Fairies in the Garden

Woodlands is thrilled to partner with Skyland Trail and Hillside Atlanta for the twelfth annual ‘Fairies in the Garden’ celebration from October 5- 19. This year we will feature fairy homes to explore throughout the garden including sites easily viewed from ADA-accessible paths and hardscaped driveways.

Fairies in the Garden features artistic “fairy” houses, hidden throughout the Garden’s eight-acre forest for young nature-lovers to find. Skyland Trail artists will create intricate tiny houses in the woods, just for you to find. They could be tucked away below an old tree, under a bridge or right along the trails. Discover tiny fairy dwellings built from bark, twigs, branches, seed heads, leaves and other natural materials, tucked in sheltered nooks along the garden’s paths. Colonies will include root fairies, stump fairies, fortress fairies, moss fairies … and of course trolls under the bridge.

How to join in the fairy fun:

Keep magic thriving by: 1.Staying on the path; 2. Look with your eyes only–please don’t touch the fairy homes!

  • Download the Fairy Map here
  • Stroll the trails at Woodlands Garden during the free, 2-week exhibit from October 5-19 and find all the fairy homes on display

About Fairies in the Garden:

  • Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024 to Saturday, October 19, 2024
  • Time: Exhibit is open during daylight hours
  • Location: 932 Scott Boulevard, Decatur, GA 30030
  • Directions & Parking: Directions to Woodlands can be found here. Parking at Woodlands is limited. Off-site parking options are available at Westchester Elementary on the weekends and on Maediris Dr across from the Decatur YMCA. Please consider walking, biking, or carpooling.
  • Cost: Free, but donations are welcomed here
  • Costume: Yes, please!

A special thank you to all of the volunteers involved and to our community sponsors for helping to make this free event possible….

Sponsors supporting Fairies in the Garden:

White Oak level

Bigleaf Magnolia level

Flowering Dogwood level 

Contact director@woodlandsgarden.org to learn about future sponsorship opportunities at Woodlands Garden.

Fairies in the Garden

Calendar of Activities

  • Saturday, October 5: Opening Weekend Celebration
    • Join us for the opening day of Fairies in the Garden! Live fairies will lead fun activities for families! Stop by between 2-5pm for fairy crafts, stories, bubbles and more! 
  • Sunday, October 6: Guided Fairy Walk
    • Grab your fairy wings and join a fun stroll through the garden at 12pm, highlighting fairy homes and other fun garden sights! 
  • Music in the Garden
    • Singer songwriters perform in the Pavilion from 2-4pm
  • Wednesday, October 9: Midweek Mindfulness Fairy Yoga
    • Join us for Midweek Mindfulness, Fairy edition!! We invite you to dress in your best fairy outfit and join us for yoga amongst the fairy homes. Register for $15 in advance here.
  • Friday, October 11: Inclusive Friendly Fairy Fun
    • Contact us to learn more about this curated experience for Garden neighbors & friends seeking unique connections to the fairy exhibit.
  • Saturday, October 12: Fairy Activity Booth at Atlanta Pride Festival
  • Sunday, October 13: Family Yoga with Grounded Kids Yoga
    • Join us for Family Fairy Yoga from 12-1pm in partnership with Grounded Kids Yoga! Dress up in your favorite magical outfit and come have fun under the trees! Mats will be provided. 
  • Music in the Garden
    • Singer songwriters perform in the Pavilion from 2-4pm
  • Tuesday, October 15: Fairy Stories and Crafts with Trees Atlanta
    • Drop by to visit the fairies and make a craft while you’re here between 10am-2pm! We will have different fairy themed crafts available in the Pavilion. Join the Fairy Storytime in the Birdsnest from 11am-12pm.
  • Wednesday, October 16: Fairy Play Time
    • Join us for fairy play time! Live fairies will lead fun activities for families! Stop by between 12-3pm for fairy crafts, stories, bubbles and more! 
  • Saturday, October 19: Farewell to Fairies
    • Visit Woodlands Garden and say Farewell to the Fairies! Pack a picnic, put on your fairy wings one last time, and come celebrate with music, crafts, and other fun activities from 1pm-3pm!

Fall Plant Sale

Fall Plant Sale; Photo by Eric Weir


Donor Preview: Friday, September 13 (Become a donor here — Sept 6th deadline to donate for the exclusive invitation!)

