Recycle Teacup Gardens & Fairy Gardens

Its a Mad Mad Mad World we live in some of us do not have the room for a major Garden
so here  is Tea Cup Size Gardens  and Tea cup Fairy Gardens

You need
Tea Cups   Size and color depends on your Personal Tastes

Tea Cup & Saucer
Dremel Drill Bit
Plants/ Flowers / Herbs  of choice  * see list below for a list of herbs and plants best for small containers
Stones/ Rocks


Instructions

Step 1. Take your Dremel drill bit and put a couple of Drainage holes in the bottom of the teacup
Go Slow and Gentle 

Step 2. line the bottom of a teacup with some small rocks 

Step 3. Next, fill it with soil mixture and add a plant. When you’re done you can put some pieces of broken pottery on top of the soil  or Moss to make the planter look more decorative. Repeat the process enough times to create a mini garden and enjoy!

If making a Tea Cup Fairy Garden put the cup on it's side and use epoxy glue to the saucer. Decorate however you wish your limit is your imagination.

Tip
 put stones covered in moss for a magical touch
to learn how to make your own moss read the bottom of this blog for details 

Tip
 glue decorations to make Fairy Gardens , Tiny Signs ,Tiny Fairy house, Paint stones and Rocks to look like Frogs, Ladybugs, Butterflies, Dragonflies , Fairies , Pixies , Gnomes and much more 

Optional step glue the tea cup to the saucer with Epoxy glue
this is only if you are going to put it outside this step is optional



Now here are some  Tea Gardens to Inspire you now read the bottom of the Blog for Flower and Herbs to plant in your Tea Cup Garden

                                   The above  are ideas to inspire you

.

Here is a list of plants  that work well in small containers  there is many more I can't fit them all on here. Remember almost any flower grows excellent in Containers  Try your favorites or try this list

Chives 

are grassy, clump-forming perennials with hollow leaves. Essentially tiny onions, chives are grown for their leaves and blooms rather than their bulbs. Their fragrant pink-purple spring flowers are also edible. Plant them in well-drained potting soil that's rich with organic matter. They can tolerate light shade but do best in full sun. Chives grow well in container gardens. 

Cilantro, 

also known as coriander, can be used for its tangy leaves or its dried, ground seeds. Plant this annual herb in well-drained soil. Cilantro grows best in sun, although it tolerates some shade. Because it has a long taproot, place it in a container garden that is at least 12 inches deep.

Tarragon

 is a classic French herb used to season fish and many other foods. Its name is derived from the French word for little dragon, referring to the herb's bold flavor. Plant it in full sun and well-drained potting mix. It tolerates drought well and should not be over watered  Tarragon grows in partial shade but does best in full sun. 

Lavender

 is a bushy perennial shrub that does best in full sun and well-drained potting mix. Keep it on the dry side and avoid fertilizer. does excellent in small gardens and small containers 

Lemon balm,

 an old-fashioned favorite that spreads freely and self-sows readily, is perfect for container gardens so it doesn't take over the yard. Plant in partial shade or full sun and in moist, rich, well-drained potting mix. 



Lemon verbena

 is a tropical shrub  that's commonly grown as an annual in container gardens. Plant nursery-grown plants in pots filled with well-drained potting mix. Avoid fertilizer; lemon verbena grows best with few nutrients. It prefers full sun.

Marjoram, 

an oregano relative, has a sweeter, milder flavor and aroma than its cousin. Grow it in full sun and well-drained potting mix., gardeners in colder areas can grow it in container gardens indoors over winter.

Mint

is such a vigorous plant that it will become invasive unless it is confined in a pot. Grow it in full sun or partial shade. Mint can grow in many soil types and degrees of sunlight, but it produces the best leaves in rich soil. It's a perennial, but its hardiness varies by variety, so check which type you are growing.

Oregano

 is an essential ingredient in Mediterranean cuisines. The plant is a shrubby perennial that does best in full sun and well-drained potting mix. The more sun oregano receives, the more pungent the flavor of the leaves. 

Rosemary,

 a Mediterranean evergreen shrub, likes hot, dry, sunny spots. Quick-draining soil is the key to good growth. It's drought-tolerant. Keep the soil moist but never wet when grown indoors.

Sage

 is a favorite for seasoning poultry. Best grown in full sun and moist, well-drained potting mix, sage is perfect for adding structure to container gardens. 

Thyme ( Thymus ) 

 comes in many varieties, but all grow best in full sun and well-drained soil. Thyme does not tolerate wet soil, so avoid over-watering. 

Wild leek (Allium ampeloprasum )

A native wild relative of the familiar garden vegetable.

