Make a Children's Fairy Garden

There are lots of ideas to get you started on planning your children's fairy garden. One of the most important things to remember is that a fairy garden needs to be natural, and a little bit wild. So let the grass grow long and the wildflowers spring up! Not all weeds are bad!

* Make some homes and feeding areas for wildlife. Fairies love to play with their wild friends!

* Make a fairy house or some fairy accessories like a tiny swing or seating area, for fairies to enjoy

* Plant flowers that are particularly loved by fairies. More on this below!

* Hide fairy statues and fairy lights amongst the foliage

* Try to keep your fairy garden chemical free - fairies support eco-friendliness!

These are just some starting points to get you inspired!

Fairies love flowers of all kinds, but are especially drawn to native wildflowers, herbs and scented blooms. When designing a children's fairy garden, take them into consideration too. Fun flowers that are tactile, unusual or strongly scented will keep them interested!

* Lavender or Buddleia will attract butterflies and bees for your children to observe

* Snapdragons are fun for children (and fairies!) to play with

* A mini wildflower meadow is a fairy haven, and means a bit less lawn for you to mow!

I am so pleased with my fairy garden, and yours can look beautiful too! Understanding how to combine different flowers, colours and themes really makes a difference.

One of the great things about creating a fairy garden is that it will get your children interested in gardening and nature. This is very important as the planet needs future generations to care for its flora and fauna!

You can:

* Buy them some of their own tools (there are lots of child sets available) and encourage them to grow their own flowers, vegetables, herbs and fruit. Children love to see results of what they have done, so growing something like a tall sunflower, or eating a vegetable they have grown themselves, is both rewarding and educational

* Teach them about the birds, insects and other wildlife visiting the area. Make up stories and rhymes about how the fairies love to ride on the backs of snails, or have tea parties up in the trees with the birds!

* Get them writing stories, drawing pictures or making crafts about their garden, and the fairies that live in it! A children's fairy garden is brilliant for stoking the imagination!

* Send them fairy spotting, looking for signs of fairies such as fairy rings or dandelion clocks!

* Learn how to make something for the garden, such as a birdhouse, plant pot or log stack, and get them helping

Creating a children's fairy garden can be simple and fun, providing you have the right information and plenty of imagination at your fingertips!

As your children's fairy garden grows, so will your little ones, and so will your ideas! You are never too old to believe in fairies, so adapt the garden to suit your children as they get older. The garden can be used to aid their schoolwork, from science and nature to art and crafts. They might even like to have a say in the updated design of the garden!

Some other things to think about are:

* Using the four elements of water, earth, fire and air

* How to be as eco-friendly as possible

* Creating miniature gardens or growing bonsai

* Basing the garden on a theme, such as Disney Fairies or Flower Fairies

* Holding fairy tea parties in the garden for your children and their friends!