From mud pies to miniature mountains, children have always played in the garden. Sheryl and Marshall Lozier, proprietors of Summers Past Farms in Flinn Springs, believe with the advent of fairy gardens, this pastime isn’t strictly child’s play.

“Fairy gardens are for everybody,” Sheryl said of the trend of creating Lilliputian landscapes meant to be inhabited by wee winged folk. Much like dollhouses of yesteryear, they are also meant to be played with — by children, as well as adults.

“You can make your garden any size and in just about anything — a wheelbarrow, fire pit, chair, drawer, even an Altoid box,” she said.

Imaginative, inexpensive accessories run the gamut from shells, rocks and make-it-yourself fences to signage, water interests and bedding plants. “Kids have collections and they’ll want to put in their treasures, too,” Sheryl said. In addition, miniature garden furniture, houses, and the fairies themselves are available online and at nurseries and craft stores.

Sheryl tacks a decorative twig onto a 3-by-3-foot box that Marshall made from cedar planks and tree branches from the nursery grounds. It includes a screen stapled to the bottom for drainage. (Step 1)

Filled with potting soil and some furniture, Sheryl tucks colorful bedding plants into place. (Step 2)

Place box in desired spot (your fairy garden should be slightly hidden, an enchanting surprise for those who come upon it). Fill box with potting soil ($6 to $10 for 2 cubic feet) and wedge slabs of bark into soil to create varying levels. Begin adding amenities: pebbled paths, homemade stair rounds, twig fences, fairy cottages and small bedding plants (about $2.95 for a six-pack). “This is not just for children,” said Sheryl. “You can see I’m having fun.”

You can make a birdbath by gluing together a tiny terra-cotta pot and saucer with water-resistant glue (about $6 for a trio of pots at a nursery or craft shop). Paint it your favorite color with acrylic paint. (Step 3)

With imagination, a fairy garden can be created almost completely with collected or homemade items such as shells, pebbles, acorns, ceramic knickknacks, wire gazebos, ponds, signage and twig fences. You can also augment with miniature furnishings found online at nurseries or craft shops. From $3 to $45, you’ll find tables, pails, watering cans, garden tools, farm animals, lanterns, cottages and, of course, fairies. (Step 4)

This last photo homes in on some details in a complete garden. The project can be as elaborate or as simple as you like as long as it is replete with at least one winged sprite. It takes about an afternoon to complete. (Step 5)