With two little girls and a growing interest in gardening, this young family require a garden with something for everyone. So, Charlie and Juliet team up to make a garden that cannot only grow herbs and flowers, but also incorporate meandering paths, insect and bird attracting plants, a bird bath, a fairy garden and even an upcycled potting table.

WATCH: Charlie and Juliet create a fun garden for kids

Looking for a weekend project? Get out the garden tools and create a fairy wonderland in your own garden this weekend; the kids will love getting involved and the result will keep them entertained for many sunny days to come.

These miniature gardens give the appearance of a tiny creature residing in the garden, and work perfectly for a small, almost secluded area in your garden, somewhere that someone will feel that they simply "stumbled" upon a magical location.

This adorable garden made by Charlie and Juliet has been hidden in existing trees, complete with doors and bridges and paths to connect – because even fairy families need to be connected.

fairy-garden

Here's what you'll need

Fairy door

  • Garden stakes cut as follows:
    • 2 x 300mm
    • 2 x 280mm
    • 2 x 260mm
    • 1 x 130mm
    • 1 x 110mm for the roof
  • Exterior PVA glue (like Selleys Aquadhere)
  • Artificial flowers
  • She-oak fronds
  • Owl and "doorknocker" cabinet pulls
  • Bamboo stakes cut to approx. 8mm lengths
  • String or twine
  • 4 to 5 thin slices from a tree branch
  • Pebbles
  • Other decorations such as fairies, toadstools, butterflies and owls
fairy-door

Here's how

  1. For the fairy door, glue the cut pieces of garden stake together using the PVA – make sure its exterior as you don't want your door falling to pieces! Clamp to hold until dry – if you don't have clamps you could wrap firmly with masking tape.
  2. Cut a stencil of the door shape from cardboard and paint inside the shape with olive green craft paint.
  3. Trim the door with she-oak fronds – bunch 6 together and then wrap with green tie wire so you can shape them to fit the door. Drill a few holes around the door and use the tie wire to secure it in place.
  4. Add the owl and door knocker to the front – drill a hole the size of a screw and then insert. Add some artificial flowers up and around the door like a climbing rose effect.
  5. If you're hanging your fairy doorway in a tree, add a simple triangle hanger to the back of the door and a small stainless steel screw into the tree. You can add a blob of landscape liquid nails to the back of the door and glue it on.
  6. If you're adding ladders, double a length of string long enough to go between the trees, or hang down from a bowl or platform in the tree, and knot together at one end. It's easier to do this if you tape the end down on a table to hold while you tie all the pieces together.
  7. Lay the bamboo sticks out on the table with the string and begin looping the knots using a 'marline spike hitch', working either side of one stick before moving to the next.
  8. Apply a dab of glue to each knot as you work to make sure it doesn't slip off the stick.
  9. If you're making stairs up to the doorway, assemble your tree branch slices and, using the PVA, overlap them and glue them together to the required height. Add a twig or stake offcut glued under the top step to support it off the ground.
  10. Decorate the area as you like, include mini props, more artificial flowers, and a pebble pathway.
fairy-garden

How to make a freestanding fairy garden 'stump'

This cute, freestanding stump makes for a fabulous addition to your fairy garden or is a great alternative if you don't have a big garden with existing trees. Here, twigs have been cut to size to make the door, windows and ladder. You can drill a hole in the side to hang a twine and twig swing and make platforms from thin slices of branch held up with small branch supports and exterior PVA glue.

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Charlie Albone

Charlie has worked internationally and in Australia for the past 17 years, designing and building gardens that are timeless, inspiring and enjoyable to spend time in. In 2015 and 2016, he was awarded two Silver gilt medals for his own gardens at the world's most prestigious flower show The Chelsea Flower Show.