You want something that fits their personality without being either too grown up or childish. Why not redecorate your son’s room in a beach theme?

This theme can either be laid back or playful depending on his personality, and it’s a very easy theme to work with. Read on for some ideas on how to create a surfer’s oasis for the boy in your life.

Boys love surf and beach themes when it comes to bedroom decor!

Beach Bedroom Basics

When it comes to a beach bedroom for a young man, you can really go one of two ways. You can stick with a traditional surfing theme, or you can go with a more playful Tiki Room or Hawaiian vibe. The surfing room would be laid back and soothing without being girlish and might be a good choice for a quieter type of guy. The Tiki Room or Hawaiian approach integrates brighter colors and a little bit of silliness to suit a more outgoing sort of person.

When it comes to choosing colors for the room, you first need to know which approach you’re going to take. The surfing theme generally uses beach-inspired colors. Think of the blues and greens of the water on a sunny day, the brown tones found in driftwood, the tans and whites of sand, and the grey hues of the rocks. The Tiki Hut approach uses a much brighter palette.

Think of the colors found in playful Hawaiian shirts and brightly painted surfboards. You can use any color of the rainbow in a Tiki Hut inspired room, although bright oranges and yellows are particularly good choices. However, when it comes to using bright colors on the walls, make sure to use some restraint. Leave the trim white, or if the room is particularly small, you might want to limit your bright colors to an accent wall to avoid crowding the space.

There are a lot of different furniture types that work well in a beach themed bedroom, so you may not need to buy anything at all. A wood bedroom set would work particularly well with both beachy themes, but it’s not the only option. Metal sets work just fine too. If you’ve got to buy a new bed anyway, or if you’ve got a bed but no headboard, you can take a really creative approach to furnishings and hang a hand painted surfboard on the wall where the headboard would go. You can find decorative surfboards from a lot of different vendors on the Internet: Ebay is a good place to start.

Wall art will be the cheapest way to give your boys bedroom a beach or surfter theme.

Beach Window Treatments

As with just about all of the bedroom themes we’ve covered on Raftertales, you can always save yourself a little time and energy by purchasing some beach themed curtains, hanging them up, and calling it quits. You may be able to find them at your local store, and if not, there are plenty of online vendors that carry curtains printed with surfboards, woody station wagons, and hula girls, so it shouldn’t be too tough to find something that suits the room.

If you’d like to take a more creative approach, here are some ideas. For a traditional surfer’s room, hang shutters instead of curtains. You can distress them, whitewash them, or even decoupage them with surfing posters or pictures from surfing magazines.

And for a Tiki type theme, consider hanging some beaded curtains or strings of outdoor lights over the windows. Obviously, you’ll need a roller shade or some blinds for privacy and light control, but you’ll get a great design statement for your trouble.

Beach Bedding

Bedding in beach rooms is generally fairly low key. Yes, of course you can purchase sheet sets in surfing prints; most will be in paler colors that better suit the more traditional design. And with some hard work, you might be able to find some Hawaiian prints that would work well in a Tiki room, but many sheet sets of this kind are flowery prints that may look girlish.

Consider pairing a piece or two with stripes to keep it from being too feminine. And really, you don’t need to use either of these, particularly if you’re using a lot of accessories to decorate. In that case, you may want to stick with plain bedding or a simple pattern that allows the rest of the room to shine.

A bead curtain will go nicely in the door to a closet or adjoining room.

Beach Accessories

You’ve got a lot of options for accessories in a surfing themed room. As mentioned above, you can find hand painted surfboards from various online vendors, and if you don’t find one that suits your fancy you can even special order them. There are plain boards, boards with pegs, and even surfboard shaped shelving units. A surfing room just wouldn’t be a surfing room without a board or two! Other options for the surfing room would be models of woody station wagons, old tin beach signs or surfing signs, or even framed ocean photos.

The Tiki room needs a little more playful approach when it comes to accessorizing. Little hula girls and flower leis make good decorating choices. Hang strings of outdoor lights or rest a tiki lamp in the corner. Hang some Tiki masks on the wall. And as with the surfing theme, you can find tin Tiki signs that would look great.

Either way you go, you’ll have a room that your son will want to spend time in, and that’s what counts!

But one thing is for certain; he loves outer space. He likes playing with spaceships, thinks Buzz Lightyear is the coolest, and is thrilled by glow in the dark stars and moons. If this sounds anything like your little guy, why not redecorate his bedroom in a space theme?

A space bedroom is easy to do, and its universal appeal might just carry you through a little longer without a redecoration in the near future.

An outerspace theme such as Buzz Lightyear can easily be achieved with wall decorating, bedding and a few toys and accessories.

