce or pine tree!
Similarly, the commonly known Desert Rose is a small potted plant. However it transforms into a larger tree when placed next to fairy-sized house or little bench.
Use regular houseplants to make it seem as though a fairy is moving in, or create the space to make it seem like it was plucked from right outside!
Using the smaller plants to enhance the illusion of an entire fairy environment lends itself to the fanciful nature of this kind of project. It’s not that the fairies are small, it’s that we are too big.
Get Creative with Ground Cover
Ground cover can be intimidating for first time gardeners, and so a little space-saving and low maintenance hack is to use other types of ground cover that aren’t living plants!
You can put pebbles surrounding the bottom of the plants, or sand to create little foot paths. Even having the occasional larger rock in the midst of the open space of the planter adds dimension and depth. Do you love the low maintenance of succulents? If so then ground cover that is mainly rocks will work well as they like to grow there!
Plants that require daily watering might do better with a living moss. This can serve as a nice green lawn for the tiny tenant. It depends on the time, energy and resources you want to both initially invest, and the maintenance going forward.
Plant selection is key in that regard for both ground cover and the larger plants. For more advice on how to go about figuring that out, check this out and let me know what works for you!
Use Crystals
I have an obsession with crystals in the garden! I think it adds an elemental feature that makes the magical world of fairies just jump right out at you.
There are so many types, colors, sizes and shapes of crystals, that the possibilities are endless!
A word of caution, there are some crystals that can be damaged or even dissolved by water! So make sure you know what kind of crystal you will be using, and how it interacts with water.
Most crystals will be totally fine, 
but there are some like selenite and pink Himalayan rock salt that will literally dissolve with regular watering.
I get crystal carved figurines for a fun way to bring color and decorative accents to my fairy’s abode!
My favorite places to get crystals for the garden are online or at the local crystal or craft supply store. Make sure to verify they are natural stones, and not plastic imitations. Plastic can of course work, but if you’re looking for real stones, they can be deceptively similar.
Enjoyed These Top 10 Gardening Ideas For Fairy Gardens? There Is So Much More!
There are so many things you can do with these beautiful creations. These top 10 gardening ideas for fairy gardens can make the sailing much smoother while preventing the potential pitfalls of poor planning!
What have you found to be essential information when it comes to designing, preparing, or maintaining your fairy garden? Please share your stories, pictures and the rest with me by sending me an email at randi@fairycirclegarden.com
If you enjoyed this article please share it on your preferred social media platform and help us grow!
If you have any questions, comments or tips you’d like to share, leave a comment below and I’ll get right back to you!
Gratefully,
Randi
I can not help but marvel at the creative ideas you have on this post.
To be honest this post is making me want to have a beautifully looking garden one day and it will happen now.
I like the idea of broken scraps and crystals as they make everything look original and also very fancy at the same time.
You are right there are more things we could all do, it just takes a lot of creativity.
Thank you very much. The joy of gardening can be shared by all, and sometimes all you need is a little inspiration! I am glad we are able to provide that for you!
I want every single person to know they can do it too, and share in their accomplishments as well. Please feel free to ask any questions during the process and share your beautiful garden with us!
-Randi-
Super interesting, I had no idea this kind of thing existed! One takeaway I had was I had no idea there were multiple types of pine cones. To me they’ve always looked the same, but it makes sense there can be multiple types. Also, really enjoyed the pun as well 🙂 Great job, thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Well I’m glad to have peaked your interest on something new!
I know! One of my favorite things to do now is go down to the local nature trail, and collect pine cones. I have a little competition of how many we can find each time (my son often wins that one lol) and also how many different types we collect. So far my best is 4, but we live in an area with a limited number of coniferous trees. 🙂
Ah puns… To my family’s bemused disgruntlement, I inherited my “dad joke” sense of humor from- who else- my dad. Puns are just a way of life for me so thanks! Please share any more thoughts or questions you may have!
Thanks!
-Randi-
I’m glad that I landed on your page! I have some empty spots at home that needed some fillings with greens.
These ideas were so helpful for me, especially no. 8 “Use Smaller Plants That Will Look like Their Larger Plant Brothers”. Buying a smaller plant is on my next shopping list 🙂
Thank you again for sharing this post, you gave me so many ideas and I can’t wait to decorate my new home!
I’m so glad to be of help! Fairy gardens are the perfect way to fill up that empty space with a living decoration that’s got it’s own sense of wonder and imagination. I am so glad you will be bringing one into your new home and I truly hope you share it with us! Please post a picture and feel free to ask any questions while you’re getting it set up!
Thank you!
-Randi-
These are some wonderful ideas here. I would like to bulk buy some crysals. Can you tell me a good place to do this?
I found mine on ebay. I have found the best way to search is to look for a particular type of crystal by poundage. Example: “Quartz points 5 lb”. I’ll look up the link for the ebay store I frequent, and include a link. Let me know what you find as well!
I love the idea of reusing broken things, and giving them a new purpose! You are right, when you say that our imagination is our only limitation! I will keep in mind, this quote! I am happy that I landed on your page, especially that I am in a mini vacation at my mum’s, so I can suggest her some tips and tricks regarding the refreshing and grooming of the garden/yard.
I can sense the passion you put in this work! It’s contagious 😀
thanks!
