Fun With Kids

Create a Fantasy Garden in a Pot

Add a little magic to your garden with a miniature garden scene. It could be for fairies, for pirates or even for dinosaurs. Just use what you have and let your imagination do the rest.

September 8, 2022

Creating a fantasy garden is a fun way to get kids interested in gardening. They can help with the design and then take on the responsibility of maintenance and watering.

Choose a container

Select a container that’s roomy enough to accommodate plants, landscaping details and accessories. Place it in position, preferably in dappled shade, before you start as it may be too heavy after being planted. Consider painting the container to match your theme.

Select your plants

A miniature garden needs miniature plants, Choose hardy, small-leaved, clumping plants that have similar water requirements. Ensure the container has drainage holes and plant using quality potting mix.

Add the props

Add details like paths, fences, letterboxes and bridges. A fantasy garden is a great way to incorporate other craft activities such as making fairy houses, volcanoes and treasure chests for an ever-changing landscape that will bring a smile to the young and the young at heart.

We created a fairy-themed garden

We selected a variety of plants including:

  • Dwarf Mondo Grass
  • Baby's Tears
  • Sedum
  • Hebe
  • Pearlwort
  • Pratia
  • Echeveria
  • Sempervivum

We painted an old terracotta pot a bright shade of pink and made a plan of plant placement.

Making the decorations is all part of the fun. These toadstools are made from air-drying clay. A toothpick is inserted into the bottom to help while painting them and also to keep them in place in the garden.

The garden really comes to life once the decorations are added. The wishing well is also made from made from air-drying clay and the fairy house is an old tealight holder. Leftover mosaic tiles make a glistening pathway and a small terracotta pot turned on its side is the perfect hobbit hole. This fun garden inspires creativity and is constantly changing as new treasures are added.

Other theme ideas

Dragon's Lair

Use easy-care succulents and fiery dragons in a rocky landscape with contrasting red gravel made to look like lava.

Shipwrecked Pirates

Give a pirate playset a new life. A small dracaena makes a perfect palm tree for resting pirates. Half the pot is left as deep sand for burying treasure.

Frozen Landscape

Create an icy landscape with white crushed granite and gravel. Shore Juniper is trimmed to resemble a windswept tree.

More great gardening ideas to do with the kids

Why it's a great idea to grow fruit and veggies with your kids

Homegrown strawberries

How to grow peas

Grow some easy peasy potatoes

Get started with sunflowers

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