Space Bedroom Basics

As with most bedroom themes, there are a lot of takes on the boys’ space bedroom. You could decorate using an outer space theme focusing more on astronomy. Glow in the dark stars, comets, and solar system models would all be great contributions to this more minimalist approach that would really suit the tastes of an older boy not quite ready for an adult style room.

You could focus more on spaceships and astronauts; there are plenty of fabric choices and stick-ons in this category that would make for a very attractive room. Or you could take a more playful, even cartoonish approach and use little green aliens and characters like Buzz Lightyear or the Space Monkeys. Brighter colors and silly accessories would make this a great room for younger boys.

You can use wall stick ons to give your outerspace bedroom accents like quarter moons, spaceships and planets.

Color-wise, space themed bedrooms often run into a problem. As a backdrop for all of those stars and spaceships, you need a dark color like a deep blue or even a black to make them pop and simulate the expanse of space. Especially in smaller bedrooms, all of those dark colors can become overwhelming and make the space seem smaller than it really is.

So what do you do if you’ve got a bedroom the size of a closet but your little guy is still space crazy? You have a few options: you can paint one wall as an accent wall and leave the others in a lighter color. (One really interesting idea is to use a black magnetic primer under the paint and buy magnetized planets, stars, and spaceships for your son to play with.)

If you’re particularly handy with a paintbrush, you can make a mural on one wall, again leaving the other walls lighter to open up the space. Or lastly, you can paint the ceiling to simulate the night sky, leaving the walls unpainted. This last idea is best left alone if you’re a beginning painter, though, because it’s tough to get even coverage on a ceiling with such a dark color.

Furniture-wise, think streamlined and metallic whenever possible. A simple metal bed frame, desk, and nightstand are relatively cheap and will transition well to a more adult design later.

Space Window Treatments

For younger boys, simply making or purchasing curtains in a space themed print may be the best way to go. Certainly, it’s the easiest to implement. But if you think that the space design will be sticking around for a while, why not try something a little more creative?

Get an affordable fabric roller shade and paint circles on it. With a few strokes of a paintbrush or Sharpie, you can turn circles into planets (add some rings for Saturn), moons (add a few craters), or a comet (add a flaming tail). A rocket is easy to draw: a triangle in silver paint, attached to a rectangle. Add a red tip to the cone and flames coming out the end and you’re set.

The space theme gives your boys room decor energy, color and a place where the imagination can run wild!

Space Bedding

If you’re running a little short on time and energy at this point, there’s nothing wrong with heading out to the closest store and buying some space themed bedding. But you can save a little time and money with a more customized approach. Try layering shades of black and dark blue to simulate space and then add some circular throw pillows.

To make it even more fun, how about one pillow in blue and green to represent Earth, another in red for Mars, and so on? Or for a budding astronaut, integrate some metallic silver into the mix. Most metallics don’t wash very well, so it’s best to keep them off of the sheets, but throw pillows would be a great place to get a little silver trim into the mix. And for the alien fanatic, glue some googly eyes to bright green pillows.

Space Accessories

Basic accessories for a space bedroom are pretty common sense. Glow in the dark stars cover a lot of space at a little price, but they’re difficult to see with the lights on if you don’t stick them onto a dark colored background. Spaceship models can be hung or displayed on shelves. And solar system models are great ideas for older boys but not necessarily for the younger set.

You can also get a little more creative, of course. Buy some circular picture frames and hang up photos of family and friends. Use pipe cleaners to create rings around planets (just don’t cover anyone’s face!), make a comet’s tail out of paper or fabric and attach it to a photo, or even make a big moon and glue faces of family and friends into the craters if you’re really crafty.

Pillows with images of Buffalo and an abstract horse image set a great focal point.

If your little boy is crazy over Woody from Toy Story or has a blast playing Cowboys and Indians, why not decorate his bedroom in a cowboy theme?

The cowboy theme is simple to do yourself, even if you’re not particularly crafty, and it uses some basic colors that will transition well into a more mature design once he hits his teenage years.

Read on to learn more about how to change that drab bedroom into a cowpoke’s paradise.

Cowboy Bedroom Basics

You can take a couple of different approaches to the cowboy bedroom. You can apply a little paint to the walls, buy some Woody sheets and hang some cowboy hats on the wall, and call it quits.

You can take a cowboy/western approach and implement western gear and patterns into the mix. Or you can decorate Cowboys and Indians style, mixing traditional western gear with some Native American touches.

By taking the time to decide exactly what kind of cowboy bedroom your son will enjoy, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and headaches later.

Generally, cowboy rooms are done in primary colors and dusty tones. You don’t want bright and cartoonish colors in the room unless you plan to decorate in cartoon cowboys. Otherwise, stick with shades that you’d find in Western bandanas and country decorating: brick red, slate blue, sunshine yellow, wood brown and creamy white would all be terrific choices.

