PIXIES AND PUCKS ALL
“MAGICAL" IS A WORD I'd use to describe Bedrock Gardens on any ordinary day, but a special kind of magic descended on us this past weekend, and it flew in on gossamer wings. For three days, the forest abutting the gardens opened up and welcomed the kind of imagination, playfulness and outpouring of creativity that only fairies can bring.
We hosted our first ever Fairy and Hobbit House Festival and Fundraiser that featured more than 40 fairy houses designed off-site and installed for the weekend. The delightful creations ranged in tone from a driftwood lighthouse keeper’s cottage to a Tolkien-esque hobbit tower made from the “knee” of a swamp cedar, to what designer Mary Liz Lancaster called her “ancient abandoned cottage from the old country of faerie.”
We hosted our first ever Fairy and Hobbit House Festival and Fundraiser that featured more than 40 fairy houses designed off-site and installed for the weekend. The delightful creations ranged in tone from a driftwood lighthouse keeper’s cottage to a Tolkien-esque hobbit tower made from the “knee” of a swamp cedar, to what designer Mary Liz Lancaster called her “ancient abandoned cottage from the old country of faerie.”
These exhibits provided the whimsical foundation (is that an oxymoron?) upon which fairies of all sizes and ages could flit and flutter. Along came families whose fairy wings and tulle festooned the fall forest with pinks and blues. There was a young knight in chain mall. “We had lots of boys,” says Bedrock's Program Manager Kate Bashline. “Two small boys were observed lugging a log together with an air of strength, age and lumberjack expertise.”
Grandparents and kids crawled on their knees to peek in gnome-home windows. Couples young and not-so-young circled and examined each creation, marveling at the intricate details with which the artists infused their works.
Grandparents and kids crawled on their knees to peek in gnome-home windows. Couples young and not-so-young circled and examined each creation, marveling at the intricate details with which the artists infused their works.
There were dragonflies made from maple “helicopter” seedlings, cinnamon-stick ladders, miniature stone walls, glass waterfalls, siding made from honey locust bean pod or birch bark, and tansy- and sedum-bedecked woodland cottages. Gnarly Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick branches made several appearances: Labrie Landscape Designer Wicki Rowland brought a whole tree to her life-sized design of a fairy’s garden patio; other houses used the branches as wisps of smoke emerging from chimneys. Any everywhere, children scampered, with the delight and wonder, curiosity and energy that only they can bring.
At last stroll, I counted nearly 100 additional structures built in-the-moment by our visitors: fairy, gnome and hobbit homes with woodland materials hidden in the flora or blatantly adorning the trail, some by a single child, others by group design. And when the children weren’t exploring or creating, they were rapt in their attention to Tracy Kane, author of The Fairy House series, reading from her books, or storyteller Michael Lang and his cohort, Coyote, telling fables and folktales from around the world.
And then there were the magical volunteer folk. We had giggling teenage fairies in the barn during the rain teaching hand claps, a fairy fiddler strolling the trail, hobbit ladies at our Gnome Depot, two lady fairies, and the most magical senior fairy. One volunteer, Skye Tomasyan, installed herself on the trail for three whole days (yes, she was there with umbrella, spreading happiness during Sunday’s rain, along with other wonderful volunteers and visitors). Skye’s enthusiasm was infectious, and she spread it as she and her wand floated among the visitors, making things merry and offering to take photos of families.
When Skye alighted upon two pixies building a fairy house, she told them, "This house is so pretty, I could move right in." One of the little ones looked up at her and said, “ Oh, I am afraid our house is going to be too small. We didn't know you would be so big!"
More than anything, the Fairy and Hobbit House Festival was about community: people coming together to share a common (and joyful) experience. Huge thanks to our sponsors, all of the artists and designers who contributed fairy houses, the wonderful Friends of Bedrock members who made it happen, and the dozens of volunteers who magically appeared each day, for helping to make this event a success. And, of course, we want to thank all of the wonderful folk who came out to share in the whimsy and beauty that is Bedrock.
We are now closed for the season. See you next year!
When Skye alighted upon two pixies building a fairy house, she told them, "This house is so pretty, I could move right in." One of the little ones looked up at her and said, “ Oh, I am afraid our house is going to be too small. We didn't know you would be so big!"
More than anything, the Fairy and Hobbit House Festival was about community: people coming together to share a common (and joyful) experience. Huge thanks to our sponsors, all of the artists and designers who contributed fairy houses, the wonderful Friends of Bedrock members who made it happen, and the dozens of volunteers who magically appeared each day, for helping to make this event a success. And, of course, we want to thank all of the wonderful folk who came out to share in the whimsy and beauty that is Bedrock.
We are now closed for the season. See you next year!
Welcome! I'm Lisa Peters O'Brien, a.k.a. The Bedrock Blogger. While Bedrock Gardens has been around for 30 years, this blog is new, and it needs your support in the way of readership. If you like what you read and would like more of it, click here to subscribe!
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