How Fairy Gardens Brought a Community Together

Evan Miller

You’ll never guess how one California woman got to know her neighbors.

Learn how you can create your own fairy garden!

Photo by Dan MacMedan — Credit: Dan MacMedan

1 ^{of 7} “Give a Fairy Door to Each House”

In 2012, Susan Minegar Luna crafted a fairy garden by the elm in front of her Santa Ana home, seeking solace at a difficult time. She didn’t know most of the 39 families who lived on her street. Then a voice told her to make a garden for each neighbor. This house’s blue roof evokes that family’s native Peru.

2 ^{of 7} Honoring Her Iowa Roots

Susan’s original garden pays tribute to her youth and visits to a relative’s farm. An arborist neighbor made the wire fencing. She personalized each neighbor’s garden.

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3 ^{of 7} A Magnet for Children

Susan’s grandson, Zachary, 7, and great-granddaughter, Stella, 1, help her with weeding, planting and adding decorations. Inside the black lantern, fairies leave encouraging notes for little ones. Each garden includes a prayer behind a fairy door.

4 ^{of 7} A River Runs Through It

Decorative rocks are part of many of the gardens. Susan uses heavy-duty tin foil to create a lining for the rocks, making it easier for her to refresh them. Gardens include family pets, such as this cat walking across the bridge.

5 ^{of 7} Are You Ready for Some Football?

The garden of one neighbor, a diehard Dallas Cowboys fan, features America’s team. The gardens were a hit with the neighborhood’s men. “I think it harks back to when they were boys playing in the dirt,” Susan says.

6 ^{of 7} Neighbors Share in the Fun

Susan’s neighbors added their own touches, such as this fiesta scene for a Día de los Muertos celebration in honor of the family’s Hispanic heritage. Many of the items were handcrafted.

7 ^{of 7} How It All Started

This is Susan’s first garden, with a fairy door recessed into her elm. God saw its potential to grow and bring joy to the families of her street. A reminder to Susan that miracles are there at our feet, just waiting to be unearthed.

How Fairy Gardens Brought a Community Together