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The little fairy garden in Brown Street, Manly, near the beach, has been attracting interest ever since work began on it around a year ago. The garden is alongside the pavement, on a strip of land owned by Auckland Council. Richard Brown, who lives opposite, says he was sick of looking across at “bush being smothered by weeds”. He asked Council to get rid of the weeds, and around a year ago, he got some action.
“Although the weeds were killed, nothing was removed and it simply went brown,” Richard says. “So I cleared away the honeysuckle and found some lovely native plants.” Around this time Richard and his wife Clare saw a programme about people making fairy houses in Hobsonville and the idea for a fairy garden was born. Richard used his woodworking skills to make a log cabin, then more pieces. Clare made a farmhouse and their granddaughters also made things to decorate the garden. Richard made Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men characters using modelling clay and golf balls.
He says the community interest was immediate, and before long, people were adding things of their own, mostly anonymously. “We love that it’s become a community effort,” Richard says. He says barely a day goes by without someone adding something. “There are some pretty painted stones, and the other day someone put a lion in there! Everyone has their own ideas.”
Recently Richard added a few flowering plants and fairy lights. “It’s been a great success,” he says. “A cop came by yesterday and said he and his family love it, and even their dog stops to take a look on their walks.” There has been one bit of negative feedback, however. “A young boy complained to me that ‘they’re not real fairies’,” Richard says.