Thank you for your kind words. I feel like we have become too quick, sometimes, to just throw anything and everything in the trash when it is no longer functioning perfectly, or broken somehow. I know that if we become more conscious of the many possible uses for things, we would find that we often don’t need as many (new) things as we initially thought. Fairy gardens are the perfect place for so many discarded items. I would love to see what you and your mother end up doing to refresh the garden and yard. Thank you again!
You have some real creative ideas here, really like the passion you show for this kind of work! As someone who doesn’t know anything about gardening, I could still envision all of the tips you provided. Thank you for showing a little insight into this and show us that we’re only limited by our own imagination!
Thank you on both counts. I do have a passion for it, and have found a new passion in sharing it with you all! Thank you!
Hi Randi
I love this idea and you have nailed it with some superb suggestions also. I used to mind children, afterschool care, and I decided that a fairy Garden was what we are going to build and focus on as they loved gardening…
Oh wow, did the ideas flow and we set the wheels in motion. Gosh, kids have a great imagination, they had great ideas.
Yes, we got started and it was looking great. Then I had to move 🙁
None the less, when I visited the children at there home a year later… there in a secluded part of the garden, was their Fairy Garden, which I had inspired them to create. My heart melted.
Thank you for this post, it makes me wonder if I need to create a Fairy Garden at my new place now.
Food for thought.
Cheers
Jo
Aww! I am so glad that they kept the fairy garden! That made my day! ?
I absolutely think you should put in a new fairy garden. I recently went to my local Dollar General to check out their seasonal items and- ‘lo and behold, a whole section of fairy garden figurines and trinkets were available! If you have one in your area, go check it out!
Keep an eye out for an upcoming article I am working on that gives my personal breakdown of my favorite places to get fairy garden supplies.
I am so glad you enjoyed the article, and I hope you go ahead and put in a new fairy garden! Please share the pictures if you do!
What an interesting post about the fairy garden. I had no knowledge about it until I read your post. It is so inspiring who knows that one day one will be inspired to start her own fairy garden. I really love a place that is surrounded by nature, The fairy garden sounds like something that can really satisfy that desire. I agree that the only limitation exists in our imagination if we expand our imaginations we can reach places we once thought were impossible to reach. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
I am so glad I could share my passion with you! By starting your very own fairy garden, you’ll not only be surrounded by nature during the process, but you’ll become invested in it and the joy with which you create your garden will fill you each and every time you see it! Especially when you’re tending or watering the plants. Happy gardening!
I have never heard of a fairy garden but I do love gardens. I often thought about having a small garden but always thought it was too much work to figure out. This may change my mind.
Fairy garden nick-knacks are everywhere in stores right now due to the start of the gardening season! For a few dollars and a houseplant, you can have your very own magical space! They are great conversation starters too. I’m glad you are considering starting one of your own.
Great, I never knew that using kitchen scraps could be the best way to make your garden great. You are very creative.
I also liked the idea of using broken items as a way to spice up your garden look.
It’s a very nifty little trick! I prescribe to the saying, waste not, want not. ?
Hello, thank you for this article. Honestly, I was never into gardening but I fancy your post. I like how you put the table of content and explain each of them separately. Really nice and easy to read.
Best Regards
Srdjan
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Ever since Walt Disney made fairies even more popular through his creative use of the pixie character, Tinker Bell in “Peter Pan,” there seems to have descended a mesmerizing influence over the dwelling places of women’s homes and apartments with their use of fairy garden designs. These are fabulous ideas, enjoyed reading them.
I think you’re on to something there! Tinker bell is for sure my daughter’s favorite Disney character. We even have a fairy garden set released by Disney that features Tinker Bell. I made the planter with those one that my daughter is allowed to play in (with supervision of course) and she has so much fun! Thank you!
I love gardens but the one thing I don’t like about gardens is when winter comes they all disappear… not yours. And that is what I love about your ingenious creative ideas for gardens. With all the ideas I am thinking I could have a different garden in every place that I sit in my home.
We are just heading into fall months now and all the gardens are pretty much done for the year. I found this site just in time to get creative with your ideas, thank you so much. I am off to making a garden.
That is wonderful! I am so glad I was able to inspire you! I know the fall and winter can be demoralizing for us gardeners because instead of tending the beautiful growth of spring and summer, we are managing the gradual decline into dormancy for most of our garden. These are the things I like to do to keep things interesting and the creative juices flowing. Please share your pictures and stories with us and help our community grow!
Love this site and all the creative magical inspirations! I love gardening myself – although contemporary, but your ideas are novel, different and certainly fairylike.
I’ve tried using crystals before but have not fared well with them – they seem to eventually become buried in the topsoil! Come spring, I plan to be more creative with succulents as groundcover. Can’t wait!
I’ve had similar problems with crystals on occasions. It’s a lot like gardening in that sometimes I think a plant will look great in this spot, but it might not like the light or drainage, etc. so I end up having to move it. Perhaps more than once. But eventually I find the right spot or conditions and it thrives. Crystals grow too… not once they are removed from the earth of course, but I like how similar they are to plants while still being completely different.
I love the idea of succulents as ground cover! This is why I love my gardening community, such great ideas! When you start that project, please feel free to send me an email (Randi@fairycirclegarden.com) and I’d love to include any pictures and anecdotes you might have on the site!
Thank you