Fairy gardens are us

I wrote about being at a crossroads earlier, and I’ve moved down the road from the crossroads. Still looking at all the cars driving by and the towns that I pass along the way. One place at the crossroads was a unique garden experience store. It offers fairy garden supplies. As I prepared to give a fairy garden workshop, I had to make my own as an example.

Because it’s a sampler, I used everything, even if it wasn’t a cohesive design. I have “tree cookies” and branch rounders, flat and on their sides as edging. I put twigs upright as fencing and on their side as a walkway. I felt that I needed to show something to the students for ideas, but they really came up with their own brilliant ideas.

• Pea rocks originally intended for drainage were laid down like  a concrete patio or path
• Tree cookies were set on their sides like a wall
• Branches were split lengthwise as fencing and as a bridge
• Wire was used to hang acorn caps
• Pine cones were placed to make an archway
• Decorative pebbles were lining walkways
• Pine cones were upended for a table and chair (or would that be a stool if it was a seat only, no back or arms?)

The kids did many things that I didn’t even think about! Just giving them material and time yielded spectacular results. Hopefully they’ll be able to spend hours rearranging and adding and subtracting elements as time goes by.