Themed Garden Plans for a Small Area

Petunias are versatile flowers that can fit nearly any garden theme.

Working with a reduced area is slightly different than working with large spaces, and many gardeners with little planting space feel limited. Fortunately there are several options available to those who are looking for a fun garden theme to decorate a small area.

Victory Garden

Victory gardens gained popularity in homes across America during Word War II, when American families were encouraged to become as self-sufficient as possible in order to free up more supplies for the soldiers overseas. These small gardens consisted of fruit bushes, vegetable plants and herbs.

Find out what vegetable, fruit and herb plants grow well in your area to plant your own victory garden. You could save hundreds each summer on your grocery bill, as most vegetable plants take very little space and tend to have a huge output.

Colors

Designing a small garden around your favorite color or colors is exceptionally easy thanks to modern garden centers and seed catalogs. Purple aster, morning glories, lilacs and salvia create a purple flower paradise best complemented by flowers such as with periwinkle, Russian sage, allium and blue hydrangeas.

Red flowers such as amaryllis, anthuriums and the always-popular rose bush make a bolder statement, while cool colored flowers create a peaceful atmosphere.

Butterfly Garden

Stonecrop. clover, aster, milkweed and and butterfly bush are all commonplace plants that attract and provide a breeding place for varied species of butterflies. Create your very own butterfly garden by researching native butterflies in your area and planting the appropriate flowers to attract them. Make sure pesticides are never used in butterfly gardens, as they may kill or drive butterflies away.

References

• Living History Farm: Victory Gardens
• "Creating a Butterfly Garden"; Marcus Schneck; 1994