How do you know the difference between a fairy garden and a miniature garden? I propose the following definition:

A miniature garden is just that: everything that we’d normally see in a garden shrunk down to miniature size. Human looking benches that are scaled down in detail, made (or look like they’re made) out of the same materials that we make benches from.

Fairy gardens use nature, in the size it is found at a human scale, and make miniature worlds with it. A patch of leaves becomes a roof. Bark becomes the outside of a house. A tree hollow becomes an implied dwelling when a door is attached. A mushroom becomes a table and a stack of pebbles becomes a seat. See below:

Fairies might use fireflies landed on a string for lights. A miniature garden would use a tiny string of lights.

What do you think makes a fairy garden different from a miniature garden?

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