Flower fairies at the bottom of the garden...

So many pastimes and hobbies are about appreciating nature, from walking to stargazing and of course the ultimate - gardening. Today I've found another, particularly for children... Fairies!

Flower Fairy door in the silver birch

By adding a few mini features around the garden, you can turn it into a truly magical place for children. I found a few bits and pieces around the house and in second hand shops and flea markets. For inspiration, Furzey Gardens is a brilliant place full of fairy doors (and even a fairy swimming pool).

We then invited a few friends over to explore the garden, make some flower fairy collages from petals and leaves, and of course to eat fairy cakes. Like fairies, no two were the same.

I'm gearing up for the Show - it's a whole new world but a lovely way to appreciate what we eat. I've just about got enough apples, but several have holes in and have been eaten away by wasps. My tomatoes aren't ripe enough yet, which is a shame because I have loads. And I've entered into the tea cup flower arrangement category, just for fun?! As if I haven't already got enough to do...

Meanwhile we've been enjoying watching several bees at a time getting drunk on a globe artichoke flower. This photo was taken before it was completely in bloom - it became even more spectacular and covered in happy insects.

The globe artichoke with several insect species