Irritating or even potentially poisonous plants may also have medicinal uses. (Clockwise from top left) Lonicera periclymenum ‘Serotina Florida’; Allium ‘Hair’; Digitalis lutea; D. parviflora; D. lanata; Cotinus coggygria (threadlike flowers); Hedera helix ‘Blue Moon’; H. h. ‘Gold Heart’; Achillea millefolium ‘Apricot Delight’.

 

As gardeners, we look to the larger world around us for inspiration, to history, literature, art, loved ones, and nature itself. Our ornamental gardens combine plants for color or environmental conditions, collections of weird and lovable species, or just about anything that turns us on. Perhaps, you might be moved to grow the flowers named in the works of William Shakespeare, the cottage gardens he knew, or the formal gardens of his queen. In Victorian times, a style emerged using the new plants from Britain’s colonies. Later, the Arts & Crafts movement promoted naturalistic plantings countering the former fashion.

A sensual garden might concentrate on plants for fragrance, flowers with perfume, and leaves that impart their own special scents. An evening garden might be made as a place to relax after work with flowers that bloom at night, filling the darkness with fragrance. Many of the evening scented flowers are also white in order to attract their moth pollinators.

During the day, a butterfly planting would attract those colorful pollinators and also feed their larvae—caterpillars. And a hummingbird garden could provide nectar-rich plants with the hues and shapes that attract these beautiful birds. What about some of the other creatures that may play in the garden—children? We talk about plants for kids: ones that grow really fast and big, and others that look like they have smiling faces. A pizza garden might be just the thing with tomatoes, basil, and garlic.

There might be very personal creations, for instance, plantings inspired by people, reminders of your grandmother’s garden. Perhaps the memories are of tasty vegetables or maybe of candied violets and rose petals.

Got shade? You might want to make a secret garden as a place to escape from the heat of summer or the commotion of your busy day. Too subtle for you? How about a sunny cutting garden filled with flowers you’ll grow to gather for arrangements indoors?

These are some of the themes that we can bring to our landscapes. You may think of others. The scans and the accompanying garden photos are filled with ideas for combinations that will help you create new visions for your own little universe.