A Metallic Miniature Garden

By Author: Florence Blum
Total Articles: 79
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During the cloudy days of winter, when the sun hides and the snow accumulates, my yard can look unbelievably dreary. Leafless trees shiver in the wind. Icy patches lurk. And night comes down early, shutting down the day just as it was getting started. Yuck.

Luckily, my winter container gardens bring light and hope to my days, even during the months that feel like the longest of the year. While I try to fill my miniature gardens with bright winter flowering plants and cheery fairy houses, my efforts are not always enough. I have to take my fairy garden design a step further in order to inject some magic into the season. When the skies get cloudier and the nights get colder, I turn my attention to all that glitters, sparkles, and shines.

Have you ever thought about incorporating metallics into your miniature garden? Adding some spots of silver and gold is one of the easiest ways to add a fun and festive twist to the winter container garden. Just a few small changes and your fairy garden will be fit for fairy royalty.

Containers
One of my favorite ways to dress-up my winter container garden is with a ...
... metallic container. Some come pre-painted in gorgeous metallic gold, silver, or sparkling jewel tones. Metallic containers can function just like neutral colors, blending seamlessly with the décor on the patio or in the living room. But they can also stand out. Use metallic containers as centerpieces or stand-alone pots to draw the eye. If you like a more antique look, try experimenting with vintage buckets, washtubs, and troughs. Just be sure to consider the winter plants you will be including, and plan for any liners or drainage holes you may need.

Landscaping
If you already have your winter container garden or in-ground fairy garden planted, you can consider incorporating some silver, gold, and sparkling elements into your fairy garden landscape. In 2021, I am looking forward to finding some sparkly glitter rocks to add to my “water” features. I am hoping the addition of glitter will not only make the miniature garden feel more magical, but will also give the illusion of flowing water.

Metallic stepping stones or pathways, whether purchased or DIY, can help your garden design stand out. Fairies will notice if they step of the glittering path! Fairy lights and lit fairy houses can add that final touch of light. I like to use them to line pathways, decorate fences, and wind around sturdy winter plants. Winter can be a dark season. A short string of battery-powered fairy lights can help brighten up an entire winter container garden.

Accessories
For just a hint of metallic in the fairy garden, turn to gold and silver accessories. Gardeners who prefer a vintage look might search for teeny-tiny windmills, campers, signs, and other objects that appear antique, tarnished, or worn. Gardeners who appreciate the whimsical or magical may consider carefully-placed fairy wands, crowns, garlands, instruments, and wind chimes.

Here is one final idea I recently discovered. Some gardeners add a little fun to their miniature gardens with fairy coins. Sometimes they are “Celtic wishing coins,” “tooth fairy tokens,” or “gold at the end of the rainbow.” By collecting old tokens and painting them with gold glitter paint, you can create your very own fairy currency. Young and old visitors alike will love finding hidden coins. Perhaps you could provide a treasure chest or secret box where any found coins can be “returned to the fairies” or traded in for a fairy gift. Finding, counting, and sorting the coins is an activity that will engage little ones for a surprisingly long time.

Ready to add a little light to your garden with all that is glittery and gold? May your days in the garden be full of warmth, life, and magic, no matter what the winter brings.

Miniature Gardening offers a variety of accessories, fairies, garden tools & dollhouse furniture to create enchanting miniature landscapes for winter container plants or your yard. Story telling and imaginary fairy garden plants 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.