Furry Friends in the Fairy Garden

This spring season looks and feels a little…different. Yes, the birds are singing and the flowers are blooming. Tree canopies have started to leaf out into their full forms once again. But for most of us, working in the miniature garden has become a strictly-solo activity, and visits with friends and family have been postponed. These are challenging times for gardeners around the world.

While we all adjust to this new “normal,” some families have adopted furry friends, often dogs or cats, into their homes. Have you thought about welcoming a miniature pet into your fairy garden? If your fairies and other garden friends are practicing social distancing and feeling lonely, now could be the ideal time to introduce a new animal resident—or two, or three, or four! Read on for some ideas.

Memory Garden

If you have a “life-size” pet of your own, or if you had a beloved childhood pet or other pet in your past, you may want to create a fairy garden that pays tribute to your real-life furry friend. See if you can find a miniature version of the animal. Once you have a miniature animal that looks similar to your pet, fill up a container with soil, landscape materials, and miniature plants. Then you can personalize your container garden to make it look like your own backyard, or simply a puppy paradise that your pet would have loved to inhabit.

Start with a sign featuring your pet’s name. Then add fun and attractive features, like a soft cat bed or a wagon. If your dog loved to play in the water, situate the mini dog near a miniature water feature. If your cat preferred to nap in the shade, find a shady spot for the new mini kitten. A memory garden gives you the opportunity to celebrate your pet long after they have “crossed the rainbow bridge.” If you have some do-it-yourself skills in addition to a green thumb, you could even add your own rainbow bridge to the memory garden.

Pet Palooza

If your garden fairies are feeling blue due to a lack of fairy garden visitors, there is one quick and easy way to cheer them up. Simply “adopt” one or more miniature animal friends and bring them home to live in the fairy garden. With just a little creativity, you can make a fitting home for almost any miniature animal in your fairy garden.

• If you “adopt” a miniature cat, use scraps of yarn to create a tiny yarn ball. The fairies will love to watch the cat get tangled up while playing with the yarn.
• A puppy or dog does not need much to be happy in the miniature garden. Position a dog house next to a fairy cottage so give the puppy a place to sleep, or fashion a small leash out of ribbon and attach it to a fairy’s hand. Then they can go on “walks” around the fairy garden.
• Miniature birds are a fun addition to any fairy garden, especially because they open up the opportunity to decorate with birdhouses, birdbaths, and other miniature accessories.
• Rabbits and squirrels will look natural in any fairy vegetable patch. Let them get up to mischief within a fenced-in garden, or provide them with their own bunny hutch nearby.
• If you are considering a farm theme for your fairy garden, why not add a few chickens, pigs, or other classic farm animals? All you need is a patch of “mud” or a fenced-in area to make chickens and pigs feel at home. They can even be raised in a fairy cottage backyard.

Ready to get started? It is easy to bring light and life to your fairy garden when you add a miniature animal friend. Happy gardening!