FAERIE BLOG

April 17, 2022

In the future
In the past
In a time
That just can't last

Come creatures
Fair and small
And here's a place
To visit them all 

Welcome to the Faerie Blog where faeries and other magical creatures speak their minds!

Safe House for Gnomes and Other-worldly  Creatures Established

 

The creation of the Safe House for Gnomes and Other-worldly Creatures happened quite by accident.  In an attempt to keep a haven in the middle of the city, our goal is and has always been to keep the garden "just this side of wild."  We have no cats or dogs, so our garden has become a sanctuary for birds, butterflies, dragonflies and a welcome spot of refuge for all free creatures. 

 

A few years ago, quite by accident and uninvited, a pair of gnomes moved into our garden and made it their home.  They come and go as they please and help with some of the smaller garden chores at their whim.  Their names are Seamus and Heaney.  I don't remember how I learned their names but I think I may have been put under some sort of a spell by the stout pair. Recently, three of their gnome buddies moved in.  I think they're still a bit weary and uneasy, not exactly sure of the freedom they have here. 

 

Our yard has welcomed a variety of free spirits.  A wayward faerie found her favorite sunny spot at the edge of a fish pond.  A dragon flew to Southern California from Canada and took up residence beneath a maple tree.  This year, we were even lucky enough to have a dragon hatchling.  I worry about her though and hope she doesn't get eaten by the orc type creature that I see every now and again lurking about in the undergrowth. 

 

One day, a very magical event took place.  We came home and at the ivy covered fence there appeared two doors! To tell you the truth, we've been afraid to open them. But I can't help but believe that Seamus and Heaney had something to do with it.

 

Thus, we have established the Safe House for Gnomes and Other-worldly Creatures.  I urge others to open their gardens, hearts and imagination to the magic of other-worldly creatures.  Yes, they should always be free but sometimes nature needs a little help.

BLOG

Most folks don’t know the origin of the word "blog." Ancient Celtic mythology tells us the tale of Blog, an elfin-like creature who always spoke his mind. In fact, Blog was unable to think as we know it, but had so many thoughts rattling around in his head that he just couldn’t stand it. So, he talked all the time. He never stopped talking. Everything he thought came spewing out of his mouth in a never ending flow of nonsense. Of course, as you may well imagine, this eventually led to a very solitary existence for Blog, as no one could stand to be around him for any length of time.

Blog became a traveler of sorts, going from place to place in search of a home, but poor Blog was run out of every town, village and hamlet he visited until finally he was doomed to spend the remainder of his earthly days living alone near a bog, forever talking to himself.

Longing for company, Blog anxiously awaited the occasional passerby to come along. Blog’s incessant chatter would drive his guest so crazy that eventually the poor sod would hurl himself into the bog to escape. Hence, the bog people we find in the bogs today, all the unwitting victims of Blog.

Blog was forgotten, disappearing into the obscurity of the bogs along with other creatures of myth and legend to become nothing more than a faerie tale told as a warning to children not to venture too near to the bogs.

Or so we thought! It seems that Blog was very well preserved through the ions by the mystical powers of the bog near which he lived.

Now, one day an unsuspecting passerby captured Blog’s attention. Or rather, was captured by Blog. Blog talked and talked and talked until finally the unfortunate soul just couldn’t take it anymore and ran screaming like a banshee into the bog, leaving his little black case behind.

The ever curious Blog opened the satchel, finding a mysterious and magical object within ~ a smooth, shiny, silver box. Surely, it was a jewel of some sort. Upon further investigation, Blog discovered that the object opened...and when it did, a bright light was emitted from within. Oh, what magic had he found! The flat plate shined with ever changing colors and attached below was an array of keys, each printed with a letter, number or other mysterious symbol. Blog found that when he touched the keys something magical happened. The lighted panel changed and by tapping the keys he could write what he thought!

And before he knew it, Blog discovered that he could write messages to other people all over the world. Oh, how wonderful! Now, he could speak without talking and everyone everywhere could know exactly what he was thinking all the time.

We cordially invite you to enter the world of Blog where faeries and the like speak their minds, tell you tales and, hopefully, add a wee bit o’ magic to your life.

 

The Faerie Garden

How to create an enchanted place that attracts faeries
and other magical creatures to your garden

INTRODUCTION

Why, you ask, would anyone want to create a faerie garden? Besides the obvious benefits of having magical creatures in your garden, nearly everything you would do to lure the faerie folk will also attract other earthly delights, such as bees, butterflies, birds and dragonflies to name but a few. Besides, a faerie garden allows your imagination to run wild.

MUST HAVE FLOWERS

First, of course, are the must have flora, those that provide the best habitat for play and frolic of the spirited faerie.

CLOVER, OXALIS & WOOD SORREL: Who among us has not surrendered to the magic of the adorable clovers sold near St. Paddy’s Day. In reality, what we usually bring home is not a clover at all but a wood sorrel, not meant to live indoors but to thrive outdoors when provided with a moist, shady environment. As a faerie attractant, true clover is best used sparingly. On one hand they are enticed by the intoxicating scent of the flowers but are also a bit weary, as a four leaf clover is said to break faerie spells. Just hope you can find one when you need it!

FOXGLOVE: Although the leaves of the foxglove provide the powerful cardiac stimulant digitalis, faeries are attracted not by its medicinal qualities but by its fanciful flowers. Originally known as ‘’faeries’ or little folks’ glove’’, faeries often don the individual flowerets as stylish hats or gloves.

