Fairies In Our Garden
By Norma Beredjiklian
All through time, and on account of their work in the fields, farmers have claimed to know Fairies or having seen them on more than one occasion. This amazing common denominator is found all the way from Europe to the Far East and down to the corners of the southern hemisphere. Fair Folk (or Fey) or Siddhe take on names and shapes as diverse as those of their willing or unwilling witnesses.
What is a fact is that sightings and folklore about small Folk living underground have established a rich body of work even though our modern minds prefer to relegate this information to the bookshelves, just because we cannot allow ourselves to believe in unseen worlds. With some effort, however, we could try to do so and provide our imagination with great riches that in turn, will encourage us to look at the world beyond its surface.

What are Fairies?
They are elemental creatures that exist throughout the world in various forms and should be properly denominated as "Fay Folk". They have also been classified and categorized. Among the most well-known we can cite: Asrais (delicate, female fairies), Brownies (traditionally attached to humans and their households, friendly and helpful), Dwarfs, Elves, Gnomes (Earth elementals), Goblins (ugly fairies living underground), Leprechauns (fond of gold, tricky and roguish), Mermaids (water creatures), Pixies (mischievous beings who enjoy practical jokes on humans), Sidhee ( subterranean dwellers), Trolls (do not like daylight) and the Water Fairies (unpredictable, as they can be friend or foe).

Is it possible to establish contact with or see Fairies?
Yes, it is quite possible. As a matter of fact, Nature, together with our pressing need to protect it, is the ideal starting point for a relationship with Fairies. If we keep a garden of any sort, it is because we appreciate all living things and wish to communicate with them at some level. We admire and care for our plants, including the big trees, where "tree spirits" dwell and the old saying affirms that: "Fairy folks live in old oaks" ~and enjoy the company of squirrels, may we add. Squirrels seem to be the preferred familiar incarnation for prankster-prone, mischievous Fairies. According to tradition Fay Folk like to take on the shape of familiar living things that closely surround humans, and cats are a favorite venue.
If Fairies are believed to exist and live everywhere, we like to think of them as attractive beings with gossamer wings holding parties in our garden, or else, busy working and making sure our plants grow by pushing roots and quickening seeds. To be able to think that our garden Fairies are beautiful and generous as well as understanding companions, it's most comforting, even though we cannot see them.
Their accepted connection to Earth and disdain for all things that are ugly and destructive fascinate us. It is also said they like to be recognized as part of the garden. Hence, our urge to place a fairy statue in our favorite spot so that we can communicate to them the notion that we know they are there. By doing so, we also get an overall feeling of accomplishment, order, in addition to a charming reminder of their fabled existence.

If Fairies do live in our garden, where is their favorite spot?
On the subject of fairies and their dwellings, the most famous assertion comes from Rose Fyleman who assured us in Fairies and Chymneys, that:
"There are Fairies at the bottom of our garden." To the Victorians' "the bottom of the garden" would have no connection to the present day manicured lawns and properly tended garden beds of suburban America. What they meant were the semi-wild areas that could be easily found in the urban or private gardens of the time. If we are lucky and look carefully around our own backyards, we are likely to find a "bottom of the garden," that is, an abandoned spot we have not been able, for lack of time or purpose, to fill with the local nursery's annuals and perennials showing a content of undisturbed wild plants, but there is exactly where the wonderful mystery lies, and where Fairies prefer to live. In order to care for all others we must look after: turtles, toads, groundhogs,possums, etc. There you'll find the daffodils, the nettles, the violets and all those other weeds favored by the stars and familiar to the Fairies, which the rabbits find delectable but the ignorant gardener in all of us cannot wait to get rid of.

How can we see the Fairies in our garden?
There are many ways to accomplish it. Here's a recipe, dating from the 17th century.
"Mix one pint of salad oil with rose and marigold water prepared from flowers picked at the early morning. Add to the mix buds of hollyhock, thyme hazel and marigolds plucked from an area you believe Fairies dwell as well as a sprig of grass from that same area. Do not use greens from your flower garden, and if you find a 4-leaf clover, much better. The mixture should sit in the sun for three days. Strain the oil and apply to the eyelids to enhance your sight but make sure it doesn't get into your eyes."
On the other hand, certain times throughout the year are considered best to see the Fairies. On Midsummer Night's (June 21), the Fairies are able to use human tongues, and even 12 flowers bloom in their honor, all at once, in the famous Fairy rings, or circular collections of mushrooms (or violets) where the Fairies spend time. Traditionally, in Italy, on the Twelve Night (January 6), the Fairies come into homes and leave sweets for children who, everyone says, never fail to see them because of their innocence or proverbial open minds. During Victorian times, around May Day, women would bake sweet cakes and place them in the garden near where the thyme grows. The same ritual can be applied today. As an important member of our herbal gardens, thyme is quite handy, and any biscuit placed for that purpose will certainly please the roaming birds, and that will please the Fairies very much, and encourage them to make an appearance.
If we wish to feel the Fairies' presence in our backyards, we have to apply ourselves to make our space inviting to them. All through the centuries there has been talk about Fairies' mounds. However, some traditions insist the fey folk prefer herbal fields they can use as beds, with thyme one of all times' favorite for it makes for a cushy, fragrant environment. The fairies also feel much attraction to plantings of violets, primrose, ragwort, foxglove, and lily of the valley. Annual flowers and foxgloves planted around a big tree, oak or thorn, in the yard result in a welcoming circle for our friends. Another alternative for those who do not have a back yard is to prepare smaller environments in containers with grouping of good plants, preferably fragrant ones. These can be placed indoors or in window boxes and will provide a living space for the Fairies, while filling the house with enough fragrance to bless and caress everyone.
At times, the Fairies like to take on disguises. While working in the garden one might suddenly see an old wise man or woman opening the gate, and in a friendly manner willing to dispense advise or secret knowledge on how best to tend to plants. They will be quick to leave. After they're gone, their spiritual presence will gladden our hearts, and both the garden and the home will be enchanted.

How can we please the Fairies that reside in our garden?
We like to have Fairies in our garden so we can invoke their help when things do not go right. As we walk the garden, and barefoot if the weather so permits, we can talk to our plants and ask the Fairy hosts for advice. In most cases, they will tell us to bring in loads of ladybugs to eliminate the aphids; or hang bat houses high in the tree trunks and place toad houses around the garden to prevent insect damage. They will also remind us that the best sign of a healthy backyard is the number of birds visiting it and making it their home. Birdhouses and birdbaths are the first rule in the Fairies' book and need to be followed to the dot to make sure our garden is a clean, restful, inviting and magical place.
Another way to please the Fairies is to build a Fairy house in the shape of a mound or a heap of twigs. Whether the Fairies find the architecture pleasing or not is of no importance for in the end, these structures will be much more useful to voles and homeless birds. And the Fairies will be pleased. We can also beautify the area by hanging colored ribbons and small mirrors from tree branches, and all sorts of chimes, of course. To further honor the Fairies, we can mark paths and other charmed pathways with little, shiny or precious stones, and even bury them in the garden beds for the flowers to grow and absorb the rocks' special vibrations. And to wear, as often as possible, sprigs of thyme on our heads so that we can remember to use the herb in a glorious fish dish, or keep it handy on a pot by the window.

.Skye's Realm 1999-2009