Come summertime, I like to spend as much time as possible outside, enjoying the sunshine and green, growing things.
Meanwhile, indoors, I’m all about trying to create as much green space as I possibly can within the limited real estate or windowsills and end tables.
I thought I was totally out of space, but now I’m thinking that I might just need to make a little bit more room, to accommodate a totally adorable and magical lifestyle trend circulating amongst gardeners near and far!
They’re called “fairy gardens,” and they look exactly how you would expect: delicate blossoms and buds, potted beautifully and interspersed with suitably mystical knickknacks.
Whether you fill 'em up with succulents or reach back to this list of useful plants for a darling herb garden, there’s something totally enchanting about these whimsical miniature gardens.
Check out a few of our favorites below, and don’t forget to tell us all about your own adventures in fairy gardening!
Thumbnail Credit: Pixabay
This adorable little paradise looks the ultimate rustic getaway — for an exceptionally tiny person.
With plenty of little succulents, a cozy painted barn, and a tiny tea light for a campfire, we wish we could call this place home!
And we love the two-tiered approach of the two pots; it's the perfect way to keep lots of different plants happy.
These sweet acorn-capped pendants aren't fairy gardens per se, but they definitely capture the whimsical spirit of the trend.
Little crystals are capped with cast-metal acorn "hats."
Meanwhile, inside the pendant, tiny blossoms and bits of moss hang suspended to make for a beautiful, quirky fashion accessory.
If you feel, deep down, that your garden is more of a gnome hangout, then this is probably the look for you.
Potted in a large round vessel, this garden features an abundance of happy succulents, lots of mulch, and a little house topped off with pine cone petals.
Naturally, this design is also populated with a duo of miniature garden gnomes.
If you shatter one (or more) of your terra cotta pots, don't despair!
Your broken planters can be repurposed into a stunning and elegant terraced fairy garden.
Follow this example and plant your tiers with microgreens and moss, then top the whole thing off with a little cabin and some "trees."
There's no reason your fairy garden shouldn't have plenty of company!
Create a gorgeous outdoor display with your vessel gardens all grouped together for dramatic effect.
It will create the look of a garden bed on your porch or patio, but you can bring them in easily if it gets cold or too rainy.
We love the idea of simply embracing the spirit of the fairy garden, while keeping the design spare and knickknack-free.
This gardener creates a lovely, colorful display with nothing but the plants themselves!
By propagating a whole variety of different baby succulents all together, she creates an otherworldly carpet of greenery.
A stone birdbath is a downright darling way to introduce a more ethereal element to your garden.
In the hot, dry months of midsummer, these succulents will stay lush and fresh, and will provide a pretty focal point for your garden.
We think this would look especially lovely in a sunny spot to the side of the main entrance.
If you live by the sea, why not create a planter that reflects your landscape?
This sweet scene features a thatched cottage and a few succulents to create the effect of palm trees.
Best of all, instead of sticking with simple pebbles, this gardener incorporated striking pieces of vivid blue sea glass.
Fairy gardens are a clever and creative craft project for kids of all ages.
Older kids will be able to plant their greenery themselves into a perfect garden design.
For littler kiddos, grown-ups can do the actual planting, while the children decorate with doodads like tiny fences and miniature birdhouses!
This gorgeous design is another take on transforming broken terra cotta pots, but with a twist — literally!
This garden is arranged into a nautilus shape; instead of forming terraces, the broken pieces swirl upward in an elegant spiral.
We love how the "path" is studded with succulents, leading all the way to the door of a fairy palace at the tippity top.
There's no reason your fairy garden has to be confined to container gardening!
While we love the idea of a pretty little garden that can come inside for winter, adding a few fairy accents to a vegetable plot or raised flower bed is also an adorable idea.
It's a great way to add a touch of magic and whimsy to a more practical part of your garden.
If you love the look of these adorable fairy tale gardens, make sure to SHARE with friends who love the magic of growing things!