Consider brightening up the room by adding some color to the trim or walls. However, in most cases it’s not the best idea to paint both walls and trim in contrasting colors, since that can be really visually overwhelming. It’s probably a good idea to leave the trim white and paint the walls or vice versa, unless you really know what you’re doing paint wise.

A colorful farm theme gives this baby nursery a fresh and wholesome look.

When it comes to furniture in a boy’s cowboy bedroom, rugged, unpainted wood basics are probably your best option. They are easy to find, relatively affordable, very durable, and will transition well into whatever design your son wants next. A simple varnish or stain will protect the wood and make the pieces shine, and your bedding and accessories will add plenty of cowboy flair to these basic pieces.

Cowboy Window Treatments

You have a few options when it comes to window treatments in a cowboy bedroom. For a cartoonish take on the cowboy theme, you might simply stick with purchased curtains in a Woody pattern. Or, you could buy some denim patterned curtains and add some Woody “iron-on” patches in the corners.

For a more traditional take on the cowboy theme, you could take those same denim patterned curtains and glue some gold braided trim around the edges.

Or purchase some brown shutters and hang them like saloon doors over the windows. You could even stamp on a sheriff’s star or some other design at the top to make them look more like doors. Or how about hanging café style curtains in a gingham check?

Rustic patterns and bold colors give the bed a subtle western decor.

Cowboy Bedding

As with most kids bedroom themes, you can purchase cowboy themed sheets at most department stores or superstores. If you choose to go this route, it’s not a bad idea to go for a more generic comforter in a solid color that matches the sheets.

It’s much more cost-effective and will transition well to another theme if necessary. You can also stick with simple flannel or cotton sheets in a plaid or check pattern, which will add to that rustic cowboy feel.

Accent pillows are a real help in integrating plain bedding with the rest of the room, look for pillows shaped like cowboy boots, or add an iron on transfer of a horse or cowboy to a plain accent pillow.

Cowboy Accessories

With a cowboy bedroom, the accessories are really important and help to tie the room together. You can make a lot of them yourself with very little craft skill required. For example, no cowboy would ever go anywhere without his lasso.

You can make one out of a simple length of braided rope. It could be hung on the wall, draped over a dresser, or used to hold back curtains; just make sure that it stays out of the reach of young children! You can also use lengths of rope for decorating. Wrap a long piece of sisal rope around a plain lamp base to make it work with the rest of the room. Glue it onto picture frames that don’t match the rest of the decorating.

Use decorative throw pillows to give your boys room a western cowboy look that can easily be changed when he outgrows the cowboy look!

Wooden horses, cowboy hats, cowboy boots, and bandannas are all great items to place on shelves or on top of dressers. Put a rocking horse in the corner.

If your theme is Cowboys and Indians, add some Native American elements by hanging a dream catcher over the bed and a toy bow and arrow on the walls.

Arrange cowboy hats and Indian headdresses on pegs for dress up time and add a pair of beaded moccasins alongside the cowboy boots. This will ensure that your son’s cowboy room will not only be attractive; it’ll also be fun!

Superhero bedding collections such as the Incredibles are availalbe from large retailers like Target and Walmart.

Does your little boy go absolutely crazy over Superman, Batman, or the Hulk? Does he spend most of his time vanquishing the imaginary forces of evil in your backyard?

If your little boy is interested in a superhero bedroom, you can of course head out to a random superstore and pick out all of the superhero accessories, but you’ll get a more personalized look at a better price if you do it yourself. Consider these simple tips to get a super look at a super price.

Superhero Bedroom Basics

The first thing that you’ll need to determine when it comes to your superhero bedroom is what heroes you’ll be incorporating. If your child has a strong preference for Spiderman, the Incredibles, or the Teen Titans, then you may want to focus on this hero or group.

Your color scheme would be based on the hero’s costume: red, blue, and black for a Spiderman bedroom, for example.

If your child has problems picking one favorite (when asked for his favorite superhero, my son lists four right off the bat), then consider a more generalized approach not focusing on any one hero in particular. Good color schemes for this type of room focus on primary colors. Most superhero costumes integrate one or more primaries, which will tie the room together.

Since superhero color schemes tend to be pretty bright, keep the furnishings and walls fairly painless. If your child absolutely must have a bright red wall just like Spiderman’s suit or a green one to match the Hulk’s skin, then consider painting one accent wall in that color and leaving the rest of the room in white. That way, you won’t need to shield your eyes in pain every time you walk in.

You can also break up large expanses of color with superhero posters or select a wall with windows or doors to keep the color from being overwhelming. Just leave the trim or doors white to tone down the color.

