How To Make Fairy Garden Accessories

Bird, Beak, Bush tomato, Cherry Tomatoes, Serveware, Plum tomato, Tomato, Garden, Dishware, Produce,

Carter Berg

My green thumb has more to do with a proclivity for growing collections rather than the garden itself. All my life I have loved creating environments using found things. With the purchase, almost three decades ago, of Elm Glen Farm in Upstate New York, those options expanded to decorating in the great outdoors. Here, some of the finds that have taken root in my heart!

Wood, Beak, Bird, Teal, Turquoise, Birdhouse, Feather, Birdhouse, Siding, Pet supply,

Carter Berg

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Little Blue Birdhouse

This handmade find featuring my favorite faded shade of blue and adorned with a garden trowel makes the perfect welcome at the door of my tiny chicken coop-turned-garden shed. Tip: Birdhouses can live indoors too! A collection displayed on a wall or shelf will bring the outdoors in year-round.

Plant, Flowerpot, Garden, Shrub, Television, Interior design, Flowering plant, Annual plant, Yard, Houseplant,

Carter Berg

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Rusty Rooster

I discovered my garden sentry, a nearly 3-foot-tall rooster made in Mexico from stray pieces of salvaged metal, at a flea market in New York City. (You should have seen the look on the cab driver's face when I hauled this plucky fellow in the seat next to me!)

Flower, Produce, Vegetable, Flowerpot, Petal, Whole food, Food, Bush tomato, Natural foods, Cherry Tomatoes,

Carter Berg

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Harvest Tray

I take more delight in displaying my harvest than in cultivating it! There's nothing as beautiful as a tomato crop ripening in this old green wooden box, which I "upgraded" with a makeshift metal handle and lined with a checked cotton napkin.

Bird, Beak, Dishware, Feather, Serveware, Perching bird, Home accessories, Wing, Linens, Illustration,

Carter Berg

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Hand Painted Plate

When I visited the home of English writer and gardener Vita Sackville-West, I was more inspired by the floral paintings in her writing tower than all her glorious beds of roses. In turn, I've decorated my garden shed with nature-inspired paintings like this bird-motif plate.

Serveware, Purple, Dishware, Pink, Magenta, Pattern, Tableware, Drinkware, Fruit, Violet,

Carter Berg

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Grape Pitcher

I am forever "grape-ful" to have discovered this quirky pourer more than 25 years ago in a thrift shop in Nags Head, North Carolina. It was just the beginning of my happy harvest of fruit-inspired serving pieces. Today, this purple number acts as a watering can for potted plants.

Denim, Pocket,

Carter Berg

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Toy Tools

There's no such thing as working in the garden. Playing is more like it! Which is perhaps why I find myself collecting toy gardening tools—tiny hoes and rakes, a pint-size wheelbarrow, and, best of all, this little play lawn mower.

Cup, Coffee cup, Serveware, Teacup, Toy, Iron, Watering can, Mug, Kitchen utensil, Pottery,

Carter Berg

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Cafe Chair

Some might seek out spray-paint, but I've left this rust-spattered chair as is. I use it as a place to display an ever-rotating array of finds: cutout Victorian illustration, miniature bamboo-handled tools, and a pair of watering cans, one made from an old paint bucket.

Green, Yellow, Red, Carmine, Plastic, Rain boot, Coquelicot, Synthetic rubber, Boot,

Carter Berg

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Frog Galoshes

I couldn't resist the whimsy of these charming children's rain boots. It wasn't until I got them home that I realized they were different sizes! No matter, they're the perfect spot to stash a garden fork and trowel. Tip: Rubber boots make for sturdy, can-take-a-beating storage. Try lining up a mismatched group for outdoor organization with a little sole.

Flowerpot, Plant, Flower, Petal, Garden, Flowering plant, Shrub, Vase, Annual plant, Interior design,

Carter Berg

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Graniteware Planter

If you insist, like I do, on giving your plants a one-of-a-kind look, try planting them in old graniteware or galvanized buckets. I love the pretty-meets-rustic look of my zinnias, hollyhocks, and black-eyed Susans popping out of these humble vessels. Tip: When using an unconventional planter, drill or punch holes in the bottom so it drains properly. Can't bear to blemish the piece? Lining the bottom with gravel will also do the trick.

Sculpture, Toy, Lawn ornament, Flowerpot, Interior design, Door, Statue, Porcelain, Houseplant, Creative arts,

Carter Berg

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Garden Gnomes

My soft spot for the bearded creatures started with a childhood fairy garden, where they stood guard over the sprightly figures. Today they are the magic guardians of me and all my collections!

Flowerpot, Plant, House, Garden, Flower, Home, Backyard, Yard, Garden buildings, Cottage,

Carter Berg

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Mary Randolph Carter

Carter's gardening look is grounded in offbeat, painted overalls. Mary Randolph Carter is an author, photographer, designer, and longtime creative director for Ralph Lauren, as well as the author of Never Stop To Think...Do I Have a Place for This?