Spilled Pot Gnome Garden

I sometimes worry that gardening will fade in popularity in the way that sewing has. Growing up my Mom made all our clothes, but who does that any more? Sadly, sewing increasing seems to be a lost art. 

Experienced gardeners need to encourage a new generation of gardeners and I think fairy gardens are a project that appeals to young and imaginative minds.

What you need:

• Gnome or fairy house (my house was purchased at Michaels)

• gnome or fairy figure (Again, I found my gnome at Michaels.)

• Tree with swing or any other decorative objects (Michaels)

• Tiny mushrooms (Michaels)

• Animal figures (I used 2 rabbits)

• Clay pot (mine was 4.5" deep and 9" across)

• Green sheet moss (from any craft store)

• Pebbles (Dollar Store)

Tools & plants:

• Standard garden trowel

• 4 x 4" pots of alyssum

• 2 x 3" round pots of groundcover sedum

• 2 x 3" pots of Saxifraga rosacea

• 1 x 3" pot of Lamium 'White Nancy'

Note: I also had purple violets and forget-me-knots blooming in the same area as I created my spilled pot.

Step 1: This project works best, if your garden has a bit of a slope. With your garden trowel, inset the pot into the slope and fill the bottom third of the pot with dirt. 

Step 2: Disguise the dirt in the bottom section of the clay pot with a pieces of dried green moss (available at a craft store). In the picture above you can see the moss peeking out just behind the gnome's little house.

Step 3: To create a low groundcover in front of the clay pot, I used a two pots of magenta and two pots of pink Alyssum. Leaving space for a central pathway, plant the Alyssum to the left and right of the clay pot.

Groundcover sedum and Alyssum 

Saxifraga rosacea

Step 3: Plant your choice of annuals or perennials around the outer perimeter of the clay pot. Annuals will give you the best color throughout the gardening season. I used Lamium 'White Nancy', which has wonderful silver-green foliage. I also used a couple of unidentified groundcover Sedums that were inexpensive at Walmart. Finally, I planted two pots of Saxifraga rosacea, which has delicate, daisy-like flowers. 

Planting note: The Sedum and the Saxifraga like good drainage, so I worked some fine gravel into my soil when planting these perennials.

Step 4: To make the pathway, I used decorative pebbles that I got at the Dollar Store. I placed a sprinkling of pebbles on the upper rim of the clay pot to cover any bare earth.

My props included a tree with a tiny swing, a few miniature mushrooms and two white rabbits.

The flowers on the Saxifraga rosacea will fade, but the plant itself should make a nice green mound. If it doesn't hold up in the heat of summer, it may be something I have to replace. The perennials should do fine and the annual Alyssum should provide color right into the fall.