Gnome Garden

I have a gnome obsession! I just love these little old men with pointy hats! They are sooo cute! I have a lot of gnomes. Unfortunately my bigger ones are packed away because they do not go with my current decor. Hopefully next summer I'll landscape with them outside and create something cute!

In the meantime I wanted to create a "Gnome Garden" on a smaller scale. A few months ago, Alex and I picked up a fairy garden kit that was unopened at the thrift store. He had so much fun painting the pot and arranging the little house and stones. We also planted seeds that came with the kit, but unfortunately they never sprouted. So for the last few months I had a decorated planter full of dirt on my kitchen counter! I was so sad, so I decided to make another for outside. And this time I bought real plants for in it! Buying real plants is much more satisfying. You don't have to wait days for your seeds to sprout!

Alex was uninterested this time around, so Ben helped me with the dirt! Here he is making it flat!
Here's a closeup of the sign that I made for the garden. I found this sterling silver spoon for $1 at a local thrift store. I used metal stamps to engrave "Gnome Crossing" into the spoon. I can't wait until the silver tarnishes!

Here is a closeup of one of the many mini gnomes in the garden. He's about 2.5 inches tall.

We even planted some fake carrots that I bought in the miniature section of a craft store! I think they add such a whimsical touch!

Here is a mini fireplace that was a tealight holder. I thought it would add a perfect touch to the gnome garden. I can picture the gnomes and fairies enjoying themselves in front of the fire! I added a flameless tealight so it's safe for the kids to play with.

I planted Irish Moss throughout the garden and used a little mini metal house and white picket fencing that I had in my craft stash.

You are now entering the Gumball Forest! I found this little metal mini gumball machine in the dollhouse miniatures section of a craft store. I thought it was soo cute, and bought it to save for a future project. I wasn't sure what I was going to use it for, so I thought it was perfect for this little gnome garden! A gnome can't be without his gumballs, can he?! And to the left of the gumball machine is a small plant that looks like a tree in a miniature world.

I used those small colored glass pebbles which are also found in craft stores. You can also use aquarium gravel as a path in your garden. That works well too! In our first gnome garden we used green aquarium gravel. It turned out very cute! You can also use small stones from your neighborhood. Use what you already have and have fun with it!

Here is another view of our magical garden! I also added some succulents, which you can see on the right hand side of the garden. I love succulents! They are my favorite plant, and are so easy to care for!

If you had a mini garden, what type of whimsical things would you use for decoration?