A Storybook-Themed Garden
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Need ideas and inspiration for creating a playful garden? Look no further than Bainbridge Island, Washington, where Cindy Herrick has incorporated various structures and objects among the plants to create a whimsical storybook-themed garden.
Doghouse Gets a Lift
This treehouse was actually a dog house that Cindy purchased at a garage sale. It has never been used, and she thought she would use it for something like tool storage. Eventually she put it atop a large tree stump as an oversized birdhouse. With an old bunk bed as a landing and a ladder to gain access, she can use it for functional or decorative purposes as a toolshed or as an anchor point for the garden.
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Greenhouse-Cottage
Cindy has transformed her greenhouse into a whimsical cottage. The back half of this structure is the greenhouse area where she stores soil and pots and makes wreaths. In the front, she has created a miniature dollhouse.
To keep costs down when decorating this mini-cottage, Cindy incorporated recycled objects. The decorative birdcages were either found or purchased at thrift shops. The tea sets were a gift from her mother-in-law, and the butcher block, now a table, is from her father. The bed was picked up at a garage sale and shortened to fit the tiny room, suitable for one of the seven dwarves.
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Here Lies a Wicked Witch
At the edge of the greenhouse foundation, wicked witch legs sport a pair of ruby-red slippers.
![gby1907_1d-yellow-brick-path_s4x3](http://hgtvhome.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/hgtv/fullset/2009/8/17/0/gby1907_1d-yellow-brick-path_s4x3.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.581.436.85.suffix/1400947904260.jpeg)
Yellow Brick Path
From the greenhouse, a colorful path winds through the garden, leading to the blue-themed garden.
![gby1907_1e-blue-bottles_s4x3](http://hgtvhome.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/hgtv/fullset/2009/8/17/0/gby1907_1e-blue-bottles_s4x3.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.581.436.85.suffix/1400947728511.jpeg)
Blue-Themed Garden
This enchanting monochromatic garden is adorned with blue bottles, a blue watering can, blue flowers and blue birdhouses.
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Faux Bridge
Take a closer look at this "bridge." The timbers were laid on top of the ground over a boggy area in the garden. It gives unsuspecting visitors the sense that you are really crossing a ravine.
![gby1907_1g-stained-glass_s4x3](http://hgtvhome.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/hgtv/fullset/2009/8/17/1/gby1907_1g-stained-glass_s4x3.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.581.436.85.suffix/1400949742912.jpeg)
Other whimsical items in this garden have sentimental value but also contribute to the sense of wonder. They include stained glass, shells collected on a family trip to Sanibel Island, a copper gazebo that Cindy's husband made for their wedding, and Native American art.