Creating a Theme Garden

Submitted by pauls on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 13:59

By:

Paul Simon, Landscape Architect

Theme gardens are an excellent way to foster the love of gardening with your children. A theme garden can be specific to nature, a place, a person, an idea, literature, or a story. A theme garden could also showcase an interest such as history, traveling, particular colors, attracting birds & butterflies, specific plants, or attracting insects and pollinators.

Of course, it’s easy to select a theme that is meaningful to you. Once you have selected your theme, you can begin thinking about the design of your garden. You can begin your research online, at the library or perhaps visit some public gardens to help inspire some creativity! If you’re looking for help, most garden centers have a horticulturalist or a landscape designer that can help plan your vision and develop a theme garden.

Here are some great Theme Garden ideas:

Butterfly Garden
Herbal Tea Garden
A Peace Garden
Sensory Garden
Rain Garden
An Animal-Theme Garden
A Moon Garden
"Eat a Rainbow" Garden
A Pizza Garden

Here are some Storybook Theme Garden ideas:

A Dr. Seuss Garden
Wizard of Oz Garden
Harry Potter Garden
Charlotte's Web Garden
Alice & Wonderland Garden
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Garden
A Dinosaur Garden
A Fairy Tale Garden
A Storybook Garden

Whether you’re interested in developing a particular theme garden or a garden that encompasses a variety of books, perhaps focus on Newbury winners or Classical Authors, or simply extend your indoor theme outdoors, consider building and developing your very own theme garden! A theme garden is an excellent way to stimulate a child’s interest in gardening and outdoor education. Hope you have fun planning-out your next garden!

For more on making a theme garden for your local library, visit Library Gardens where you can find professional assistance and grant program assistance to develop a storybook theme garden. Our professional staff of landscape architects, horticulturalists and educators can help make your dream garden a reality at The National Gardening Association.