Adding whimsy to our porch- how to grow a fairy garden

Bygardeniaandbrick

A fairy garden was not on my renovation list. I had a whole plan — garden beds, porch plantings, the brick wall situation. And then one afternoon I found myself on Amazon at midnight buying tiny mushrooms and baby tears seeds, and here we are.

No regrets. None at all.

Our fairy garden has become the most commented-on thing on the porch. It adds exactly the kind of whimsy that makes a home feel like it has a personality.

Here’s exactly how we built it, what we used, and where to find everything — including all the Amazon links.

The finished fairy garden — baby tears ground cover, fairy lights, red mushrooms, a little house and a sign that says Fairy Garden. Because sometimes you need the reminder.

What you need

The beauty of a fairy garden is that you can make it as simple or as elaborate as you want. Here’s our full supply list — everything is linked to Amazon.

The container

We used a wide, shallow terracotta pot — the broader and flatter the better, since you want surface area for your little world. A pot that’s at least 18 inches wide gives you enough room to arrange everything without it looking cramped.

🪴 Wide Terracotta Planter (18″) — similar to what we used, sturdy and weathers beautifully

The ground cover — Baby Tears

baby tears is the secret to a fairy garden that looks genuinely magical. It grows into a dense, bright green carpet that looks exactly like a miniature meadow. It’s also surprisingly easy to grow — it fills in beautifully and stays low.

The accessories

This is where the magic happens. Go slowly — it’s easy to over-accessorise and make it look cluttered. We chose a few statement pieces rather than filling every inch.

  • 🍄 Mini Mushroom Garden Picks — red and white toadstools scattered through the moss. These are our favourite detail.
  • 🏠 Fairy Garden House — we chose a cottage style with a tiny door. The daisy-covered one from our garden is from a local nursery but this one is very similar.
  • 🪷 Fairy Garden Sign — a little wooden “Fairy Garden” sign on a stake. Completely unnecessary. We love it.
  • 🧚 Miniature Fairy Figurine — optional but adds life. We tucked ours near the house.
  • 🧺 Fairy Garden Accessories Kit — if you want a starter set with multiple pieces, these kits are great value

The fairy lights

This is non-negotiable. Fairy lights threaded through the baby tears turn a daytime garden into something completely enchanting at dusk. We use warm white — the golden glow through the tiny green leaves is exactly as magical as it sounds.

✨ Outdoor Fairy String Lights — Warm White — solar powered so no cords these last all evening!

How to put it together

  1. Fill your container with good quality potting mix, leaving about 2 inches from the top.
  2. Plant your baby tears — if using seeds, scatter and press gently. If using live plants, break apart and spread across the surface. Water well.
  3. Thread your fairy lights loosely through the baby tears before adding accessories — this is much easier than trying to add them after.
  4. Place your house or largest piece first — this anchors the composition.
  5. Add accessories working outward from the house — mushrooms, figurines, signs. Step back frequently to check the balance.
  6. Press gently around each piece so they’re stable in the baby tears.
  7. Water around the edges — baby tears likes to stay consistently moist but not waterlogged.

Location tip: Fairy gardens love bright indirect light — a covered porch is ideal. Full afternoon sun will scorch the baby tears. Morning sun with afternoon shade is perfect.

Caring for your fairy garden

  • Water: Keep the baby tears consistently moist — check daily in summer. It dries out faster than you’d expect.
  • Feeding: A diluted liquid fertiliser once a month keeps the baby tears bright green and lush.
  • Winter: In colder climates bring it inside or cover it. In milder climates it often overwinters just fine on a covered porch.
  • Growth: As it fills in beautifully over just a few weeks, gently trim it back from around the accessories so they stay visible — baby tears grows quickly and will happily cover everything if you let it.
Our second fairy garden — this one with a hobbit door, purple verbena, and lavender. Once you start, you can’t stop.

“The most whimsical thing on the porch, and completely, entirely worth it.” 🌿

Complete shopping list

Everything we used, all on Amazon:

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