Here's a few garden theme ideas for that spot in the garden where you'd like to do something special:
Moon Garden
What is a moon garden? It is simply a garden planted to "shine" at night.
Many flowering plants have blossoms that open early in the morning, attract pollinators, serve their purpose of helping to preserve their species genetics, and then wither.
There are flowers, however, that open their blossoms late in the afternoon and use pale colors and strong scents to attract night flying pollinators.
Along with evening bloomers, white flowers and plants with pale leaves reflect the moon, along with other sources of light, for an enjoyable effect.
Plan your evening or moon garden so that it is close to an area of your yard, such as a porch or patio, where you enjoy sitting or strolling.
Anyone who has the chance to view their flower garden at night should consider planting a small "Moon Garden" patch that can be enjoyed during the late evening and early night hours. Some flowers only flower at late evening and night and others, particularly several white varieties seem to actually glow under a moonlight.
Flower Choices for a Moon Garden
(Click on the plant name for descriptions and ordering information)
Four O'Clocks
Lavender
Common Evening Primrose
Tall Evening Primrose
Shasta Daisy
Flowering Tobacco
Moonflower Vine
ABC Garden
The ABC garden is an easy, long row garden. Select flowers, vegetables and herbs that match each letter of the alphabet and have a large painted letter nearby to help children identify it. For example: A = aster, B = butterfly weed, C = carrot
Rainbow Flower Garden
Blue: ageratum, nierembergia, salvia, China aster, cornflower, and lobelia.
Red: scarlet salvia, zinnia, and snapdragon.
Purple: petunia and verbena.
Yellow: calendula, gloriosa daisies, snapdragons, zinnias, and marigolds.
White: nicotiana, petunia, cosmos, cleome, and sweet alyssum.
Green: 'Envy' zinnia and Bells of Ireland.
Pink: snapdragon, cleome, petunia, nicotiana, cosmos, and zinnia.
Orange: calendula, marigold, zinnia, cosmos, and tithonia.
Shakespear Garden
Achillea millefolium (Yarrow)
Aconitum napellus (Monkshood)
Anemone x hybrida 'Honorine Jobert' (Anemone)
Aquilegia hybrids and sp. (Columbine)
Artemisia dracunculus (Tarragon)
Aster novae-angliae 'Purple Dome' (New England Aster)
Astrantia major (Astrantia)
Aurinia saxatilis 'Sunny Border Apricot' (Basket of Gold)
Baptisia australis (Blue False Indigo)
Borago officinalis (Borage)
Calendula officinalis (Marigold)
Catananche caerulea (Cupid's-dart)
Chamaemelum nobile (Chamomile)
Clematis sp. (Clematis)
Crithmum maritimum (Sampire)
Crocus flavus (Dutch crocus)
Crocus korokowii 'Kiss of Spring' (Crocus)
Crocus vernus (Dutch crocus)
Cytisus x praecox (Broom)
Dianthus deltoides cv. (Maiden Pink)
Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Pikes Pink' (Pink)
Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove)
Dryopteris sp. (Wood Fern)
Echinops bannaticus 'Blue Globe' (Globe Thistle)
Eranthis cilicica (Eranthis)
Eryngium planum (Sea holly)
Euphorbia dulcis 'Chameleon' (Spurge)
Euphorbia characias (Euphorbia)
Filipendula ulmaria (Queen-of-the-Prairie)
Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel)
Fritillaria imperialis (Crown-Imperial)
Fritillaria imperialis 'Rubra' (Crown-Imperial)
Fritillaria meleagris (Fritillary)
Fritillaria michailovskyi (Fritillary)
Fritillaria persica (Persian lily)
Fritillaria persica 'Adiyaman' (Persian lily)
Geranium sanguineum 'Johnson's Blue' (Bloody Geranium)
Hemerocallis fulva (Fulvous Daylily)
Hyacinthoides non-scripta (Hyacinth)
Hydrangea anomala ssp. Petiolaris (Climbing Hydrangea)
Ilex aquifolium (English Holly)
Ilex sp. (Holly)
Iris reticulata (Dwarf iris)
Iris x germanica (Fleur-de-lis)
Lamium album (White Dead-Nettle)
Lathyrus sp. (Pea)
Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender)
Lonicera periclymenum 'Monul' (Woodbine)
Lychnis flos-cuculi (Cuckoo-Flower)
Malva verticillata 'Crispa' (Curled Mallow)
Mentha sp. (Mint)
Mentha x piperita (Peppermint)
Narcissus 'Flower Record' (Narcissus)
Narcissus 'Queen of North' (Narcissus)
Onopordum acanthium (Scotch Thistle)
Ornithogalum oligophyllum (Star-of-Bethlehem)
Paeonia lactiflora (Garden Peony)
Papaver orientale 'Warlord' (Oriental Poppy)
Primula veris (Cowslip)
Primula vulgaris (English primrose)
Pulmonaria saccharata 'Mrs. Moon' (Lungwort)
Ranunculus acris 'Flora Pleno' (Meadow Buttercup)
Rosa 'Golden Showers' (Rose)
Rosa moschata var. plena (Musk Rose)
Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary)
Ruta graveolens 'Blue Curl' (Rue)
Salvia officinalis (Garden Sage)
Salvia pratensis (Meadow Sage)
Salvia verticillata (Whorled Sage)
Santolina chamaecyparissus (Lavender cotton)
Satureja sp. (Savory)
Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' (Pincushion)
Sium sisarum (Skirret)
Taxus baccata 'Stricta' (English Yew)
Taxus chinensis (Chinese Yew)
Taxus x media 'Gwen'
Thymus vulgaris (Thyme)
Tulipa 'Alladin's Record' (Tulip)
Tulipa kaufmanniana 'Albion' (Tulip)
Urtica dioica (Stinging Nettle)
Viola odorata (English violet)
Viola x wittrockiana 'Skyline White' (Pansy)
Patriotic Victory Garden Flowers
The victory gardens during WW2 were vegetable gardens but who says you have to just plant veggies? You can show your American pride with a patriotic display of red white and blue flowers!
For a cottage Victory Garden effect you could mix white Shasta daisy, alyssum, petunias, red salvia, red flax, poppies, blue flax and bachelor buttons. This would be pretty along a garden walk, around a mail box and bed plantings.
There are many varieties of red white and blue flowers to choose from. Below are some of my favorite Victory Garden flower varieties.
Red Flowers:
pansies, salvia, poppies, red flax, zinnia, petunia, hydrangea
White Flowers:
pansies, shasta daisy, alyssum, mums, petunia, hydrangea
Blue Flowers:
pansies, lobelia, blue bells, blue flax, bachelor button, hydrangea


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