Celebrate the Wild, Wild West in a Fairy Garden

As a kid, I grew up watching Westerns because of how much my father loved them. I remember evenings spent sitting on the living room floor with John Wayne or Clint Eastwood movies playing in the background, usually while I was reading a book or doing arts and crafts. I always loved the one-liners, the outfits, and the classic beautiful women who could also kick butt. My attitude may have seemed distant, but I was listening. There was so much strength in those old-time stories. People, who were underdogs, stood up to injustices. Those movies became so much a part of who I am that I wrote my college senior paper about Westerns and the Wild West.

The experiences and memories that influence us are symbolized in objects, art, and items found throughout our homes. I know that when I saw the garden accessories, which matched this obsession of mine, I had to create a fairy garden that represented the Wild West. The idea was sparked when I saw the Wild West Trunk with a Gnome, which featured a brown trunk where pebbles topped off the desert soil and succulents were planted near the wheels of a covered wagon. Nearby a gray-bearded gnome, wearing a bright, red, cowboy hat, rested in front of a fire pit. This kit was the definite set to add to my newest fairy garden since I wanted something that had a ton of character and would stand out amongst the greenery of miniature plants.

Using a kit of garden accessories was the ideal start to my newest miniature garden, but I wanted to add even more personality to my design.  Starting with Southwest-themed miniature plants, I selected a few Fenestraria aurantiaca ‘Baby Toes.’ Originating from the deserts, they have a classic Southwestern look. I quickly included a log cabin alongside the other garden accessories to create a homestead for this particular gnome. Near the home, I positioned an old time wooden barrel, while a metal rifle leaned against the side of the fairy house to create the illusion of the Wild West.

The hardship of this lifestyle had me deciding if I should add a couple of wagon wheels alongside a shed to show the brilliance of the frontier families who were prepared if the wagon parts broke. Frontier gnomes and garden fairies could not merely have a wagon without possessing spare parts to keep themselves ready for the inevitable harshness of the Wild West. Within a miniature garden, I liked emphasizing all of these small details so that I could show not only my passion for the American frontier, but also the ingenuity of these brave men and women.