Plant Moss In Your Fairy Garden

Moss is an important foundation plant for your fairy garden yet most people don't pay it much attention. To most people, moss is just something that grows on the north side of trees, or coats the slimy edges of ponds and ditches. Most people, when they find moss growing on their property, consider it a nuisance and get rid of it.

But moss does play an important role. First and foremost, it acts as a protective groundcover in your fairy garden, helping the ground retain moisture longer to keep your flowers from wilting in the heat. This is especially important when you're planting your miniature gardens in containers because container plants require more water than those planted in the garden.

A lot of the miniature flowers used in fairy gardens are fragile and can't take the heat. They, too, benefit when moss is used to help retain moisture.

It's the woodsy appearance of moss, though, that makes it so popular in fairy gardens. When we see moss we think of the woods and nature - and that's where fairies feel most comfortable. So using moss to make your miniature garden more attractive to fairies only makes sense.

If you really want to make your fairy garden look like a miniature, magical habitat, you can use moss to create a picturesque landscape.

Moss doesn't require much in the way of good soil conditions. In fact, it needs moisture more than it needs soil.

So you can use stones or old bricks to build up rolling hills and valleys and add texture to your miniature landscape. Then just cover everything with moss for the appearance of a lush, green landscape.

Some types of moss have tiny, delicate flowers, too, which make them the ideal choice if you want to have a meadow for your fairy unicorns to play in.

Use different varieties of moss to accent your different flowers and plants and add more visual interest to your garden. Although, with all those fairies lounging around, your garden's already going to be pretty exciting!

Moss has preferences on where it will grow. Some prefer soil, some like wood, and some like stone. If you collect the moss on your property, place it in your miniature garden in the same environment where you found it.

These are delightfully plush and green if you place them in a shady spot and mist them now and then. Just right for any pixies or fairies to lounge around on in the garden or in your container miniature-landscape.

• Robin - "Sheet moss grows naturally in moist shade. You need to replicate that where you want your moss to grow. If you are putting it in a sunny area you need to mist it several times a day. It is more like an air plant drawing its nutrients out of the water instead of air. They both have shallow root systems. It does not like extreme heat. It grows good in the sun the further north you to but moisture is the biggest key for growing mosses. Here's a site that I found that answers the myths about moss. http://www.mossandstonegardens.com/.../the-truth-about.../"
• Lena - " I've been collecting my own from the woods behind my house near a natural spring, and I make sure I keep some of the sandy dirt and spray it with a squirting bottle."
• Gillian - "It's hit or miss with the real moss I use. I try to take as much soil as I can when I collect it..some thrive some go brown. But keeping it very wet is a good idea."
• Brenda - "I always cover any dirt area with mulch, moss, or gravel to keep your fairy items clean. When it rains, the dirt will splatter on your little fairy house or accessories if you don't have the dirt covered. Another little tip, glue a small nail or golf tee to the bottom of your fairies and decorations and stick them in the dirt they won't tip over."
• Wanda - "Sometimes when you collect your own moss from around your yard or woods, you end up with surprise plants too. One of those is a shamrock-like plant with little yellow flowers. Oxalis, I think, but it's so cute that I leave it in the miniature garden anyway."

Fairy Gardens are popular with all ages. Introduce a child to gardening in a fun way with a tiny garden just right for fairies. They will get hours of entertainment adding to their own mini-garden.

This article gives you ideas for getting your children started: Fairy Gardening for Creative Kids

Check out this website for more ideas: Fairy Garden Plants And Ideas
One of the hottest gardening trends now is miniature gardens known as fairy gardens. Fun for adults and for children, these use small plants, mosses and tiny scenes created with houses, paths and more.