History of the Garden

Written by Jessica Destefano, the founder of the Garden

In 2014, when Jon Gillion was the branch manager of the Public Library in Laguna Beach, there were barely any plants in its front garden. He gave me permission to plant a few milkweed bushes to help the endangered monarch butterflies. I never intended to build a fairy garden, but a garden is a magical place and this garden seemed to know exactly what it wanted and needed.

 As soon as I had planted the milkweed, the butterflies came and began making it their home. But then the garden wanted some wildflowers for the butterflies to feed on when they emerged from their chrysalises. So I planted some wild nectar flowers. But as soon as I had planted the flowers, I noticed tiny fairies flying in and out among the blossoms and I knew immediately that the garden wanted me to build some little houses for the fairies so they would stay.  

No sooner had I built the fairy houses than the garden wanted some stepping stones for a path so the children could come and see the fairies, butterflies, and flowers. So I built a stepping stone path and the children began to visit. But then the garden wanted, and definitely needed a fairy mail system so the children could write to the fairies and the fairies could write back. With the fairy mail system in place, the children have been coming to the garden and writing to the fairies and the fairies have been writing back. And that is how it all started. 

By 2017, the new branch manager at the library, Nadya Hickman, and the Friends of the Library board were very pleased and happy with the garden. It encouraged more children and adults to come to the library. While visiting the garden they often stopped for story hour and to check out books.

But by 2021, watering all the plants, keeping up the fairy houses and fairy mail, as well as the butterfly habitat, was getting too much for me to handle all alone. It was then that I turned the upkeep of this magical place over to 2 very smart, outstanding, and generous women, Kim Shields and Simone Adams. These amazing women were just what the garden needed and wanted. They have taken the garden to all new levels. They have built new fairy houses, planted more flowers, attracted more butterflies, and all kinds of pollinators like bees and ladybugs. With more volunteers, the garden has expanded to include nature programs inside the library. They hold holiday happenings at the library and garden. More and more children and adults come year after year to enjoy and learn about the wonders of nature and fairies. They learn about the beauty of books and the possibilities of a library and a magical garden that seems to know exactly what it needs and wants.