Love it! And divine timing too. I just planted an old galvanized bucket this past weekend so I'll be adding some junk soon as I get home:) TFS

blessings,
~digger

Very cute!! I also collect the enameled pans and dishpans. They do make marvelous planters. I might have to jazz mine up a bit with some junk! Thanx for the idea. Jlily

Luvs...you have the greatest talent with these miniature gardens! I am totally in awe! What a great job and so many to inspire us. Can you answer one question please? How many holes do you put in the bottom of your containers? I have one of the enamel pans that I planted last year, but the soil seems to stay so moist. I put holes in it, but obviously not enough. Do you use a certain potting soil or a mixture? oops...that was two questions.

I am bowing up and down in homage to the miniature garden queen! Thanks for sharing your creations!

Fantastic!!!! Love these. My Fairy gardens in enamel dishes didn't sell, may have to switch them into more like these. I did sell "Lightning bugs". You have done a wonderful job. Oh, and I did sell some copper teakettle and silverware windchimes (I mentioned some other items in your other post) Blessings,Kim :)

Marlene you are just too much - bowing up and down? LOL!
On the big pans, I usually poke a hole in the middle of the bottom and maybe 4 around that. I use a good old hammer and good sized nail. As far as soil - I usually mix Miracle Grow potting soil with plain old heavy bagged potting soil. This year I got 1/2 yard of top soil and mixed that in too. Next year I will add peat moss as the ground got pretty hard - needs more fluffiness. You can imagine I usually buy bags and bags of dirt. Hubby talked me into buying top soil this year ($12 for 1/2 yard) and so I just mixed it all in the bed of our pick up with a shovel! (that is hard work, by the way). As far as them doing well - my secret is to use ground covers. They are so hardy and will grow most anywhere. Most of the plants in my containers are all from the groundcover section of the nursery or cuttings from my own beds. A few perennials mixed in like dianthus, salvia, etc. Because they are all perennials, the pans can be left out all year round.

Love the addition of the lightening bugs & butterflies. Gives them all so much personality, nice mix of plants too. I haven't seen some of them but we get lot of annuals out here. Buckets are great containers but sounds like it is really a lot of work. Hope you have a sunny sale!! Jan

So...soon as I got home from work yesterday, I grabbed a few choice pieces of 'junk' & gussied up the bucket I planted last weekend. Mind you I was mentally going thru my junk stash in my mind all afternoon @ work, lol, so I knew just what I wanted by the time I hit the door. "Course it can't hold a candle to The Queen's creations but it makes me smile:)

I've long drooled over your miniature fairy gardens but it never occured to me to do something similar w/garden junk (duh). Methinks Her Highness has created a monster w/that last post, however, Got containers waiting to be planted, more than a few groundcovers to choose from and plenty of junk. Guess what I'll be doing this weekend?

Love them all but I'm especially drawn to the one with the screen/fence. Thanks for always being an inspiration & praying you sell every last one!

blessings,
~digger

I absolutely love these! I'm in the process of planting pots. Now I know what I'm going to add to the plants. Thanks for sharing.

You are one creative person! I love these

I love these!!! gotta make me one!

I would love to know how to make the lightning bugs. Could you share this info please? Love love love your gardens! Thank you, Nancy

For the bugs I use old Christmas bulbs and 18 gauge galvanized wire. I buy the wire at Lowes in a small spool. After that it's just a lot of wrapping and twisting to form the wings and a hanger. It's pretty much trial and error til you make a few to get the right length of wire, where to twist, etc. Then another piece of wire is twisted around the end of the bulb and I coil up both ends with a needle-nosed pliers to make a spiral to have something to glue the eyes onto. Then I use small half marbles for the eyes - glued on with E-6000 glue. I also put drops of glue at various places where the wire is against the metal screw-in part of the bulb to hold it tight, even though it is wrapped tight, it helps keep it there. I stand them up to dry in an egg carton that has sand in it. They dry pretty fast - an hr. or so. On these super tiny bulbs I used buttons and snaps for the eyes. I normally make them out of the bigger bulbs. Here's a link to another picture closer up of the bigger bugs. Hope that helps, I'm not a very good "explainer".

Here is a link that might be useful: Lightning bugs

Those are just tooooo cute. Thanks for sharing a great idea

Oh I know I posted on this when it first appeared! But I don't see it now!

Love the containers you choose, luvs, for the minnie gardens! I spy many great 'rustic' pcs that you've used in these! They are wonderful! Hope you have some great sales (or had them already!) TFS! Jeanne S.
The rusty circular egg dipper is awesome in that garden!