When it comes to furnishings in a child’s bedroom, it’s always best to leave them basic. Yes, you can paint the furniture red and black and stencil an Incredibles symbol on top of the nightstand, and it would look amazing. However, when your son gets a little older, that nightstand might not be so cool any more, and it’s going to be difficult to paint over that symbol. Before you custom paint any piece, make sure that you’re willing to replace it in a couple of years.

One alternative is to purchase some vinyl wall stickers in a superhero theme and use them on the furniture instead of the walls. You’ll get the same look in the end, and you won’t have to throw out the furniture when all is said and done.

Superhero Window Treatments

With all of these bright colors and patterns in the room, carefully consider your window treatments. If you’ve chosen a bright color for the walls, layering on another bright color or pattern on the window is going to be visually overwhelming to say the least. In that case, it’s better to stick with plain white curtains or blinds. But there’s no need to leave them completely generic!

You could accessorize blinds with a small, bright colored valance at the top of the frame. You could hang a small superhero Christmas ornament or figurine from the curtain tiebacks. Whip out your sewing machine and trim the curtains with ribbons in the superhero color scheme. Or add some iron on patches to the bottom of plain curtains to tie them in with the rest of the room.

Superhero Bedding

Obviously, you can purchase superhero sheets and bedding at any major store. The unfortunate reality is that those sheets are a little more expensive, and you run the risk that the superhero du jour will change from year to year. Purchasing an entirely new set each year will get a little expensive, so consider the following options.

One suggestion is to buy a comforter in a primary color. Blue is always a good choice and will go well with almost any set of superhero sheets. This way, when Billy decides that Superman is much cooler than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, you can simply replace the sheets and keep the comforter, saving a lot of spare change in the process.

You can also do the entire bed in primary colors. Buy an accent pillow printed with the superhero emblem or a stuffed superhero to sit on top. Or get an iron on transfer and add some superhero decorations yourself.

Superhero Accessories

No superhero room would be complete without some superhero pictures. Posters are an incredibly cost effective way to inject a little action into the space, but poster frames can get a little costly. You could tape the posters directly to the walls, but it doesn’t look that great and can leave marks on the walls to boot.

Consider mounting the posters on Styrofoam. You can purchase thin sheets of foam and some spray adhesive at your local craft store for less than half of what you’d pay for a poster frame. You may want to spray paint the visible edges of the foam or cover them with ribbon. And of course, you can cut the foam down to fit any size poster.

Simple yet elegant, a chrome single-handle, center-set design is also designed for function!

Like a unique and dazzling work of art, a new bathroom sink faucet can add a bit of whimsy, set a bold tone or even serve as a central design element in your bathroom décor, giving it designer style and upscale features.

The range of styles and choices has transformed these once strictly utilitarian details into architectural centerpieces.

To give almost any sink a fresh look without spending a fortune, nothing compares with some of the newest designs in faucets.

Add an elegant bowl sink or the modern look of an under-mounted sink, decorative pedestal or vanity and your bathroom will take on a whole new look!

Styles range from barely there wall-mounted faucets to elaborate metal sculptures and come in any number of finishes.

Polished chrome is still the class choice, but other options include satin and polished variations of gold, brass, bronze, nickel and stainless steel. You’ll find dozens of bathroom sink faucet options with simple yet strong lines and sensuous detailing.

His and hers sinks in the master bath is a great way to add style and function with a single effort. Understated bathroom sink faucets give more emphasis to design elements such as under-mounted sinks, natural stone and design accents.

Of course, the standards are still available and Rafter Tales can help you discover that these time-honored designs have fresher, ever more unique and stylish looks today. Bathroom faucets are available with plenty of options to work within your personal budget, function and design requirements.

Some bathroom sink faucets have also been upgraded in the technology department and include sensors that detect changes in pressure and temperature when water is being turned on at another faucet in the house. Some even have anti-scald features. Today, aside from serving a much-needed function, bathroom sink faucets also add sparkle and can act as the finishing touch on your bathroom design.

Soft curves and a brass finish match the feminine design of this makeup vanity.

Before You Begin …

Even with finer details like your bathroom sink faucet, there is plenty to consider before making your choice. You need to take a long hard look at what you’re working with. To help you, we’ve narrow it down to four important areas; Space, Budget, Function, Style.

The space and function you are working with will determine the layout, size and type of bathroom sink faucet you can include. Consider the routine of your bathroom sink: Tall, arching profiles won’t interfere with the basin if you’re bathing a baby or washing hair.

Lower spouts, whether straight or curved, offer an increased rush of water but less clearance and typically require a deeper bowl. Your new bathroom sink faucet gives you the chance to correct all those annoying limitations that bathroom design can cause so make the most of this opportunity and consider your needs.

