You don’t just have to create a fairy garden for the kids although it could be a way of interesting them in gardening. Fairy gardens are small containers with at least one plant and model fairies to complete the scene. Succulents are recommended for the plants since they are small and require little water. This article by Nancy Pollard from Gardener’s Corner gives you the full picture.

Creating an indoor fairy garden is one way of enticing children to fall in love with gardening and nature, said Nancy Pollard, U of I Extension horticulturist.
?A fairy garden is a small scene that uses at least one living plant, along with items crafted from nature to create a whimsical home for pixie creatures,? Pollard explained. ?Succulent plants work well for fairy gardens. They need little water. Small succulents, such as sedums, can be used as mini shrubs, trees, or low trailing plants in shallow containers. They come in a wonderful array of colors from blue to orange to red to green.?
Succulent plants are great for a sunny window in the dry winter indoors, because they can be forgotten, and go weeks without needing water. Their thick fleshy leaves store water for drought. Succulent plants usually do best in soil mixes labeled cactus, palm, or citrus mix. Often this is a mix of peat, humus, sand, perlite, and sometimes dolomitic limestone. As with any container garden, it is best to have a drainage hole in the bottom, with a saucer underneath to protect furnishings.
?Some gardeners like to use horticultural charcoal in the bottom of the container if the container does not have a hole, or is too valuable to drill one in,? she said. ?If you think you may have added too much water, and there is no drainage hole, carefully turn the container on its side to let the excess water drain out. Next to lack of light, overwatering is their biggest threat. Once the container garden is set up, the fairy scene can be created.?

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Image source: Selena N. B. H.