Eco-friendly Pixie Dust

We know that all pixies love faerie dust but of course glitter just isn't good for the planet. So what is a pixie to do? Well here, as promised, and as a big thank you to all our facebook friends, is the recipe for our eco-friendly 'Pixie-Dust'. And the secret ingredient is, quite simply, egg-shells!

First you will need to wash and dry the egg-shells thoroughly. Next you need to break them down as finely as possible. A pestle and mortar is ideal for this but you could try using a bag and a rolling pin.  If you want to sprinkle it on your garden you could leave it quite crunchy - it may even help keep the slugs off your flowers. But with a bit of persistance you can grind it into a light dust which you can apply to your skin. Maybe dab a little on your nose for a cheeky pixie look?

You could also try using coloured sugar (like the type used in cake decorating) for your arts and crafts projects, not forgetting a little on your faery cakes of course. We can picture your pixie parties now - and all 100% eco-friendly.

Bee Kind - Plant a Faery Garden

'Where the bee sucks, there suck I, 

In a cowslip's bell I lie'

William Shakespeare (sung by the faery Ariel in The Tempest)

Photo by Lisa Jones

Did you know bees are essential for the production of one third of the food we eat? That's one in every 3 mouthfuls - so it is important we do all we can to help them. One simple thing we can do is to plant pollen rich plants for the bees to enjoy. It may not be the right time of year to plant cowslips but there are lots of plants we can use to create a beautiful bee-friendly faery garden, including herbs as well as flowers.

Simply find a corner of your garden (or use a large pot ot tub) and plant some seeds or plants such as those in the link above. If you are starting your garden from seed you may want to cover the pot with a sheet of clear polythene to encourage them to grow. It means waiting a little longer but it is exciting to see the seedlings appear. In the meantime you can collect some little decorations the faeries may find attractive such as pretty stones and shells. You could even turn a flower pot upside down and sit the saucer on top for a mushroom house.

You may be surprised to know that some of the plants that attract bees (and faeries) may already be growing on your lawn - including primroses, clover, daisies and dandelions. You could make your whole lawn a faery garden by allowing it to grow long! If this isn't possible you could rescue some of these plants from your lawn and replant them in your faery garden.  Have fun.

Click here for more info on gardening for bees.