And then there’s style to consider. Although a smaller detail, your bathroom sink faucet influences the way the space will feel. Determining your tastes will help you decide the materials, fittings and artwork in your faucet choice to figure out the style just right for you.

In the bathroom fixtures market today there are endless design options to work within the final factor to consider; your budget. Consider everything carefully and your final result will be both functional and pleasurable; an investment to last as long as your home.

Bathroom Faucet Types

The different types of faucets available for the bathroom can be distinguished by the way the unit’s handles and spouts are arranged. There are four faucet types to choose from:

• Single-handle faucets are most commonly used in the bath. They have one spout and one handle that control the flow of both hot and cold water. They are generally safer and more convenient to use that their two-handled counterparts. With practise you can find the temperature first try. You can also turn the water on with your elbow or wrist when your hands are full or dirty.
• Center-set faucets combine a spout and handle in one unit making them very easy to use. These faucets have either single-handle or double-handle controls. Most are designed for a three-hole basin, with the outside holes spaced 4 inches from center to center. However, some have a single-post design that requires only one hole.

Add style and function with a two-handle wide spread bathroom sink faucet set if you like to control hot and cold water for that perfect temperature.
• Wide-spread faucets have hot and cold valves and spouts that are mounted separately. The connection for them is concealed below the sink deck. You can individualize them even more if they are mounted on a countertop next to the sink. For example, you can place the spout on a rear corner and the handles off to one side. They work well for wall-mounted applications or for hard-to-fit high-design sinks and tubs. This type of faucet offers a more traditional look than single-handle faucets and you can combine different style handles and spouts for a custom look.
• Wall-mount faucets are attached to the wall as opposed to the sink or the counter. These faucets are designed for unusually shaped sink, such as antique bowls or other vessels that have been modified for use in the bath.

Bathroom Faucet “Centers”

When shopping for faucets, you’ll need to know about “centers”; the distance between the center of one handle and the center of the other. Faucets mounted on the basin usually have 4-inch centers but can come in 6 or 8 inches. Wall-mounted faucets can come in 4 ½-inch and 6-inch centers. If you are replacing an old faucet, the easiest thing to do is take it with you to purchase a new one.

Bathroom Sink Faucet Forms and Finishes

Faucet finishes vary from the standard chrome and brass to pewter and nickel. There are also combinations of finishes, such as chrome and nickel. Higher-end prices faucets include bisque and ceramic finishes and fine metal overlays of gold or sterling silver for detailing.

Classic chrome bath sink faucets remain the most popular and affordable choice.

The most important aspect to pay attention to when making your decision is the craftsmanship of the product. Solid cast-brass is the best quality and longest lasting. Plastic varieties are cheap but do not perform as well.

You want to find a faucet that is fine plated finished, with no visible seams; good quality means your faucet will last longer and you won’t be disappointed.

Where it is possible, you want to choose a faucet finish that will give your bathroom a unified appearance. There are plenty of color options; even for faucets with a metallic finish.

You’ll find everything from classic polished or satin chrome to brushed nickel with deep bronze tones.

Selecting a painted or enamel finish will really allow you to coordinate your faucets with the rest of your bathroom design scheme.

Bathroom Faucet Finishes

To make the job easier, here is a breakdown of the advantages and disadvantages of each bathroom sink faucet finish:

• Classic chrome gleams beautifully in modern bathrooms. Chrome finishes come polished, brushed or matte. Polished chrome is extremely hard, easily cleaned, and doesn’t oxidize. Brushed or matte chrome on the other hand, has a softer appearance and is as durable as polished chrome. Inexpensive chrome simply sprayed over plastic parts tends to peel, so you want to make sure the faucet you buy is metal.
• Brass finishes will update any bathroom to a classic style, offering a subtle, sophisticated look. Brass fixtures are available in polished, satin, and antique finishes. Look for those with titanium finishes, which resist scratching, fading and corrosion - problems common to faucets in standard brass finishes.
• Baked enamel or epoxy coatings are available in many colors and are easy to clean. However, they’re prone to chipping and fading over time, and some chemicals can damage their color.
• Gold plate come in polished, brushed or matte finishes and has great visual appeal. Quality gold resists tarnish whereas matte finishes hide scratches. These fixtures are expensive, and quality can vary. It is important for the manufacturer to seal the finish or the gold remains vulnerable to damage.
• Nickel is the perfect finish to create an antique bathroom atmosphere. Nickel finishes are available in polished, brushed, or matte finishes, and offers a softer tone than hard chrome. Like gold, these fixtures are expensive and the quality will vary depending on the manufacturer.

Bathroom Faucet Brands

To set you in the right direction to achieve the perfect look and performance from your bathroom sink faucet, here are some of the leading brands manufacturing faucets today:

From modern to traditional, the array of options in bathroom sink fixtures in the major brands today is nearly endless.

