Hello everyone! Today I am pleased to introduce you to my new garden helpers, the lovely Cottingley Garden Sprites! These beautiful fairy sprites have been flitting around my flowers this summer and wherever they land they add such beauty and magic!  *I am honored to be partnering with Victorian Trading Co. for this post.  All opinions are my own. 

Back in the spring I received a mystery package of happy mail from Victorian Trading Co. filled with beautiful treasures to enjoy and to share with my readers. Victorian Trading Co. truly has the most unique vintage style garden accessories, home decor, clothing, jewelry, treasures and trinkets! I first shared a couple of pretty lidded floral porcelain boxes in my tablescape for A Classical Tea With Beethoven and Me . Now I am so excited to share these lovely garden sprites! These beauties made me literally gasp with delight when I opened the box!

I love fairies and adding a touch of whimsy to the garden, so I couldn’t wait for summer to find the perfect spot for my garden sprites. Now that summer has officially arrived and the flowers and gardens are in full bloom, it’s time for a fairy party!

I had originally planned to put these two beauties out in the landscape flowers and gardens around the house, but for early summer I am really enjoying their company on the porch where they are helping to keep the potted annuals looking bright beautiful.

The beautifully detailed Victorian Trading Co. Cottingley garden sprite stakes were inspired by story of the Cottingley Garden Fairies. In 1917 a couple of cousins photographed themselves playing with “fairies” at Cottingley Brook, England. The pictures were so realistic looking for the time period that nearly all of England believed the fairies to be real. As it was during World War I, perhaps people needed something magical and beautiful to believe in.  It wasn’t until many years later that the truth was revealed…the fairies had been made of cardboard! (You can read more about the Cottingley Garden Fairies here.)

These garden sprites stakes are made of metal suitable for indoor or outdoor use. The details and colors are stunning! I especially love the butterfly wings and dainty ballet like slippers on their graceful, fairy feet.

They seem to have such personalities! I have named this beautiful sprite Rosemary.

Victorian Trading Company Garden Sprite Stakes

Each garden sprite measures 8 x 4 1/2″    ( 12  1/2″  and 14  1/2″ total height including stake).

No matter where I put the garden sprites, they look absolutely gorgeous!  This lovely sprite is named Salvia, as she looks especially at  home among soft blue and purple flowers and plants with silver-gray foliage.

In addition to the garden sprites, I also received the gorgeous Stately Manor Birdhouse in my happy mail from Victorian Trading Co. It is detailed with a beautiful glass door knob and a vintage style key featuring a “welcome home” charm.

Stately Manor Birdhouse 18″

I may eventually hang it in a tree or on a shepherd’s hook in the garden, but for now it is hanging in the corner by the front door, which seems like a perfect spot too!

I absolutely love the faux copper and aged patina coloring of the birdhouse along with all of the ornate details.

The back of the birdhouse is just as gorgeous!

As perfectly content as they look, I am sure these sprites won’t be in one place for long! Since sprites and fairies are known to be a bit finicky, moody  and even “trick-sy”at times, I certainly want to keep them happy! I thought they might get tired of staying on the porch all the time, so a few days ago we took a trip down the street to the neighborhood perennial garden where butterflies, bees and birds (and perhaps other fairies and sprites) are always at play.

Salvia looks lovely in her natural element. Her magical hands seem to be conducting a musical chorus of wind rustling through the garden.

Rosemary found a garden friend right away among the pink echinacea.

Then she happily danced around the garden from plant to plant, leaving bits of fairy magic to help revive the plants after a week of hot sunshine with no rain.

Rosemary seems to enjoy posing among the autumn joy sedum too. In the fall the blooms will be a vibrant pinkish-red which will look so pretty with her dress! We will certainly have to visit the perennial garden again in the fall for another adventure!

I hope you have enjoyed meeting the lovely Cottingley Garden Sprites today! They will be showing up in many of my future garden posts. For now, they are back at home on the porch amongst the annuals. They are also helping me plan a special little garden picnic in July that you won’t want to miss!

How is your garden growing this summer? Could it use a magical touch? If you are looking to add some extra special beauty and whimsy to your garden, I highly recommend these unique garden sprites stakes, and the stunning Stately Manor Birdhouse. Of course there are so many other dreamy products fromStately Manor Birdhouse. to explore online and in their catalog.

Thanks for stopping by today friends, see you soon!

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