Open to the Public: Saturday, September 14 & Sunday, September 15 (just sign up to shop here)

Shop the unique selection of plants perfect for your home both indoors and outdoors by registering to shop Woodlands Garden’s Fall Plant Sale!

Special thank you to Fall Plant Sale sponsors for supporting this event: Piedmont Azalea level-Arborguard Tree Specialists & Plants Creative Landscapes; Oakleaf Hydrangea level-Kudzu Antiques + Modern & Select Trees; American Beautyberry level- Aviary Beauty + Wellness & NealScape Landscape Design

Come shop for great plants and explore our Garden Supplies sale, too!

What to expect at this year’s Fall Plant Sale:

  • Reserving a time slot to shop is required and will be monitored as shoppers arrive at the Fall Plant Sale.
  • Credit card purchases only. No cash or check.
  • One way traffic for vehicles and pedestrians.
  • Entrance for cars on Clairemont Ave and exit is ‘right turn only’ onto Scott Blvd. Carpooling is recommended due to limited parking.
  • Other odds & ends for sale, too, like birdfeeders!
  • No on-site restrooms.
  • Bring your own wagon or cart as wheelbarrows on-site are limited and first come first served.

Featured Plants:

  • Interested in donating plants from your home garden? Complete this Plant Donation Questionnaire here to share plant information and learn more about what types of plants we’re accepting for the Fall Plant Sale.
  • Opportunities to learn about the selection of plants from educational speakers and plant tours are being planned. More information will be provided here as the details are finalized.
    • Saturday, September 7th: Native Plant Walk & Talk with Steve Sanchez; email Annie (annie@woodlandsgarden.org) to register for this free educational opportunity
    • Tuesday, September 10th: Lunchtime Learning: Planting a Rainbow with Ben Ackerley; email Annie (annie@woodlandsgarden.org) to register for this free educational opportunity. Presentation offered midday to catch attendees on a midday break and registrants are welcome to BYOL (bring your own lunch) as refreshments will not be provided.
  • Featured plants:
    • Sun-loving natives including: Butterfly Milkweed, Narrowleaf Sunflower, ‘White Cloud’ Muhly Grass, Foxglove Beardtongue, Goldenrod, and many more!
    • GA Piedmont Natives including:  Ocmulgee Skullcap, River Oats, Woodland Phlox, Climbing Hydrangea, Carolina Jessamine, Strawberry Bush, Beautyberry,  Devil’s Walking Stick, and countless more!
    • Non-natives including: Japanese Painted Fern, Variegated Solomon’s Seal, Strawberry Begonia and Arborvitae Fern!
    • Ferns that will thrive in this area year after year: Christmas fern, Northern Maiden Hair Fern, and Southern Shield Fern

Fall Plant Sale Sponsors

Piedmont Azalea level sponsor:

Oakleaf Hydrangea level sponsor:

American Beautyberry level sponsor:

Upcoming Events

Event Series Volunteer Project

Volunteer Project

Woodlands Garden 932 Scott Blvd., Decatur, GA, United States

Hosted weekly on Wednesdays from 9am-11am then in warmer months we may start earlier. All experience levels are welcome. We are incorporating all types of hands on volunteer activities taking […]

Event Series Volunteer Project

Volunteer Project

Woodlands Garden 932 Scott Blvd., Decatur, GA, United States

Hosted weekly on Wednesdays from 9am-11am then in warmer months we may start earlier. All experience levels are welcome. We are incorporating all types of hands on volunteer activities taking […]

Event Series Volunteer Project

Volunteer Project

Woodlands Garden 932 Scott Blvd., Decatur, GA, United States

Hosted weekly on Wednesdays from 9am-11am then in warmer months we may start earlier. All experience levels are welcome. We are incorporating all types of hands on volunteer activities taking […]

Event Series Volunteer Project

Volunteer Project

Woodlands Garden 932 Scott Blvd., Decatur, GA, United States

Hosted weekly on Wednesdays from 9am-11am then in warmer months we may start earlier. All experience levels are welcome. We are incorporating all types of hands on volunteer activities taking […]

Earth Day Celebrations

Come join the Earth Day fun all week long!