Wild leek has globe-like heads on stems that can grow to a meter tall. Its leaves are just like the common garden leek, although the stem is not quite so fat. All parts have a strong onion scent

 Blue-eyed-grass 

Sisyrinchium angustifolium

Small blue flowers with yellow centers  2-4 in   Open only in full sun. Leaf-like bracts below flowers, linear, iris-like basal leaves. Flattened stem. Curved, drooping fruiting stems. Hairless, erect, grows from rhizomes. 

Bells of Ireland flowers

This cool-weather annual is grown for its showy, cup-shaped papery green calyxes more than for its tiny, fragrant white flowers. Plants reach 2-3' and bloom in late summer. Excellent cut or dried flowers.

Honeysuckle

Lonicera periclymenum

The fragrant Honeysuckle can be found on many lanesides, hedges and roadside banks. Honeysuckle is one of the most beautiful of all wildflowers for it scent and ability to grow in difficult places.

Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to the Northern Hemisphere. There are about 180 species of honeysuckle..

The Honeysuckle have sweetly-scented, bell-shaped flowers that produce a sweet, edible nectar which attracks Hummingbirds. Breaking of the Honeysuckle's stem will release a powerful sweet odor. 

Spring Gentian

Gentiana verna

Spring Gentian (Ceadharlach Bealtaine) is the wildflower for which the Burren in County Clare is famed. Although there are many startlingly attractive flowers growing in this wonderful limestone area of western Ireland, the Spring Gentian is the plant which has become best known of all by those seeking to see the Burren's great variety of flowers. Its pure, bright blue solitary flowers are extremely beautiful.

As each of the five petal tubes unfurl, they spread to reveal a little white throat. Each flower has small fringed lobes or scales between its petals. The flowers are borne on upright stems, the leaves being bright green, oval, mostly in a basal rosette.

Thistle

The national flower of Scotland is the thistle; it has been an emblem of the country for more than 700 years. According to ancient legend, the thistle's prickly petals saved the Scots from brutal attack during an invasion by the Norse. Today, traditional Scottish families wear a thistle insignia

Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles often occur all over the plant – on surfaces such as those of the stem and flat parts of leaves. These are an adaptation that protects the plant against herbivorous animals, discouraging them from feeding on the plant. Typically, an involucre with a clasping shape of a cup or urn subtends each of a thistle's flowerheads

Crocus 
 is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family comprising 90 species of perennials growing from cormses

The early-blooming and long-lived flower of spring

The bulbs (properly, corms) multiply amazingly and can be planted in full sun to partial shade where a dash of early color is wanted. Crocuses naturalize beautifully in lawns. There are two types of spring Crocus: the species and the hybrids, which are generally listed as selections of C. vernus. The former are notable for their unusual coloration, the latter for their large flowers. Species Crocus generally bloom earlier than the hybrids, so by using both kinds, you prolong the season. 

Daffodils
Loved in Scotland and Wales alike
The daffodil is the national flower of Wales, and is worn on St David's Day each 1 March. (In Welsh, the daffodil is known as "Peter's Leek",)

Sunny, yellow daffodils are a wonderful sign that spring has arrived! Plant the bulbs in the fall and they will bloom in late winter or early spring. Daffodils are hardy and easy perennials to grow

Their attractive flowers usually bear showy yellow or white flowers with six petals and a trumpet-shape central corona. Leafless stems bear between 1 and 20 flowers; sometimes the flowers need to be staked so that they don't weigh down the stems.

Daffodils are suitable for planting between shrubs or in a border, or for forcing blooms indoors. They also look wonderful in a woodland garden and in large groves. You'll find that many gardeners plant the bulbs not just by the dozens but by the hundreds! Their flowers are excellent for cutting.

                                               
Hens-and-chicks (Sempervivum spp.).  The naturally variegated colors and tightly packed texture add plenty of visual interest to this single-specimen planting. they do excellent in containers 



 Echeveria spp. 

 enjoy the flowers that cluster on the top of stalks sprouting from between the thick, rounded blue-green leaves. Echeveria foliage comes in a variety of shapes and colors

Blue-green echeveria (Echeveria spp.) combines with white-striped zebra haworthia (Haworthia fasciata) and fuzzy panda plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa) with brown-tipped leaves. A separate container with burro's tail (Sedum morganianum) adds color and textural contrast as it drapes over the edge of the next step.

Mass a single species of succulent for maximum impact. At left, a golden-hued Sedum nussbaumerianum provides a colorful counterpoint to a gray planter.

Show off three foliage champs in clay pots: Dyckia marnier lapostolle in the pot at left in the photo, and the ubiquitous Echeveria spp. in the pots at center and right. Note that leaf tips of the slow-growing, spiny-edged Dyckia can shrivel in excessive heat.


Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)

Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, this plant is one of the best for filtering out formaldehyde, which is common in cleaning products, toilet paper, tissues and personal care products. Put one in your bathroom — it’ll thrive with low light and steamy humid conditions while helping filter out air pollutants.

