From left to right, Shepherdstown resident Grace Dwyer sits with her one-year-old son, Cormac, beside her three-year-old daughter, Theo, as they look up at a fairy hanging from the tree above the Bane-Harris Commemorative Park fairy garden. Photo by Tabitha Johnston
SHEPHERDSTOWN — One-year-old Cormac Dwyer and his sister, three-year-old Theo Dwyer, could be found playing with fairy figurines and bubbles at the fairy garden in Bane-Harris Commemorative Park on Oct. 28. For them, the fairy garden has become a magical place they regularly return to visit with their parents.
“We discovered it six months ago. Now we visit here about every two weeks,” said their mother, Grace Dwyer. “We like that every time we come, it looks a little bit different.”
The family has also taken inspiration from the fairy garden, going so far as to start their own fairy at their home.
“There are a ton of playgrounds in town, but this one has something that’s so special and unique about it, with the fairy garden,” Grace said.
The origins of the garden date back to two years ago, when Shepherdstown resident Carla Grantham was babysitting her granddaughter, Zen. At her own home, Grantham had already created a small fairy garden, and so she came up with the idea to share a similar experience with her granddaughter, building a fairy garden around a tree at the park near her home.
Shepherdstown Parks & Recreation Committee members, from left to right, Marty Amerikaner, Tobi Moriarty and, far right, Cheryl Roberts, stand with Carla Grantham, in front of the fairy garden she founded at Bane-Harris Commemorative Park. Photo by Tabitha Johnston
“I had a bunch of these little things for a fairy garden and so I said, ‘Ooh! Let’s go make a fairy garden,’” Grantham said. “Now, whenever she comes to visit me, she likes to go visit the fairy garden and see if there’s anything new that’s been added.”
The fairy garden, Grantham noted, constantly changes, as she updates the items in it to reflect the season. Currently, she is transitioning the tree from Halloween to Thanksgiving, with plans to add a number of whimsical Christmas and Hanukkah items to it over the next month.
“Children need to see themselves and appreciate that someone else knows how they celebrate, in their own way,” Grantham said, of her decision to represent both December holidays in the garden.
She noted that the items in the garden are regularly washed with soap and water and, during the summer, are sprayed with organic bug spray, to ensure the fairy garden is a safe space for children to play year-round. Community members are welcome to add child-friendly items to the fairy garden or, if they see an item that speaks to their soul in it, take that item home with them.
“The whole beauty of a fairy garden is that you make it and it grows and evolves. Especially in today’s environment, a little bit of hope and happiness can give people a necessary reprieve from the rigors of life,” Grantham said. “It makes the effort of creating and caring for optimistic things, like the fairy garden, completely worthwhile.”
One-year-old Cormac Dwyer looks at some of the creatures ornamenting the fairy garden at Bane-Harris Commemorative Park. Photo by Tabitha Johnston
Grantham’s service to the community and gift to the park was recently honored by the Shepherdstown Parks & Recreation Committee. At its October meeting, the committee presented Grantham with a letter of appreciation, recognizing the joy that her fairy garden has brought to the park and to the lives of many in the community.
“On behalf of the Parks & Recreation Committee and the Corporation of Shepherdstown, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks for this donation of a fairy garden to Bane-Harris Commemorative Park,” said committee chair Cheryl Roberts. “Your thoughtful gift has brought a sense of wonder and charm to our park, and has already captured the imagination of children and adults alike.
“The fairy garden is more than a beautiful addition — it reflects a spirit of creativity, kindness and community that we value so deeply,” Roberts said. “It has quickly become a place where families gather, children explore and visitors pause, to enjoy a touch of magic.”
Shepherdstown Parks & Recreation Committee members, from left to right, Marty Amerikaner, Tobi Moriarty and, far right, Cheryl Roberts, stand with Carla Grantham, in front of the fairy garden she founded at Bane-Harris Commemorative Park. Photo by Tabitha Johnston
One-year-old Cormac Dwyer looks at some of the creatures ornamenting the fairy garden at Bane-Harris Commemorative Park. Photo by Tabitha Johnston
From left to right, Shepherdstown resident Grace Dwyer sits with her one-year-old son, Cormac, beside her three-year-old daughter, Theo, as they look up at a fairy hanging from the tree above the Bane-Harris Commemorative Park fairy garden. Photo by Tabitha Johnston
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