Why I Planned an Up North Miniature Garden

Last night our dog started whining. It was after midnight, so I was not pleased when her purpose to be outside.

Last night our dog started whining. It was after midnight, so I was not pleased when her purpose to be outside consisted of running around the yard looking for feathery friends. Our dog, Josey, is a bird dog. She also likes listening and looking for deer, frogs, and chipmunks - animals that she can sniff-out. As I was standing there, wishing I were sleeping in bed, the rich, tremolo sound of a loon echoed across the river. I suddenly looked up at the sky and to my amazement; it was full of stars in the shapes that I learned about in school. Slowly I began to understand why Josey wanted to enjoy the evening air…it was beautiful outside. I stood there starring at the sky in all its beauty and I knew that the next day I had to write a blog about the joys of living in Northern Wisconsin and include tips on how to plan an “Up North” fairy garden.

You may wonder why, at midnight, I was thinking about fairy garden ideas. For the past eight hours, I had been working remotely at the computer so fairy houses, fairy friends, and miniature plants were on my mind. In fact, once we were back in the house and I was soon nodding off to sleep, my mind kept spinning with ideas for the next day’s session at the computer.

When I awoke the following morning, I decided to create a list of my favorite garden accessories and miniature plants that reflected life in Northern Wisconsin and relate these items to fairy gardens. Here are a few of my ideas:

Homes – Wood-built homes are common in the area where I live. They may be log cottages or buildings covered with stained cedar siding. Another popular choice for home exteriors is white painted siding. A few homes are constructed from stones, but it is more common to use stones as an exterior accent. When planning a woodsy miniature garden, consider resin or polystone fairy houses that resemble the look of wood. In addition, a fairy house with stone accents will complement the theme.

Loons – Bobbing in and out of the water, the loons playfully enjoy swimming in the river and their sounds can be heard for miles. Loons provide a neutral black and white color scheme to the fairy garden setting. Place them on top of beach glass pebbles, raindrops, or shades of blue decorative pebbles for a realistic setting in the fairy garden.

Dogs and Cats – Not only are the tremolo sounds of a loon heard, but also the characteristic bark of the neighborhood dogs. The cats are quiet, but every so often, a barn cat will come for a quick visit before heading off to adventure into the woods. In the fairy garden world, consider placing pets near your fairies to keep them company.

Wild Life Animals – Since our family lives on five acres bordering the banks of a river, we are fortunate to see many wild life animals. Eagles, with their wings widely spread, fly gracefully in the blue sky. While deer are seen walking through the yard and sometimes stopping to munch on our shrubs and plants. Trumpet Swans, geese, fox, chipmunks, squirrels, gophers, beavers, and bears fill out the remaining list of animal visitors. How can a gardener recreate this Up North scene in a fairy garden? My favorite vignette displays a fairy reading to a circle of woodland animals.

Adirondack Chairs – When it comes to furniture for the woodlands, Adirondack Chairs are high on the list. You will see chairs in natural colors to match the woodsy feel of the area, but do not be surprised to find a bright rainbow of chairs circling a fire pit. Recreate the real life look in miniature by covering the soil (in an area large enough to hold four Adirondack chairs that circle a fire pit) with river rock. Place cut up twigs in the fire pit for an authentic atmosphere.

Fire Pit – This item brings me to a common nightly (and sometimes a daytime) activity – enjoying burning wood in the fire pit. A simple ring of large stones may outline the fire pit or some folk spend much time, energy, and money to build a stone ring. I have even seen circular pieces of metal with torched out sections creating an Up North theme design. It is important to remember that roasting marshmallows over the fire pit results in the yummy creation of a S’more. In a miniscape, a gardener can purchase a ready-made fire pit or use small stones to outline the area. Fairies love S’mores, so glue white beads on the end of a toothpick for a miniature marshmallow on a twig!

Evergreen Trees – Gaze out into the woods and you will see all sizes of evergreen trees. During the winter season, tall, stately evergreens, covered in white lights, cover the snowy landscape. Check your local nursery or go online for a selection of miniature evergreens that can be grown for your area. Remember to purchase mini-lights to decorate the tree.

Hardscape – Stepping-stones, pea gravel, river rock, and mulch are common hardscape materials found in northern gardens. The natural look is popular for the woodland areas. Locate these small-scale hardscape items in miniature gardening shops. Place the hardscape items among your plantings or on a pathway.

Water Features – As you enter our house, you can hear the sounds of a water fountain that is located in a nearby perennial garden. One of my first purchases this year was a slate water fountain that sits stately in a container garden with a fairy house and miniature plants. The container is located in my glass porch to protect the fountain from the elements.

Fences – Remember when I mentioned the deer and how they enjoy eating our plants and shrubs? This is a common site in the north, so many of us have fences protecting the gardens. The fences are typically made from wood or metal. When planning a miniature garden, you will find fences in all shapes, sizes, and colors

When deciding to replicate real life gardening scenes into a miniature garden, your choices of items are numerous. Look around your environment or browse through travel magazines for fairy gardening ideas. If an item is not available at your local store or online shop, be creative and explore crafting a miniature accessory that can be used to recreate the story.

Miniature Gardening' offers miniature trees, accessories, fairies, garden tools & dollhouse furniture to create enchanting miniature landscapes for containers or your yard. Story telling and imaginary fairy garden from 'Miniature Gardening' bring the playful kid out in all of us. Filled with intrigue and mystique each little miniature garden scene you create is a snapshot of such a dream.

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