This succulent can take a beating. I have one and it is nearly impossible to kill it  I forgot to water it for 2 years and  dead-looking snake plants coming back to life upon watering. Long, pointed leaves grow with patterned markings reminiscent of a snake. You can leave this plant in a pot for many years, allowing the rhizomes to multiply into a thick clump.

Allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. Overwatering causes leaf and crown rot. It tolerates low light but performs best with medium or high light. It doesn't need fertilizer, but if you insist you can apply 10-10-10 once a year.

Snake plant tolerates neglect but thrives on attention. Prune out any damaged leaves so the overall plant looks better. for a Beginner gardener or ones who lack a green thumb this is a PERFECT plant.


The Golden Barrel Cactus, Echinocactus grusonii

 is also sometimes referred to as Mother-in-Law's Cushion. This cactus is known for its barrel-like shape. It also has gold spines and gold-colored flowers (as its name implies). 

 this cactus is perfect  for beginning cowboy gardeners. This is because Golden Barrel Cactus plants require minimal care and only have a few basic needs. Growing up to four feet high and three feet across, the Golden Barrel adds spectacular color to the garden even when it’s not in flower. “They make an excellent contrast with agave


Purple Prickly Pear, Opuntia vialesia

                                                    
Enormously popular in desert gardens and prized for its color, Purple Prickly Pear is commonly on the list of easy-care favorites. The pads turn purple in the winter, and then in the spring, they’ll put out bright yellow flowers. In the summer, the pads will be bluish green. Although if it’s not healthy it will be purple even during the summer.

The downside to Purple Prickly Pear is that it can be prone to insects, but a good hosing down every so often will keep pests away. The odd thing is that the pests are encouraged for some plants as a source of red dye. It’s a cochineal insect, which is a white fuzzy relative of the mealy bug.

If you squish it, a deep red food coloring will come out. British redcoat uniforms were made with Prickly Pear insects called Cochineal Beetles


As weird as it may sound, cochineal extract -- is a food dye made from the dried bodies of the cochineal beetle,used in clothing and food which is indigenous to Arizona, Mexico and South America.

In fact, it's also widely used in yogurts, fruit-flavored drinks, candies,lipsticks and some varieties of 
 Pop-Tarts  YUMMY Remember that next time your kid says  I want Pop Tarts


Chin catcus  sometimes called ruby ball cactus or moon cactus  (Gymnocalycium cultivars ) 

                                             you often see this cactus in garden shops  

 is actually two cacti in one. A pure red cactus seedling lacks the ability to produce chlorophyll and will die unless it is grafted onto a green one.The green stalk is typically a Hylocereus species

 feeds its mutant mate sugar molecules produced from water and carbon dioxide. Once established, the two parts grow together so you can't even see the seam they grow excellent in pots  and last many years and require minimal care 

Peanut Cactus  Echinopsis chamaecereus 

Just like the Gymnocalycium above, this  Echinopsis cultivar is another plant that lacks chlorophyll, which makes it yellow and unable to survive on its own. The green stalk below is also typically a Hylocereus species.

 It is a mountain species that likes it sunny and cool especially during the summer. It needs a cool but not freezing winter to set buds for flowers in the spring. Let the plants go dry between watering and never let them sit in standing water.




How to Grow moss on a Statue like this one

you can do this on Rocks and Stones and small statues anything you want to Create your own Magical Fairy Garden to make it feel Ancient and mysterious 

Things You'll Need

2 cups water
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups moss
Measuring cup
Blender
Wooden spoon
Paint brush, 4 inch
Sphagnum Moss or Moss found on Rocks / Logs etc 

Instructions
1. Buy Sphagnum moss at Gardening centers or Gather moss from your property by gently peeling the moss free of old logs or stones. Look for moss growing in similar amounts of shade as your location. Shake gently to remove excess soil and debris. Some soil is actually desired, so remove only that which comes free easily.

2.Crumble or tear the moss into 1 to 2 inch sections with your hands. Measure 2 cups of moss and set it aside.

3.Add 2 cups of water to your blender. If your tap water is treated with chlorine or other additives, allow it to sit overnight to remove the chemicals, or purchase distilled water.

4.Drop the moss into the water in the blender. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon to distribute the moss.

5.Pour in 2 cups of buttermilk and stir again. Place the lid securely on the blender.

6.Blend on medium for approximately one minute or until the mixture is smooth and the moss is blended with the other ingredients.

7.Paint the mixture on your statue with a large paint brush. For best effects, leave some areas bare so that when the moss grows in will appear natural.

8.Keep the moss mixture moist by misting with plain water once or twice a day, or more often if it dries out. Within a few weeks, the moss will begin to grow and will become more pronounced as it matures.

you can also put the Moss on anything From Rocks , Wood ,Antlers, Water fountains,  logs,  mini gardens,  Jars, Mailboxes  anything you want your only limit is your imagination.