FUSCHIA: Generally speaking, I prefer to keep the faerie garden a natural, somewhat wild setting but the faerie folk do seem to enjoy some formality and order. The fuschia, especially in hanging baskets, offers a sweet sip of nectar to the passing faerie and is a favorite of hummingbirds as well.

PANSIES: Who can pass the nodding face of the pansy without smiling? Faeries are no different. Pansies and their brethren violas over the centuries have gone by many names ~ Heart’s Ease, Johnny~Jump~Up, Three Faces Under a Hood, Love in Idleness, Ladies’ Delight, Tickle My Fancy. Pansies have long been used for casting spells of love and enchantment, part of their allure for the faerie folk no doubt.

POPPIES: Besides their intoxicating affects, faeries find poppies an irresistible place to play. The poppy is so dainty that it can present quite a challenge to find a stable seat in its center. Often groups of faeries can be seen playing a game to see who is agile enough to light upon the poppy’s fragile center. The females especially like the poppy’s delicate petals and will often make them into fanciful skirts. Always beware when using poppies in your garden for the impish faeries will sometimes use poppy seeds to enhance their magic.

ROSES: Nothing surpasses the perfume of the rose and no faerie can resist its scent. It has been my experience that the old fashioned or wilder varieties are most likely to lure faeries as they are open, leaving their sweet pollen conveniently exposed, a real plus for attracting the faerie folk and bees. A few choices would include First Light, Knock Out, Iceburg and Betty Boop. As a climbing rose for an arbor or trellis, Rosa Banksia or Banks Rose’s one inch, white, yellow or pink flowers are more on scale with the actual size of the faerie folk. A profusely blooming bush rose named The Fairy has small, pink flowers of less than an inch in diameter.

SWEET PEAS: Faeries are absolutely enchanted by the fragrance of sweet peas and can often be found in the early morning sipping dewdrops from the curled leaves. If you are lucky, you may even see them bathe themselves in the morning dew. Faerie lore says that even a mere human can take on a faerie or elfin~like appearance by rinsing their face in the morning dew of sweet peas.

WISTERIA: Just to walk beneath the graceful wisteria in springtime is as much a gift to the to the sense of smell as to the sight. Wisteria creates its own magic. No additional faerie charm is necessary, its scent surely heaven sent.

FLOWERBEDS! FLOWERBEDS! EVERYWHERE FLOWERBEDS! Columbine, lupine and larkspur fit well into the wild woodland setting faeries prefer. Daisies offer a convenient seat. Cosmos, fairy primrose and delphinium lend their bright colors. And always remember, if the bees and butterflies like it, so will the faerie folk.

TREES

If you are fortunate enough to have a majestic old oak on your property, then you are truly blessed. The ancient druids revered the power of the oak, its roots reaching to the underworld gods, its branches toward the heavens. With the habitat for faeries steadily on the decline, you may be more likely to find them among the oaks than anywhere else.

However, nowadays few of us live where ancient oaks still stand and we have to make due with other choices of trees.

In tree lore, hazel is a tree of knowledge, ash is the healer, the flowering almond provides hope, cedar stands for strength, holly gives you foresight, juniper is the protector and myrtle brings love, while apple is forever doomed as the temptress.

In a small garden the Japanese varieties of maples are ideal for creating a woodland setting, their size not only fitting for the smaller spaces but also keeping in scale with faeries. Their lacy leaves come in an array of seasonal changing colors with sizes varying from 15~20 foot sprawlers to small, mounding varieties.

Always use caution around faerie trees, as the faerie folk will fiercely protect them if they feel their special trees are threatened.

ROCKS

No faerie garden is complete without rocks. Faeries love to sit and lounge on rocks, especially when placed in sunny spots, and can often be seen sharing their love for the sun with a butterfly. Rocks stacked in attractive arrangements lend a sense of order and purpose, making the faeries feel like they were placed there especially for them. I have even created a mini Stonehenge in my own garden and have spied faeries having secret ceremonies there.

OBJECTS OF AFFECTION

Faeries look upon mortals as a curiosity and look curiously upon objects that we place in their world. Birdhouses provide a perfect playground. Birdbaths offer a restful respite, keeping the water shallow for wading or bathing and arranging rocks within for lounging. Obelisks make fine places to perch for surveying the situation, although sometimes they have to compete with the dragonflies for the high spot.

Be sure to provide yourself with a seat for quiet viewing. Although intensely interested in humans from a distance, faeries tend to exercise caution and prefer not to be disturbed.

A GNOTE ON GNOMES

Most devout faerie gardeners dispute the existence of gnomes altogether. I too counted myself among the skeptics until one morning, quite unexpectedly and uninvited, a couple appeared in my garden. Curious creatures though, moving around only when I am not looking, standing as still as little statues when I am near. I can’t remember how I learned their names, Seamus and Heaney, but I fear I may have been under some sort of a spell cast by the stout pair.

CONCLUSION

It is only after many years of research, experimentation, observation and down right trial and error that I have come to one final conclusion ~ faeries are best viewed when seen through an open mind.

 

 

All artwork, poetry and stories herein are the sole copyrighted property of Gail Lawson White and may not be copied in any form except by written approval of the author/artist, lest ye be forever cursed by the faerie folk!