Are There Faeries at the Bottom of Your Garden?

In this booklet I cannot give you firm and clear answers as to who and what and why inhabitants of fairyland are and were. I can only indicate the direction of the path that could lead you to Faerie, the land of enchantment, whose residents have come to be called "fairies." I will share with you some of the fascinating bits of information about fairies and their ways that lay embedded like tiny, sparkling gems in the fabric of our ancient folk tales and legends.

Finally, should you choose to take the mythical path that could lead to Fairyland, I leave you with the traditional warning: The inhabitants of Faerie do not always trust mortals, so you must remember to tread softly, mind your manners, be unwaveringly honest and trustworthy, and, above all, keep your wits about you for you never know what's going to happen next in the wonderful land of "Once-upon-a-time."

from the introduction

Betsy Williams has been in the business of growing, selling, decorating and teaching about living with herbs since 1970. Trained as a florist in Boston and England, she combines her floral skills with an extensive knowledge of history, plantlore and seasonal celebrations to create uniquely beautiful fresh and dried floral arrangements for weddings and private homes. She draws on this same knowledge in her entertaining lectures, weaving stories and legends throughout her informative talks.

She created the first Fairy Festival in 1987 at her shop in Andover, Massachusetts. She has been featured on the Discovery Channel as well as local cable stations. Her gardens and floral work have been showcased in many books, national magazines, and newspapers, including Victoria, Better Homes and Gardens, Country Living Gardener, Colonial Homes, the Herb Companion and the New York Times.

Betsy is the author of several books on the uses and lore of herbs, including Potourri and Fragrant Crafts, and Planning Your Herbal Wedding. Her latest book Herbs and the Season of Christmas will be published in September of 2001. Betsy writes for a variety of popular magazines.

She was the 1995 recipient of the International Herb Associations Professional Award for "Her Outstanding Contributions to the Herb Industry".

Betsy has lectured and taught at Colonial Williamsburg, the New England, Rhode Island and Cincinnati Flower Shows as well as horticultural conferences, festivals and botanical gardens throughout the United States.