Search

the Book

buy

Hey There! I’m Rochelle Greayer. 

rochelle

meet

REgister now!

A Free Master Class

THE 7-STEP SYSTEM TO DESIGN A

Gorgeous
Garden

STOP WASTING MONEY ON ALL THE WRONG PLANTS  

Mix & match plants like a pro!

Join the Course Today!

I’m a garden designer on tv and IRL. I’m also an author and entrepreneur who thinks she can save the world by teaching everyone a little something about landscape design.

How to Make A Kid’s Hobbit Inspired Garden PlayHouse

January 2, 2013


Hayden Regina is the creator of the Hobbit Houses at
Fernwood Botanical Gardens in Niles, Michigan. He shares how he created a set of charming little garden playhouses from simple materials that cost around $250 each.  

Who doesn’t want to imagine life in The Shire living like Frodo and Bilbo? Or at least pretend for a little while….- R

Hobbit houses created by Hayden Regina

Place yourself in the mind of a five year old.

The imagination and creativity of a child is something too often lost, as people grow older. Many still call me a child at the ripe old age of 18, and maybe the truth is why I wanted to design a Nature Adventure Garden at Fernwood.  

My idea is for a garden to entertain the thoughts of children. I want to draw them back outside and away from the television and video games.

A series of serendipitous events left me as the final designer of the newest addition to the Fernwood Gardens. Although there were many ideas, the one that stuck were the hobbit inspired garden playhouses. Each playhouse cost around $250.00 in materials took a total build time of about 8 hours.

hobbit1

I wanted to keep each garden playhouse as simple as possible to create so I re-purposed easily found parts. The base is an extra large doghouse. This is a prefab, cedar house that only requires a drill to assemble.

hobbit2

Materials:

  • Sheet of plywood (1)
  • Box of decking screws (1)
  • Spray can of foam sealant (1 can)
  • Heavy-duty tarp or sheet of plastic (1 at least 8’x10′)
  • Staple Gun
  • Spray paint of choice
  • Light fixture of choice
  • Hand saw

Assemble The Garden Playhouse

Put the four walls together and cut a groove out of the back peak to run an extension cord for a light fixture. Once the cord is in place, put the roof on. It takes about twenty minutes to assmble a beautiful new doghouse for a child!

Yes, a doghouse for a child (or an adult). 😉

Dog house with hobbit front - First coat of paint had been applied to the first house.

Create the Garden Playhouse Facade

Measure out the exact size of the front of the house, door, and roofline onto the plywood.


This is where having the mindset of being a five year old comes in handy. Play with different free forms or geometric patterns until you decide how you want your hobbit house to look. What you draw on the plywood is the face of your house – so get creative!


Use a jigsaw to cut out your pattern.


Attach your hobbit facade to the front of the doghouse using the decking screws on the corners, doorframe, and roofline of the house.


Fill in gaps with spray foam sealant.


It is time to paint! I wanted to stick with a natural weathered look, so it took around 5 colors of spray paint in different applications to achieve the color of each house. The color and technique is up to you.

three hobbit houses ready to be installed in the garden fernwood

Install the garden playhouse

Place the hobbit house in its final location in your hobbit garden and make sure it is on level ground.


At this point, take the tarp or heavy plastic and wrap the back three walls and bottom.
Use the staple gun to secure it to the house.


You are going to build up the soil around the house to create a mound. If you are short on fill dirt, you might consider using styrofoam, or rocks, stacked agains the house to fill space.


Create a faux mound on top of the house (it is actually real dirt, just not naturally in a mound shape). Cover until the top of the house is under about six to eight inches of dirt.

Use plants to secure the soil. Once a plant’s root system is established, the soil will hold in place and not fall over the peak.


You can choose any type of plants you want – but grasses tend to be a good choice because of their extensive root systems. I used Sporobolus heterolepis for the grassy look.


The last step is to personalize your house.


Secure the lights to the top of the ceiling and decorate away.


And to anyone who thinks the doghouses are small — They fit full size adults.

wine and weed volunteer plays in garden hobbit house at fernwood gardens

For questions or a more detailed explanation, you can contact me here.

-Hayden

REgister now!

A Free Master Class

THE 7-STEP SYSTEM TO DESIGN A

Gorge-
ous
Garden

  1. Kate says:

    Oh I LOVE this! I’d love to make one for my chickens, as they’re bantams & mixed breeds, perhaps this would make them look a little larger?!!? Looks amazing- great way for dog owners as well to settle kennels into their garden.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Does Your Garden Need a Makeover?

Learn my 7-step system to design and build a stunning garden anywhere in the world.



SIGN ME UP!

Join my Free Class!

Understand the 5 mistakes everyone makes when creating a garden. (Save yourself time, money, & headaches and get much better results!)

See how to work directly with me (but at a DIY price!) to
design and create your own gorgeous garden.