With the Winter over and the Spring upon us, now is the time to get your garden ready for planting so it will be glorious for the Summer months. If you're disappointed with your backyard garden in any way, this is the perfect time for a fresh start. Our magazine asked our readers to submit photos and descriptions of their themed backyard gardens. Here are our favorite picks which we hope inspire the most out of you!
1. Butterfly Garden: Rosemary Willis has designed this gorgeous garden just to attract butterflies. Featuring bright colors and sweet scents, this garden is irresistible to these fluttering insects, not to mention a joy to behold by humans as well. Rosemary's butterfly garden is beautiful, aromatic, and full of life, giving the butterflies and their observers a wonderful place to visit.
The traditional English garden theme is that of half-wild and half-cultivated plants that are allowed to sprawl and ramble as they will. Joshua Rakham designed his first backyard gardens in the classic form with magnificent recumbent plants, short hedgerows to keep the plants where they belong, and pathways - and then added garden globes, plaster gnomes, and fairies for a touch of whimsy.
Cat Garden: Sissy Nye-Robison has done something out of the ordinary- she designed her garden around her cats! She planted plenty of cat grass and catnip, along with birdhouses and plants to attract butterflies to arouse and motivate her cats. She planted wisteria plants and small tress for her cats to climb or perch upon. Sissy mentions that cat lovers should make sure all plants are non-poisonous for cats when they decide to purchase any.
Among the new specialty types of backyard gardens is the black and white garden designed by Pilar Sota. The contrast between dark and light plants is obvious during the day. Even at night they are beautiful as the white plants pick up the light from the moon.
5. Tea Garden: Janice LaRoux is the creator of this aromatic garden, in which she has planted over 50 different types of plants that can be used for tea! When walking in her garden, the smells of peppermint and jasmine and cinnamon create a riot of flavors.
