OK..first a few disclaimers...
no faries were harmed or foreclosed upon.. in making these gardens
no..I didn't make any of these.. although they.. and some fairy gardens I've seen lately.. have inspired me to make some once again..
these were the finalists @ the Philadelphia Flower Show judging.. now going on..
the pictures look more in focus if they are enlarged by double clicking on them


now this cutie with the greenhouse has the tinyest pots with real plants inside

ok.. would you like some more

Those are so cool Gordon! I really like the Gazebo one and that adorable little greenhouse!

Yes...we should have a tiny garden month here sometime.. it would be fun to decorate a tiny area with plants..well... I guess it's a bit much.. as tiny plants are unusual and difficult to find.. but there's a pile of little plants in nature...that would look just fine as featured tinys in little pots or baby succulents.. a perfect place to work out thinngs with the sculpty clay... a tiny fly swatter laying on the chase..

That sounds like a fun idea Gordon. I'd have to wait until it got a little warmer here - everything is still under snow.

I LOVE the purple lawn chair

Darling gardens Gordon

Yes... the purple chair is a real " 50's - 60's modern" design.. Purple and the hole in the chair.. mirroring the hole in the sculpted purple wall behind.. and the gazing ball..
I really liked the patio there also... you used to see a few patios made like that... ends of logs set together...
all the gardens showed such character.. Ive got so many little strips of marble and granite... it's going to be difficult not to have it become a patio / planter in a little one.. I can see it now..
I made a little garden one time.. it was on this concrete pad/planter.. with a pond cast into the center of it.. for real water.. the ground tray around it was planted with these tiny mugo pine seedlings.. like a bonsai forest.. unfortunately it was about the time I moved back to NY from a decade of being in AL with my first son as his single parent... as he went back to live with his mother I went back to NYC... nearer to him... so in my absence... my mother planted my trees in the backyard.. now they are 20 ' tall back there..

I also like the purple lawn chair...thanks for sharing with us Gordon!

Love those miniatures!

Love miniatures.

I never really felt one way or the other about them until I made my sister's fairy garden last year. Then I found the mini garden furniture at the yard sale and made a fairy garden for me. I got started making mini garden decor out of clay for my garden and suddenly I am obsessed with miniatures!

yes.. it is compelling.. for me I can understand... I was asked to complete a doll house from this kit a lady had started for her daughter and never finished.. it was an involved project the way they had it sold... when I was finished I started making some tiny things for the house..
I couldn't stop.. it was all I could do to pull myself away and go to work.. then I was back making something else.. tables chairs.. a fireplace.. a mantle.. some for other rooms.. it was compulsive to be sure.. and so quick.. then onto a new bit of tiny life.. I had to beg her to remove it.. a bit of wire.. and I had a pot rack for the kitched, a stove.. oh little pots... something about starting a project.. then it was done.. so unlike real life where they go on for hours if not days.. these were over in 20 minutes.. start to finish..
it was like I was living in fast forward.. exhilaration

Love these, thanks for posting Gordon!

I've always loved miniature gardens but other than putting together a few terrarium gardens I haven't tried my hand with miniatures. I have been doing some research in the past few months though and it's unbelievable what they have available for these gardens now for furniture, accessories, etc. I'm thinking there may be a miniature garden in my future this year. If there was just a polymer clay that could be left outside year round I'd be happy - the possibilities are endless! It wasn't too tough making the miniature mushrooms for Rick's sculpture with cement but definitely not as easy as they would be with clay.

Debbie, I leave some of my polymer clay items outside all year and they're doing fine. This was my 3rd winter for some. Other than the red fading I don't see any kind of changes or damage. They do need washing in the spring though. I use Premo.

OMG!!!! That's encouraging news! I'm thinking if the items I might make for a fairy garden are in the shade they wouldn't be as exposed so maybe they would last longer?

Probably. Most of mine are in full sun.

I love flea markets!! I was at another flea market this morning and found the beginnings of my next miniature garden! I found a little lighthouse for $1.50 and a really cool resin palm tree for $3.00. Then went to the bonsai store and while browsing their scratch and dent pot section found the perfect pot for just $10.00!! Now I need to get some river rocks to build the cliffs to put the lighthouse one, get more acrylic so I can create the water (I already have plenty of real beach sand and tiny shells). I do need to find some small plants to go on the slope leading up to the cliffs. I may just get some more Irish moss. This really is addicting!!

I also picked up a really sweet fairy for 75 cents, a David Winter collectible cottage for $1.50 and a couple of other items really cheap. I now have ideas and supplies for at least 3 more miniature gardens!!

Go get em Sally.. love the sound of the planted cliff beach w/ sand..

Here is my latest garden. The "water" area still needs to finish curing and clear up.

Sally, that is adorable! I love the windswept look of the tree, and your shark in the ocean! Great job!