[Updated from November, 2010.]

So, a trip to the toy store the other day to lurk for miniature garden ideas instigated a trip to the video store to rent the latest fairy movie from Disney: Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue. (Ya, a VIDEO STORE. I told you I’ve been doing this for awhile!) It’s all in a day’s work here at America’s Favorite Miniature Garden Center, building this new hobby.

And, you bet I watched it  – and no, I don’t have children. And nor do I have a child in my life that I could use for the excuse to watch it. I just did.

Rebel without a cause, I know.

Now this is the kind of invaluable market research that is part of my job as leader of the Gardening in Miniature hobby, researcher of everything mini garden, and owner of the world’s only Miniature Garden Center dedicated to gardening in miniature.

And this is the level of sacrifice I must endure…

;o)

Nah, really, I just wanted to see if there were any cute ideas I can share and, never-to-be-disappointed-by-Disney, there were more than a few new ideas! So here are some ideas that you can put in your bag of tricks the next time the kids or grand kids YOU want to get fairy gardening. Ok, these are great for the children but WE adults really need to play too!

Fairy Origins and Lore via Disney

– They are about 5” tall and are dressed in anything natural that usually illustrate their purpose. Flower fairies wear petals and leaves, the pumpkin fairies wear the pumpkin and the wind fairies… huh? Wait. Are they naked? That doesn’t work… Lol!

– Fairies are from Pixie Hollow and each fairy has a different purpose. They come to the “mainland” to help with the change of the seasons. They color the flowers in the spring to help pollinate them, they tend to the gardens and crops in the summertime, paint the leaves in the fall and make icicles and snowflakes in the winter. (Just in case you were wondering WHO really makes that happen.) There are fairies for everything, it seems.

Just place whatever word you want before the word “fairy” and you can create any character for your own purpose.
Examples include, “Wind Fairy, Pumpkin Fairy, Dog Fairy, Spruce Fairy, etc.

– Each time a baby laughs for the very first time, a fairy is born. This is called their Arrival Day, similar to our Birthdays. Wait. What was that? Did I hear a giggle?

– The fairies help to put the hibernating animals to sleep in the fall or to wake them up in the spring. I wish they could do that for me when I can’t sleep at night. Oh, and they also take care of wounded animals everywhere.

– They paint the stripes on bumblebees and design the patterns on butterflies. Awesome.

– They use fireflies as flashlights. When you see a firefly, it is really fairy flying around. Really.

– Male fairies are called Sparrowmen. (I love that name!) They look like elves with wings with acorn hats. When you see an elf with wings and an acorn hat, that’s a Sparrowman. Really.

:o)

Points of Attraction

– Fairies love shiny objects, just like me. Place a small mirror or something shiny in the garden to attract them – or me. Lol!

– These wee creatures sometimes use buttons as stepping-stones to lead the fairies to your fairy house. If you do use buttons, please don’t relay on your fairy to keep them in place. Instead, use our Mini Patio Mix Kit. It’s easy and fun to use.

– Create a wee leaf-plate for the “fairy offering” to help lure them into your garden. Fairies eat fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts and bread and I bet Cheesies. They probably like Cheesies. Place a wee snack as an offering and see if they take you up on it.

– Fairies smell slightly like cinnamon. If you catch a whiff, there is a fairy nearby but, no, the fairies are not edible.

– They use mint leaves as a toothbrush and pine needle combs. They use cotton balls as pillows and leaves as blankets. Fairies prefer the natural house and lean-to’s so they can go inside and see out the windows.

Here’s a Summary of the Movie

The movie was very fun in typical Disney fashion. The only characters are the Dad, the daughter and the fairies. Dad is very pre-occupied with his work collecting, studying and mounting bugs and butterflies, which is completely horrific for a fairy to see, apparently.

So, the daughter catches a fairy by accident (Tinkerbell) and the two bond. Dad eventually finds out about the fairies and catches one, hoping to expose his find to the whole world. Just before it is too late, (tense music building…) he is swayed when he sees his daughter flying with the fairies, pleading for the release of her friend.

Then fairies befriend the Dad and, with a heavy dose of pixie dust, make him fly too. I do love the end where the Dad, daughter and all the fairies are all hanging out spending quality time together. Altogether now: Aaaaaw!!

How Do You Pick Up Ideas From a Movie?

I’m often ask how I get so many ideas and one of them is watching movies like this one. The way to watch it is to watch it again.

You see, the first time you watch a movie, you’ll be involved with the story, the characters, hopefully the scenes, costumes and the building plot line. So don’t even try to add another task to that or you won’t enjoy the movie at all. Sit back, relax and enjoy!

Then watch the movie again, with a pencil and a pad of paper in hand, ready for any ideas that pop-out. You can use your camera phone too, and take photos of the TV screen to capture any color schemes, patterns, artwork or clothing designs, for example. But do document what you like, because you won’t remember it.

There’s More Out There

Checkout your local toy store for a number of different fairy figures to use in the miniature garden that are child-safe, washable and durable. Introduce fun and magic to the children while you still can.

SEE what’s in our Fairy Garden Departmen here, over on TwoGreenThumbs.com here. (Check back often, it always changes, or join our email list for your weekly updates.)

Like this? Sign up to be on my mailing list to stay inspired! Get your FREE Mini Garden Gazette delivered to your inbox almost weekly,  here.

Want to dig deeper into your fairy gardening? Want to learn about different ways to build a fairy garden? We’ve got more up on our Miniature Garden Society here. Check it out to see if it’s a good fit for you here.

Please visit the Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center here for all your miniature and fairy garden plants, parts, patios and pieces!

See more:

DIY Whimsical Fairy Swing

About Miniature Fairy Garden Moss