Tips on Using Small Scale Accessories to Create a Fairy Container Garden
Have you heard of the latest trend in gardening? It is called fairy gardening or miniature gardening. To my delight, a friend on social media recently wrote a post about this new gardening trend. She commented on how her family was going to plant a container garden with a fairy house, flowers, miniature plants, and accessories. A couple of days later there was another post that shared a picture of the garden they planted and the family was beaming with pride at their creation. The post also included a comment: "What do you think, Linda Ann?"
I thought the garden was wonderful! The related color scheme of pink and purple flowers was bright and cheerful. My thoughts are that any activity including family members working together and enjoying each other's company is a positive experience! Then I realized my former student was asking me about the product, the fairy garden. I looked at the image she posted and I knew the scale of the items was incorrect, since the size of the bridge was twice as big as the cottage. The Dianthus was so tall it resembled a tree. So, thinking about the image of the children's smiling faces with their new hobby, I posted the following comment, "You have discovered the purpose of fairy gardening...just having fun."
I wrote what I felt, not what was written in a textbook. At the same time, if you are interested in the design aspects of miniature gardening or you want your garden to look realistic, here are some tips. In a landscaped miniature garden or large pot, the scale is usually 1:12, where 1-inch equals 1-foot. This is a large-size garden. What scale should a gardener use when planning a container miniature garden? Let's explore smaller options.
For tabletop gardens or pots I would consider using a medium or 1:24 scale, where a .05-inches equals 1-foot in real life. The size of 1:24 is smaller than 1:12, so this scale works well for container mini gardens. How would I use this scale when planning my fairy garden? Measure the doorway of the cottage to determine its scale. Most real-life doors are 7.5-feet high, so the scale of a 3.75" doorway would be 1:24 or some may call it half-sized. I keep this design tip in mind when I am selecting plants and accessories for a fairy garden.
When I am planning on purchasing a chair for a 1:24 scale mini garden, I think about these tips. One way to determine the realistic miniature size, I begin by finding the measurements, in inches, of a life size chair. Let's say the chair was 48-inches wide x 36-inches high. Divide each of those numbers by 24 to calculate the 1:24 scale of the chair. I would purchase a 2-inch wide x 1.5-inch high miniature chair.
Another way to calculate the correct scale is to measure the chair in feet. The chair in our example would be 4-feet wide x 3-feet high. Next, I take this number and divide it in half to determine the 1:24 scale in inches. Once again the mini chair would be 2-inches wide x 1.5-inches high. By searching online, I am able to print out conversion charts or printable graph paper that is helpful in discovering correct sizes.
When determining the scale calculations, I focus also on the elements of design. The real-life items that are used as a guide to find the size of a mini will be in proportion. For example, I would not use the measurements of a bridge that spans an ocean if I were looking for a bridge to cross a small creek. Keep in mind that the purpose of fairy gardening is to have fun and delight in the joy of gardening. For those incidences where realism and scale are important, spend some time learning about the elements and principles of design. When friends come to visit a well-planned garden, they will say, " Wow! I am in love with your beautiful fairy garden."
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