ideas for your themed garden
Themed gardens provide an outlet to arrange plants around a specific idea or interest. Whether it be a color scheme, a cultural reference, or for a particular purpose, you can manifest it in a themed garden.
It’s no secret that gardeners walk to the beat of our own drums, and our personalities and interests come through in our gardens.
Are romance novels skimming the ceiling on your bedside table? A cottage-style garden full of jewel-hued blooms may be for you, you romantic you.
Does magic and a little witchcraft flow through your veins? A moon garden may be calling your name.
Whatever it is that you fancy, let your garden do the talking for you.
Tea Garden
If a good strong cuppa is always within your reach, then a tea garden may be your cup of tea. Here are several plants that you can grow for brewing your own tea:
Anise
Basil (Holy Basil/Tulsi)
Bay leaf
Bee Balm
Borage
Calendula
Chamomile
Chrysanthemum
Clover
Dandelion
Echinacea
Ginger
Hibiscus
Lavender
Lemon Balm
Lemon Verbena
Mint
Nettle
Raspberry
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Autumn Garden
Even amid a heat wave, we can't deny the earlier sunsets and cooler evening temperatures. Autumn is well on its way, and you can usher it in with fiery colors and interesting textures in your autumn garden.
Here are some annual and perennials that are sure to get you to fall for your fall garden:
Annuals - Pansy, Viola, Sunflower, Marigold, Celosia, Flowering Kale
Perennials - Black-Eyed Susan, Chrysanthemum, Golden Rod
Throw in some cool weather vegetables, too:
Brussels sprouts
Broccoli
Carrots
Potatoes (avoid planting them where eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, and other potatoes had previously grown. Also, potatoes don't like being planted next to pumpkins.)
Moon Garden
By adding reflective decor, white flowers (or that of a cool color palette), and bright foliage, you can enjoy your garden under a moonlit sky.
Find a spot where the moonlight streams down and plant in large masses so that they capture and reflect the light. Then bathe alongside your garden in the moon’s soft glow.
White flowers for your moon garden:
Angel’s Trumpet
Calla Lily
Chrysanthemum (be sure to pinch the flowers to encourage fall blooms)
Climbing Hydrangea
Creeping Phlox
Lilac
Lupine
Moon Flower Vine
Shasta Daisy
Sweet Alyssum
Sweet Autumn Clematis
Plants with silver foliage:
Dusty Miller
Lamb’s Ear
Hosta
Russian Sage
Silver Sage
Wildlife Garden
You can transform your outdoor space into the go-to space for wildlife by providing them with food, water, and shelter. And don’t worry, a space for wildlife doesn’t have to mean it has to be unruly. Our beloved critters and pollinators love a modern, well-maintained garden just the same.
Here are some elements to include in creating a wildlife garden:
Pollinator plants (Basil, Borage, Calendula, Lavender, Marigold, Nasturtium, Salvia; for more suggestions, check out our article about pollinator plants!)
A pond
A birdbath (be sure that the water remains clean)
A birdhouse
Ornamental grasses
Fairy Garden
The whimsy and mystery of fairy gardens enchant adults and children alike. Plus, if you love all things miniature, that’s another win!
For each fairy house, you can add:
Ground cover (Australian Astroturf, Dusty Miller, Moneywort, Creeping Thyme, Miniature Ivy)
Flowering plants (Sweet Alyssum, Johnny Jump-Up, Lily of the Valley, Marigold, Miniature Daisy, Petunia)
Greenery (Succulents, Mini Mondo Grass ‘Snake’s Beard,’ Asparagus Fern)
If you’re planning on using a pot to set up your fairy garden, fill it up with plants while allowing room for growth.