BOYLSTON — Enchanted Forest: Nature-Inspired Fairy Houses by Sally J. Smith is on display now at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill. This “magical” exhibit, on view through Oct. 30, is sure to transport garden visitors into the world of the fairies. Featuring a fabulous display of intricately designed, nature- inspired fairy houses, this immersive exhibit will welcome visitors of all ages to explore the wonder of the natural world as the seasons change.
Fairy houses, miniature dwellings typically built using found natural materials like bark, acorns, pinecones, stones, moss and flowers, are meant to invite elusive fairy visitors, or simply add fun and playfulness to a home or garden. Smith’s highly artistic fairy houses, adorned with balconies, porches, eaves, tiled roofs, and even highly detailed windows that appear paned with colorful glass, are made largely from materials found in the forest near her home in New York’s Adirondack Mountain region. In recent decades, creating fairy houses has captured public imagination as a way to appreciate the beauty and nuance of nature.
“We all like to be surprised by something,” Smith says. “I enjoy challenging the viewer to realize these houses are made with birch bark and twigs, and that all of this comes from nature, with a few exceptions.”
Enchanted Forest has transformed The Ramble, a 1.5 acre accessible, whimsical woodland garden for children and families that New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill opened in April. Four childsize fairy houses topped with living roofs and several larger- than-life illuminated mushrooms complement the exhibit. Each of Smith’s fairy houses is lighted from within. Guests can enjoy this immersive display during the garden’s daytime hours or at a series of special evening events scheduled on Fridays from Sept. 30 to Oct. 28. Known as Fairies Aglow, these family-friendly events will feature dazzling light displays, ethereal music, and a variety of enchanted activities that encourage guests to explore the wonders of the season.
“Enchanted Forest celebrates nature. It encourages us to pay attention to the wonders happening around us and to let these carry our imaginations to new places,” says Grace Elton, CEO of New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill. “This exhibit couldn’t be better suited for our newest garden, The Ramble, a space designed to spark curiosity.”
“What I hope my work does for people is connect them to nature and inspire them to have their own exploration with nature in some way,” Smith says.
The daughter of an architect/ nature photographer and garden-lover, Smith discovered inspiration in nature at young age. Her upbringing in a rural Vermont town on Lake Champlain influenced her creative path. For more than 22 years, Smith worked as a professional watercolor artist. For the past 15 years, she has focused primarily on sculpture informed by the natural world. Her contemporary work includes ephemeral land-art and photography, in addition to fairy house creations. She shares her technical skill and design knowledge in an instructional book, “Fairy Houses: How to Create Whimsical Homes for Fairy Folk,” published by Cool Springs Press, an imprint of Quarto Publishing.
To learn more about Sally J. Smith and her fairy houses, visit https://sallyjsmithart.com/ greenspirit-arts/faerie-houses/. For information on Enchanted Forest, Fairies Aglow, and other magical experiences coming up this fall at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, visit https://nebg.org/enchanted- forest or contact Liz Nye at lnye@nebg.org.