Danze - Within the US, Danze has swiftly become a leading force in manufacturing bath and shower faucets. Danze boasts thousands of products to choose from with plenty of choice in styles and finishes. Danze has a great customer service and warranties to guarantee your satisfaction.

Delta Faucet - Hundreds of faucets and valves come from Delta Faucet Company in a number of brands such as Delta, Brizo and Peerless. Delta Faucet Company is one of the largest faucet manufacturers in the world.

Grohe - Specializing in faucets for both bathrooms and kitchens, Grohe produces products for a range of interior styles. Grohe can offer faucets for everything from a classical style through to the latest sleek, modern designs.

Kohler - For over a century, Kohler have manufactured quality fixtures and fittings for bathrooms and kitchens. Kohler’s 31,000 worldwide associates is testament to the high quality product Kohler produces.

Moen - Has a long reputation for innovation and quality. Moen are experienced in the business as the original producers of the single-handed faucet. The fantastic warranties and toll-free consumer help to assist with all your consumer needs ensured Moen will be offering outstanding products and service for plenty of years to come.

Like the design style, these gardens are lush but welcoming. Imagine looking out the window and seeing a grove of fruit trees or sitting in your yard with your morning coffee under a beautiful arbor, watching the sun rise.

Mediterranean Garden Characteristics

Mediterranean Gardens have an almost opulent feel to them, but they’re definitely far from formal. They combine straight lines and geometric layouts with simple, low key stonework, a charming mixture of all kinds of plants and flowers, and comfortable outdoor furniture that invites visitors to sit and enjoy the view a little while longer.

There are also variations within the category of Mediterranean gardens. You could try to evoke more of an Italian feel by using a small number of plants per bed to allow each specimen to really shine, using a lot of statuary, and relying on interesting shapes in trees and shrubbery to create a pleasing view.

You could try a Greek garden, with large, ground level fountains or water features, stone steps planted with trimmed grass, and overgrown paths surrounded by lush ground cover. Or evoke a Spanish garden feel with lush blooms in reds and oranges, accented by some Spanish tile in the furnishings or hung as garden decorations.

As you can see, you have a lot of options within the category of Mediterranean gardens, so how do you know that you’ve got one? That’s a tough question. You might define Mediterranean gardens as plants that use native Mediterranean plants. This is a common definition. However, you could also define Mediterranean as a style. So a garden that mimics the style of Italian, Greek, or Spanish gardens would qualify.

Mediterranean Garden Layout

• You can integrate both straight lines and curved, meandering paths into a Mediterranean garden, so carefully consider what you want. Generally, eating and gathering areas are defined by geometric shapes, so you might consider a circular patio for eating, surrounded by twisting paths that ramble throughout the garden
• Stone is a common feature of Mediterranean gardens. Pale, smooth stones are more common than rough hewn, rustic ones. Consider integrating stone into retaining walls, pathways, decorative elements, and furnishings
• Another common material for pathways is brick. If you’re looking for more of a Mediterranean countryside feel, consider using brick pathways and allow the grass or groundcover to infiltrate between the cracks
• Water is another important element in this style of gardening. You might decide to use a classical style fountain with moving water, or you may just integrate a long, low, flat water feature. Stone rimmed pools are very common features in Mediterranean gardens and they do a good job of filling long, narrow spaces

Plants to Use in a Mediterranean Garden

Mediterranean gardeners combine a variety of plant types in their gardens. It’s not uncommon to see flowers, herbs, fruit trees, and succulents all in the same garden. Certainly, if you want a traditional Mediterranean garden, you should stick to the plants that they use.

However, if these plants aren’t suited to your climate (and unless you live in California, they probably aren’t), does that mean that you’re going to have to pass your dream garden by in favor of something that is more suited to your area? Of course not. Some of the species favored by Mediterranean gardeners are still usable up to Zone 4, and you can use similar plants if necessary. If a grove of orange trees isn’t going to withstand the frost, try planting a grove of apple trees instead.

Some popular flower choices for a Mediterranean Garden include:

• Cyprus
• Euphorbia
• Evergreen
• Lavender
• Myrtle
• Oleander
• Olive
• Poppy
• Rosemary
• Sage

Mediterranean Garden Accessory Suggestions

• Common furniture materials:
  • Wrought iron
  • Wood
• Some accessory ideas to integrate into your Mediterranean Garden include:
  • Use a stone urn or birdbath as a focal point in a flower bed or a patio area
  • Mark the entrance to the garden or eating area with a pair of matched pillars. Consider topping them with trailing plants or garden globes
  • Use a trellis covered in climbing plants as a “wall” to section off an eating area

But you don’t have to be doomed to bare ground with only a few evergreens to break up the monotony. Why not try a woodland garden? This casual style works very well in shady areas, creating a retreat that is easy to care for and very attractive too. Woodland gardens work particularly well with homes that are placed on wooded lots as well as rustic style homes.

