Brighton Park 2012 Fairy Gardens

Every year, we make Faerie Gardens here at Brighton Park. The girls love them and it has become a spring tradition to replant new flowers for the faeries and spruce up their homes. Since we live in AZ where the winters are temperate, it is an activity we enjoy year round as the faeries add little jack-o-lanterns to their abodes during Fall; fairy sized Christmas trees appear come the holidays. Faeries love decorating.

The first year we did faerie gardens, we made a ladder from Popsicle sticks to hang over the ledge to help the faeries up. This year, our succulents have grown to such a degree, the faeries can just climb up them (the ones that can't yet fly, of course)!
 The succulents in March...

The succulents now...

Covered in little pink flowers which I'm sure the fairies adore...

Our gardens this year are guarded by a large butterfly...

and helpful gnomes...

Last year...the girls painted wooden spools that had wooden circles glued to the tops...homemade fairy tables.  A fairy bathtub was made from a large shell with pebbles hot glued to the bottom to make the tub "feet" (An idea I got from Magic Onions!)...To see the homemade furniture of last year's garden, click here.  But this year, the faeries asked for an upgrade in furnishings...

They still have their shell bathtub, hidden in a corner that affords the faeries privacy~~a toadstool stands at the ready to hold their towels.

A table and chairs sit in the corner as a pot of some yummy faerie stew "cooks"  nearby...

An inviting faerie bed awaits, with a little log nightstand on one side and a fireplace  in the background to keep them warm while they sleep.

The faeries have been busy tending to the flowers for us; even with the hot Arizona summer, the flowers in the faerie gardens are flourishing...

A hummingbird feeder hangs in the corner. Faeries are so good about taking care of their feathered friends...

Having faerie gardens has been an activity that my girls (and boys) love. I have been known to (now don't you tell) get up early in the morning and sprinkle organic edible cake glitter dust on the flower petals. My girls get up, check their gardens and DELIGHT in the evidence that faeries have been there because there is "fairy dust" on the flower petals! Mr. Darcy always gets such a kick out of me hiding the "fairy dust" in my robe pocket, sneaking out, and giving the gardens a sprinkle without the kids seeing me. I get such joy out of their smiling faces as they marvel in the wonder and magic of visits from the faeries.

This post is linked up to The Magic Onions Fairy Garden Contest 2012. Please hop over there to view the other lovely faerie gardens that have been shared.

This post is also linked up to the following: No Ordinary Bloghop, Post of The Month, The Homestead Revival Barnhop, Say Yes Mondays,  Motivate me Mondays, CraftomaniacMondays. Tip me Tuesday at Tip Junkie, Teach me Tuesdays  at Growing Home, Whatever you want Wednesday, Not Just a Housewife, & The Inspiration Board, also Link it up Thursday, Shine on Fridays, Feature Fridays at Blissful and Domestic, Sun Scholars, and Farmgirl Fridays. and Made in a Day , Bear Rabbit Bear,  and Free for All Fridays.

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Have a Magical Monday,