Fairy gardening

The Benefits of Having Fairies in the Garden

Living with the fairies is an experience that everyone should cultivate, as it has many benefits. If you want to work with faeries and develop your relationship with them, the garden is an ideal place to begin. Whenever fairies move into a garden, everything begins to thrive, and the garden becomes a peaceful refuge where you can meditate and relax.

There are believed to be many benevolent spirits dwelling within, from gentle flower fairies to wise dryads. For believers, faeries will reward the tender(s) of the garden with their blessings, which can include good fortune, protection, joy, love and happiness.

Plants and flowers

Fairies love trees and plants, so it is necessary to have lots of plants in the garden and perhaps some trees. However, it is important to slect those who are particularly attractive to fairies.
Fairies seem to enjoy the same habitat that butterflies love, so plant flowers, plants and herbs that attract hummingbirds, butterflies and bees.

  • Cat’s ears or Four O’Clocks
  • Fairy Lanterns or Fairy Bells
  • Morning Glories – guard against unfriendly or hostile fairies
  • Violets
  • Chinese Lanterns
  • Maidenhair Ferns – Fairy Lore states that fairies often come out near ferns
  • Ebony Spleetwort
  • Shirley Poppies
  • Small Tiger Lilies
  • Foxgloves – once called Fairy thimbles and Fairy caps. Planting them in the garden is said to be an invitation for fairies to enter. Don’t plant near the front door of a house, as fairies could mistake this as an invitation to enter the house.
  • Lobelia
  • Peonies
  • Heliothrope
  • Coleus – induce a fairy world look due to erratic splashes of almost fluorescent color.
  • Daisies
  • French lavander, Thym
  • Heather
  • Honeysuckle
  • Angelica
  • Chrysanthemums
  • Coleus
  • Gardenias
  • Tulips
  • Clover – any variety is said to attract fairies, but the four leaf clover has a particular magic. If a gardener wears a four leaf clover under his/her hat, or places seven grains of wheat upon a four leaf clover, the gardener will most likely be able to see garden fairies as they come and go. 
  • Sedum – Stone Crop or Hens and Chicks
  • Thyme, Romarin
  • Blue Star Creeper
  • Angel’s Tears
  • Creeping Phlox – a carpet of vibrant blooms: white, candy-striped, red, lavender blue, or pink
  • Moss – soft clumps provide perfect fairy-sized bed. Irish Moss, Scotch Moss, and the particularly spongy Cushion Moss are perfect choices.

Trees

Tree spirits are ancient and wise, reflecting the age of the tree and all it has seen. Similarly, if a faerie has dwelt in a tree for a long time, it too will have much wisdom and experience to share. Fairies cherish the Great Oak and use the acorns for decoration, celebrations and use the tops for hats. Magic oak leaves are used in the autumn celebration.
Fairies are also fond of fruit trees such as apple, cherry or pear.  They like to use the blossoms for clothing and for spring festivities. 

Water

Since the fairies love to be around water, ponds or waterfalls are always great to have in the garden. Attract the birds and animals that fairies are said to enjoy playing with and caring for by installing birdhouses, planting foliage that attracts them and adding birdbaths.

Ornaments and decoration

Fairies love shiny objects, water, statues and anything that adds beauty to the garden.  Crystals, on the trees or use garden gnomes and statuary to add some charm.
The latest fairy gardening trend is to provide the fairies with their own miniature garden decorated by benches, trellises, garden tools, spongy beds of moss, and even tiny sized gardening tools or dishes. Gardener’s with twisted imaginations, children, grand-children, and fans of miniatures and fairy lore will enjoy creating a fairy-sized garden, indoors or out.
Fairy doors are small hand-crafted fairy doors  that captivate and charm any visitor cognizant enough to notice them. Often decorated with Celtic knots and symbols, they are carved from wood, or made of resin or metal. At the base of a tree, these doors can be part of a miniature garden, or placed up among lower branches.

Proper care

  • Fairies care about the environment. Keep your garden clean of trash and use a compost bin for vegetal garbage.
  • When attracting fairies into your garden keep it clear of weeds and slugs, although a small patch that is unkempt or planted with wildflowers is fine. This small area will make fairies feel welcomed.
  • Do not use pesticides or herbicides. Poisons offend fairies and repel them.

Signs of Fairy Presence

  •     Rings of mushrooms, sometimes referred to as “fairy rings”
  •     Finding animals, amphibians, insects and birds associated with the fairies
  •     Hearing music that has no discernable source
  •     Plants in the garden thrive and grow more lush and beautiful
  •     A peaceful and lovely energy within the garden
  •     Actual fairies, who may reveal themselves as sparkling lights or may look like insects at first glance