How to Create a Beautiful Fall Fairy Garden
A fall fairy garden not only adds a touch of beauty to your container garden but also provides an excellent activity for the whole family. With the new Plus line at Dollar Tree, you can create your own fairy garden on the cheap, too!
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The Dollar Tree Fairy Garden Kit
As an avid gardener, I’ve learned it’s best to enjoy some containers for a season and not get overly attached to the idea of them lasting forever. A fall fairy garden is a perfect way to add some “cute factor” to your patio while the crisp autumn air is upon us.
Then you can preserve flowers from your fall garden and plant a new mix in the spring.
When I spotted this fairy garden kit in Dollar Tree’s Plus aisle, I hatched my plan for this fall craft.
In case you’re not familiar, the Plus aisle at Dollar Tree offers slightly higher-priced items that still provide great value. Imagine wood cutouts, craft supplies, and yes…fairy garden figurines.
I’ve made several fairy gardens in the past, like this Christmas fairy garden or this Santa fairy garden on Instagram. I can attest to how expensive miniature figurines are online, so this $5 kit was an absolute STEAL!
It was just a matter of finding the perfect plants for a mixed container. No DIY figurines were needed this time, unlike my St. Patrick’s Day Gnome Fairy Garden!
Choosing Plants for a Fall Fairy Garden
When choosing plants for a container, it’s important to consider whether they will “play well” together and like the same amount of sunlight and soil conditions. Having a variety of colors also helps.
My local nursery staff helped me to pick out the perfect combo while also achieving a good blend of plant shapes.
If you need a refresher on container garden design, below is a good cheat sheet.
Fall Fairy Garden Plant Suggestions
Thriller
A taller plant that adds height and drama to a container garden
- Rudbeckia (though a larger container may be required)
- Ornamental grasses
- Coleus
- Rosemary
- Angelonia
- Ferns
Spiller
A trailing plant that can “spill” over the edge of the container to add balance
- Calibrachoa
- Creeping jenny
- Ivy
- Sweet potato vine
Filler
Plants to fill in the space and make the container look abundant
- Violas
- Sweet Alyssum
- Marigolds
- Pansies
- Ornamental cabbage or kale
- Mums
- Ornamental peppers
- Small ornamental grasses
Choosing a planter for a fairy garden
The larger your plants (especially thrillers), the wider and deeper a container you will want. I recommend a 12-inch bowl or a 15-inch planter. An urn would work well with this insert too.
You can also use a regular terracotta pot and select smaller plants. Some folks love this tiered fairy garden planter that looks whimsical from the start.
Another option is to dress up your garden by painting terracotta pots to match your scene.
Assembling a Fairy Garden
If you want to see the 45-second version of me creating this fairy garden, you can click here.
I started with my thriller plant (Rudbeckia) before adding in my fillers (white violas, mondo grass) and spiller (purple calibrachoa).
Starting with the tallest plant helps to set the stage for the others. I made sure I left a small space in front for my fairy garden display, which included an adorable pumpkin house, small fence, mailbox, archway, and fairy (of course).
To add the finishing touch, I also threw in a few small river pebbles as a walkway between the arch and the house.
You can use natural stones, wood stumps, broken pottery, or twigs to create the fairy garden scene of your dreams. On my Instagram profile, watch how I created my own railroad tracks with some popsicle sticks and paint. Whatever it takes, right?!
Maintaining a fairy garden
To keep your container garden in good shape, be sure to water the plants carefully. I try to avoid watering the figurines to prevent fading.
The only challenge with adding fairies and other props to your containers might be the sunlight requirements of your plants. I try to keep mine in a covered patio area that gets direct sun while not being completely exposed to weather conditions.
Shop for Fairy Garden Supplies
What to do after the fall season
When your fairy garden blooms are spent, you can learn how to press flowers or preserve flowers in silica gel to make the memories last a bit longer. Then reuse your container again to create a new arrangement for spring!
Pin it for later!
Be sure to tag me on social media (@firstdayofhome) to share your creations!
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This fairy garden is super cute! The girl I babysit made a fairy garden in art class last year.
Thanks, Erica! They are super fun to put together and add a little whimsy to a garden. I hope you get inspired to make one too!
Super cute Crissy! When my granddaughter gets older, I want to make one of these with her. She’s not born yet so it will be awhile 🙂
Ha! Thanks so much, Cindy. I can only imagine all the fun you’ll have with your future granddaughter! I’m sure she’ll be very creative just like you.