Trees offer shade and pools of light that can create romantic vignettes in your woodland landscaping.

Woodland Garden History

Natural looking gardens didn’t really become popular until the late 1800s. Before that, formal gardens with geometric patterns, dramatic blooms, and lots of fountains were pretty much the norm. But a book called The Wild Garden helped to make more natural garden themes, like those found in woodland gardens or prairie gardens, an increasingly popular choice.

Woodland Garden Characteristics

Woodland gardens have a lot of advantages. If you’re sick of mowing, can’t stand to rake leaves, and don’t like the idea of all of those fertilizers and insecticides being released into the environment, why not remove your backyard and replace it with a woodland paradise?

Woodland gardens require no mowing or raking and need very little maintenance overall. Simply fertilizing the soil is usually enough to keep the plants happy and healthy. You may, however, run into some problems with animals that see your garden as the ideal place to live or lunch. Depending on the animal in question, there are some natural deterrents such as castor oil or human hair that you can use, or you can help to keep them out with a nice sturdy wall.

Stone is a natural choice for paths, walkways and informal patio areas in a woodland style garden.

If you have a sunny lot but love walking through the woods so much that you want a woodland garden, it’s still possible. Instead of trying to evoke the feeling of the deep woods, instead, think of recreating a woodland meadow, using wildflowers that are more sun tolerant.

You can still use some of the more shade friendly varieties along the border; simply plant them under some new trees or shrubs. As your trees grow, you can gradually change your approach to suit the new environment.

Smaller yards can also be turned into woodland gardens, but you’re going to run into a few problems there. Obviously, you can’t fit a lot of trees into a small space, so you may need to try some dwarf varieties or shrubs. You also may have a problem with the leaves.

One of the greatest advantages of having a woodland garden is the ability to delay leaf removal or avoid it altogether. After all, no one goes through the woods to take out all of the leaves, do they?

But in a small space without many large trees, the wind is going to pick up those leaves, and they’ll end up all over someone’s yard. Either you or your neighbors is going to be rather unhappy in the end. So with smaller gardens, you will probably still need to remove the leaves, but you can simply mulch them and put them right back onto the beds.

Woodland Garden Layout

In the spirit of a woodland path, steer away from stick straight paths and borders. Meandering pathways over uneven land really evoke the woodsy feel, although by all means, make sure that the paths are well maintained enough to walk on them safely

Some good materials for pathways include wood chips, pine needles, gravel and brick. You might be tempted to leave them bare just like a path you’d find in the woods, but it’s not the best of ideas. Covering the pathways will help to define them better and keep your plants from covering them while you’re not looking

Plant some larger plant species around the border of the garden. This should help to block out traffic noise and the ugly garden flags that your neighbor insists on hanging outside. If you’re really in a high traffic, high noise area, try blocking out the world with a low garden wall. Rock is probably the best option there

Consider bordering pathways or beds with hosta. They make a great leaf trap and help to keep plants from spreading into areas where they don’t belong. All you need to do is divide them periodically

Plants to Use in a Woodland Garden

Plant flowers like Rohdodendron and Hydrangea which do well in mixed sun and shade.

One way to keep your woodland garden as low maintenance as possible is to research native woodland plants from your area. These species are already well suited for the soil type in your region, which means you’ll be spending less time working organic materials into the soil before you plant. They are also tolerant of your climate. It should be relatively easy to learn about your options.

Try visiting the nature center at one of your local parks, or if you’re more of a do it yourself type, you can hit the trails with a wildflower guide and try to identify some species on your own. Just make sure to select species that are well suited for the amount of sun you’ll have in your garden. And if you have a lot of trees, you may want to seek out some dry shade plants. Trees suck up a lot of water, so the plants you select should be draught tolerant.

Some popular flower choices for a Woodland Garden include:

• Fern
• Forget-me-not
• Foxglove
• Hosta
• Hydrangea
• Periwinkle
• Poppy
• Rhododendron
• Trillium

You might also consider adding some wild berries like strawberry or blackberry to a larger woodland garden. Think about how enjoyable it would be to take a basket out into the backyard to pick some fresh berries to go with supper.

The soothing sound of a small waterfall or other water feature will enhance your woodland garden theme.

Woodland Garden Accessory Suggestions

• Common furniture materials:
  • Wicker
  • Bamboo
  • Wood
• Some accessory ideas to integrate into your Woodland Garden include:
  • Convert an old log or stump into a creative planter
  • Place large, flat boulders along a long path in place of benches. Help visitors understand their purpose by setting an outdoor friendly pillow on top
  • Line a long path with birdhouses or butterfly houses to inject a little color into the environment

Wild flowers and grasses enhance the natural look and appeal of the prairie gardening theme.

