Miniature houses, little gnomes, tiny fairies, and different shades of green.

These are the components that build fairy gardens. Some people put those elements in trees or in a special section of their yard, but you can create a portable fairy world of your own at the upcoming Enchanted Fairy Garden Weekend hosted by Cambria Nursery and Florist, June 7 through 9.

The weekend of workshops includes one specifically geared toward the miniature scene and the varieties of moss and tiny plants that can help bring it to life. Taught by Lynn, a Cambria Nursery employee who specializes in all things fairy, the workshop is a great way to learn from an expert, General Manager Mike Arnold said.

Throughout the year, Lynn crafts fairy gardens for the nursery for purchase, and they pepper the grounds.

"We use a lot of things like rocks and moss, and things that will do well with a really shallow root system," Arnold said. "She knows what's going to survive in a tiny little setting. ... But she's a really great artist as well."

During Lynn's June 8 workshop, those living and natural objects will be available to participants building their own small gardens, as well as certain special items and figurines to populate the fairy world.

Arnold said the nursery has a well-stocked section dedicated to fairy garden supplies—including miniature animals, people, buildings, and more for people to mix and match.

The great thing about Lynn, Arnold said, is that she can help workshop participants bring a fairy garden to life and look as realistic as possible.

The Cambria Nursery began hosting the fairy garden workshop about 10 years ago, Arnold said, but the nursery put all of its events on hold during the pandemic. This summer is the second year of workshops since the nursery reintroduced them. Arnold said the nursery tries to host a weekend of workshops once a month from about March to August.

April saw an Earth Day Festival weekend, with a free barbecue lunch offered to patrons, attendees, and window shoppers alike on both Saturday and Sunday (which the nursery will also do for this upcoming weekend) as well as experts from nursery vendors who gave talks and could help people with their questions about items such as soil.

On June 8, the nursery is offering a workshop on how to press seaweed. One of the nursery's vendors, Sam from Central Coast Seaweed Pressing in Templeton, is running the event. Her framed work is available for sale at the nursery, and she will also be there all day to answer questions and talk to people about the work she does.

The nursery, connected to the Cambria Christmas Market and Cambria Pines Lodge, has been a staple in Cambria for decades. Arnold said the nursery does its best to cater to locals by stocking plants that are suited to the diverse microclimates in the area, such as Paso Robles' heat and Los Osos' fog, as well as offering a wide array of succulents and houseplants.

"Something that we've really learned, especially recently, is that some people don't even know we're here," Arnold said. "There's tons of display gardens that people can come walking through and hang out."

Cambria Nursery and Florist encourages people to do just that: visit and stay awhile. Relax and enjoy yourself.

To learn more about the upcoming weekend of fun for the family and future workshop weekends, visit cambrianursery.com. The nursery is located at 2801 Eaton Road in Cambria.

Fast fact

• On May 9, the San Luis Obispo Cattlewomen awarded scholarships to 14 students who are pursuing degrees in agriculture, including students from Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School, San Luis Obispo High School, and Atascadero Choices in Education Academy. "All of the recipients excelled both in and outside of the classroom. Many of the students will be pursuing careers as large animal veterinarians, embryologists, ag teachers, and communicators. We're excited to help them achieve their goals," scholarship co-chair Pat Abel said in a statement. The SLO County Cattlewomen has awarded more than $250,000 in scholarships over the last 25 years. Visit cattlewomenslo.org for future scholarship details and opportunities. Δ

Reach Editor Camillia Lanham at [email protected].