Celebrate The Wild, Wild West In A Fairy Garden

As a kid, I grew up watching Westerns because of how much my father loved them. I remember evenings spent sitting on the living room floor with John Wayne or Clint Eastwood movies playing in the background, usually while I was reading a book or doing arts and crafts. I always loved the one-liners, the outfits, and the classic beautiful women who could also kick butt. My attitude may have seemed distant, but I was listening. There was so much strength in those old-time stories. People, who were underdogs, stood up to injustices. Those movies became so much a part of who I am that I wrote my college senior paper about Westerns and the Wild West.

The experiences and memories that influence us are symbolized in objects, art, and items found throughout our homes. I know that when I saw the garden accessories, which matched this obsession of mine, I had to create a fairy garden that represented the Wild West. The idea was sparked when I saw the Wild West Trunk with a Gnome, which featured a brown trunk where pebbles topped off the desert soil and succulents were planted near the wheels of a covered wagon. Nearby a gray-bearded gnome, wearing a bright, red, cowboy hat, rested in front of a fire pit. This kit was the definite set to add to my newest fairy garden since I wanted something that had a ton of character and would stand out amongst the greenery of miniature plants.

Using a kit of garden accessories was the ideal start to my newest miniature garden, but I wanted to add even more personality to my design.  Starting with Southwest-themed miniature plants, I selected a few Fenestraria aurantiaca ‘Baby Toes.’ Originating from the deserts, they have a classic Southwestern look. I quickly included a log cabin alongside the other garden accessories to create a homestead for this particular gnome. Near the home, I positioned an old time wooden barrel, while a metal rifle leaned against the side of the fairy house to create the illusion of the Wild West.

The hardship of this lifestyle had me deciding if I should add a couple of wagon wheels alongside a shed to show the brilliance of the frontier families who were prepared if the wagon parts broke. Frontier gnomes and garden fairies could not merely have a wagon without possessing spare parts to keep themselves ready for the inevitable harshness of the Wild West. Within a miniature garden, I liked emphasizing all of these small details so that I could show not only my passion for the American frontier, but also the ingenuity of these brave men and women.

Miniature Gardening offers a variety of accessories, fairies, plants, garden tools & furniture to create enchanting miniature landscapes. Fairy houses at miniature-gardening.com are an exclusive collection of handcrafted stone fairy houses designed for outdoor fairy gardens. Miniature Gardening's Fairy garden accessories and ideas will inspire you to create your own fairy garden.