Gardening can be a lot of work but should also be loads of fun. Nothing compares to the feeling of seeing the first flower expose its beautiful face or biting into that first big, fat, juicy tomato. Whether you are new to gardening or expanding your existing garden, consider planting a theme garden to add more fun and excitement to your experience.
Theme gardens are gardens that boasts a specific focal design or scheme. Sometimes they include other objects or structures that tie the theme together such as statues, sculptures, planters, birdhouses, a bridge, gazebo, etc. Think in terms of the many styles or themes one might use for interior design of a home or special room in the home. Here are some examples of theme gardens with a short description to get you started. Some are self-explanatory and others overlap. I will be covering many specific themes in more detail (how and what to plant for instance) in my upcoming articles. This is not a complete list. Add any ideas that tickle your imagination!

Scented Garden – Our first thought is usually scented flowers. A scented garden could also be herbs from the same family: mints, Italian, etc. You could create of theme of different plants with the same scent like chocolate (chocolate mint, chocolate scented geraniums)

Color – All one color, all different shades of one color, all pastel or bright, or a theme within itself such as patriotic red, white, and blue.

Exclusive – A garden planted with all the same of something you like: bulbs, annuals, perennials, all one color, mints, same flower (roses, daffodils), pumpkins, etc.

Shade Garden - If your garden space is mostly shaded, not to worry. There are plenty of shade-loving plants to design a Shade Garden.

Woodland Garden – Forest just beyond your backyard? Plant a transition border and into the forest.

Victorian Garden - Well groomed, formal or “proper” gardens matching the Victorian lifestyle and home décor.

English Cottage Garden – Quaint, yet very busy almost hiding the small home it surrounds.


Japanese or Oriental Garden – Meticulously groomed, trees cleanly pruned in a specific design (like Bonsai), strategically placed plants and various elements, often includes a water garden.


Tropical Garden – Tropical plants and tropical island or rainforest design.

Romantic Garden – Designed with all that is symbolic of romance from the traditional rose to the ingredients of perfume or love potion.

Miniature Garden – Yes, miniature varieties of flowers, vegetables, trees, etc.

Topiary Garden – Formal topiary garden or fun shaped topiaries such as animals.

Seasons – For a specific season such as spring flowers that come up the earliest even in lingering snow or autumn harvest décor such as ornamental corn, straw flowers, pumpkins, gourds, etc.

Dried Garden – Includes a collection of flowers for drying and using in dry floral arrangements or potpourri.

Rock Garden – Utilizes the natural rocky landscape (or build your own illusion) with plants suitable to this environment.


Butterfly Garden – Includes a variety of plants and flowers to attract butterflies and provides a habitat for year around stages of the butterfly.


Hummingbird Garden - Flowers that attract and feed hummingbirds and provide a habitat for nesting.


Wildflower Garden - The use of native wildflowers in a natural field or meadow type design.

Wildlife Garden – Natural habitat design for the type of wildlife you want to attract and assist or provide protection.

Bee Garden – Attract and feed the bees with their favorite flowers so they will also find and pollinate your vegetable garden.

Moonlight Garden – A garden that features all flowers that bloom at dusk or in the night.

Fairy Garden – Includes plants that are said to attract fairies or a miniature landscape for fairies.

Tea Garden – Makes use of a wide variety of herbs typically used to make tea blends. Not the same as a Japanese Tea Garden designed as a peaceful garden to enjoy teatime.

Culinary Garden – Contains food and herbs for your favorite specific cuisine or recipes: Italian, Mexican, etc.

Medicinal Garden – The obvious is medicinal herbs but many other plants and flowers said to have healing properties may be incorporated to grow a beautiful Apothecary Garden.


Water/Pond – From water loving plants if you live near water or in wet climate to the backyard water garden pool of water lilies and Koi.


Bible Garden – A garden of plants mentioned in The Bible.

Angel Garden – Includes flowers with “angel” in the name and flowers that look like angels or angel wings and of course tied together with angel statues or other angel related garden paraphernalia.

Word or Name Garden – A garden that has only plants with a specific word or name in the plants’ names.

Kids Garden – A Kid’s Garden can be as simple as easy-to-grow plants they pick out and grow themselves with adult assistance. However, the sub-themes are almost endless. Any of the above mentioned themes can be customized for kids but also think in terms of a kid’s world to discover more fun themes. Pull from favorite books (Harry Potter potion ingredients?), kids’ room or party themes, science (flowers with astronomy related names for instance), history, cultures, holidays (pumpkins for Halloween carving and decorating), nature (gourds to make birdhouses or sunflowers for the Chickadees to feast on), art (make a picture with flowers such as a flag on a hillside using red, white, and blue petunias or plants specifically for use in creating art with the harvest – beans, big seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin, etc.).


Think about all your favorite things and favorites of whomever you are gardening with and you will find all sorts of fun garden theme ideas.