  • April 20 from 3-5pm: Forest Bathing Walk with Jess. Registration required here.
    • Join us for this opportunity to slow down, unplug and celebrate Earth Day at Woodlands Garden. This gentle, 2-hour walk will offer participants an opportunity to engage more deeply with Nature and themselves utilizing the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, or Forest Bathing. Jess Boyd, an ANFT-certified guide, will offer participants invitations to use different senses-touch, smell, hearing, taste and sight-in a variety of ways, allowing for a balance of partner activities, solo time and group sharing.
  • April 21 from 3-5pm: Watercolor Workshop with Jessica Lily feature native azalea *registration required in advance here.
    • Join us for watercolor painting classes with me in-person, held locally in Decatur, GA. We are working on local wildlife and botanicals, native to our Metro-Atlanta Woodlands ecosystem. More details including what supplies to bring on Jessica's website.
  • April 22 from 12-1pm: Lunchtime Garden Tour led by Kate McAlpin, Executive Director
    • Come on your lunch break to explore what's emerging in the garden this spring. Just come as you are--drop ins welcome and no need to register!
  • April 24 from 9-11am: Volunteer Project led by Julia Bryant
    • Spring is a great time to come help with Garden maintenance task. Everyone is welcome! Sign up in advance here or just join.
  • April 26 from 11-12pm: Nature Tot Walk with Liana Grey from Oakleaf Cooperative School. Registration required here.
    • Join Oak Leaf Cooperative School, a nonprofit network of forest schools run by parents and teachers, for a fun, informal nature play date at Woodlands Garden in Decatur in honor of Earth Day. This walk is ideal for children ages 18 months - 4 years old. We'll meet at the "bird's nest" area of Woodlands Garden, and explore the trails together, following the kiddos' lead. Oak Leaf is participating in the Atlanta City Nature Challenge, so we encourage you to download the free iNaturalist app to identify local plant species on our walk. We recommend bringing a water bottle, snack, and water shoes in case we explore the stream. If you have any questions please email Liana Grey at info@oakleaf.school.
  • April 26-29: City Nature Challenge!
    • Learn more and come to the Garden to participate on these days. More details shared by Fernbank Museum leading Atlanta's City Nature Challenge here.
  • April 27 from 10am-12pm: Volunteer Project led by Julia Bryant, Woodlands' Garden Manager.
    • Spring is a great time to come help with Garden maintenance task. Everyone is welcome! Sign up in advance here or just join.

Give a Tribute Tree Today

Woodlands_Walking Stick_canopy

Create a living tribute for all of life’s events Woodlands Garden’s Tribute Tree Program offers a unique and lasting way to recognize the family, friends, and events that have touched our lives while also supporting the canopy of the Garden. For a single or collective tribute donation of $750 or more, Woodlands staff will purchase and plant a tree within the Garden’s eight acres that will honor and remember an individual, group, or special event of your choosing. Once planted, Tribute Trees will grow and blossom, year after year, while helping to enrich the life-giving canopy of this community greenspace. Participants in Woodlands’ Tribute Tree program will receive:

  • A letter and tax-deductible receipt acknowledging their gift
  • A handwritten note mailed to the honorees, if desired
  • An option to have the honoree’s name listed along with our Tribute Tree honorees on the Garden’s website and on display at the Visitors Center
  • The knowledge that they have created a lasting legacy that adds beauty to the Garden and provides a habitat for its ecosystem.

For this program’s FAQ section or further reading, please visit our Tribute Tree Program page. To learn about other ways to give to Woodlands Garden, please visit our Become a Donor page.To begin the Tribute Tree donation process, please complete the Tribute Tree Application, or contact Kate McAlpin, Executive Director, at director@woodlandsgarden.org or 404-373-2222.

Tribute Tree Honorees

Mason Adair

Judith Cotter Bidwell

Janice Butt

Jim Capps

Genia Cayce

Genia Cayce

Genia Cayce

Edmund and Alice Cotter

Chris Culberson

Deb Duchon

Frances Brodnax Frantz

Kenneth Harwood

Connie and Edward Holley

Leadership DeKalb, Woodlands Warblers

Mary Ellen Pendergrast

Mary Ellen Pendergrast

Andy Plankenhorn

Al Rogers

Michael Bernard Schaaf

Brian Somers

Betty Spiker

Nancy Pinner Strauss

Frank and Jenny Wynne

Anonymous