Picture fields of tall grasses and wildflowers growing in the breeze and you’ve got the basic idea behind a prairie garden.

Prairie gardens mimic this natural look, and they have a lot of advantages that may make them the right choice for you.

They help to preserve native wildflower species that may be in danger due to over-development and elimination of prairie habitats

They require less maintenance in terms of mowing and weeding, which means less money spent on gas for the mower and less time spent in your gardening gloves.

Prairie gardens also don’t require as much pesticide or fertilizer use as a regular garden or yard, and they’re also attractive to butterflies, birds, and other forms of wildlife.

Read on to learn more about how to design your prairie garden landscape!

Prairie Garden History

Prairies used to be a common sight from Texas all the way up into Canada and from Colorado all the way across to Ohio. In fact, the prairie habitat was the most common of them all. Unfortunately, about 99% of those prairies have been eliminated through new construction, and native plants are being choked out by invasive species.

The removal of habitat has affected both plant and animal life, and recent interest in conservation has led many people to start looking for more natural ways to maintain their yards and gardens. The prairie garden is a natural offspring of those efforts.

Prairie Garden Characteristics

When you picture a prairie garden in your mind, you may be thinking of tall, unkempt looking grasses that would obscure your grass and make your neighbors think that you’re too lazy to mow. On the contrary, prairie gardens can be natural looking without bothering your neighbors or losing your mailbox in a sea of ornamental grasses.

There are actually different kinds of prairies, which are mainly identified by the size of the grasses and plants that grow there. Prairies range from tall grasses to short grasses, so you should have no problem finding something that will suit your landscape and satisfy your neighbors at the same time.

Natural rock planting beds work well in the prairie garden style, giving form and structure without detracting from the natural shape of your prairie garden layout.

In order to make your prairie garden a success, it’s best to start off with an empty slate. This means that you don’t want any plants in the area. If you’re lucky enough to have a completely empty bed, terrific! But if you’re converting an area or an entire yard into a prairie vista, you’ll need to make sure to completely eliminate all of the plants in the area.

There are really three ways to accomplish this. You can cover the area with a tarp or a thick layer of newspaper held carefully in place with rocks or brick. The unfortunate part about this process is that it takes about two months to completely kill off grasses, so if you’re working with an area that’s visible from the street, this may not be the best choice for you.

The second choice is to completely turn the soil once, and then again in two weeks, and then a third time in two more weeks. The last and quickest method is to use a herbicide containing glyphosate.

Since the prairie garden is mainly made up of grasses and wildflowers, it is easily taken over by weeds and woody plants, so your main task will be to pull out plants that don’t belong. By removing sprouts before they turn into saplings, you’ll protect your delicate ornamental grasses. Also, since your plants are relatively small, most species will have fairly shallow roots. Most prairie plants don’t respond well to wet, marshy places, but in a draught you’ll definitely need to give them a little water.

Prairie Garden Layout

• You want a natural look in a prairie garden, but still follow some basic garden design principles. Plant your tall grasses and flowers at the back of your beds and the borders of your garden. They’re especially handy when it comes to obscuring ugly views and blocking our sounds.
• Place smaller species up front where they can be seen and enjoyed
• Plant species in clumps, but mix up the flowers in each area to create a pleasing combination of colors and shapes. When you think of a field of wildflowers, you see a sprinkling of color throughout the area rather than a concentration of flowers in one specific area. As best as you can, try to mimic that
• Even though you’re trying to create a natural prairie look, you can and should still select flowers for dramatic impact. Border a gate or entryway with some bright colors or showy blooms not found elsewhere in the garden, or highlight a particularly impressive species by showcasing it in a planter
• Pathways can be any material you like. If you favor gravel or woodchips, however, you’ll need to do some upkeep to make sure that the area stays plant-free. Another attractive option is to lay pavers or fieldstone and allow some groundcover to become established in the gaps between the stones
• It’s a good idea to start with at least a few potted plants. Remember that seeds take a long time to grow, and you should be starting with a blank slate. You’ll have a lot of hard work keeping invasive plants out of the area while waiting for your seeds to germinate, and then you’re not going to have flowers for a season or two

Plants to Use in a Prairie Garden

When it comes to establishing a prairie garden, you get double duty in terms of plant selection. Not only do you need to select the wildflower species, but you also need to select some grasses.

You can limit yourself exclusively to taller grasses or shorter ones, or you can mix the two in the same area to create a graded effect. Some tall grasses that you might consider include big bluestem, bottlebrush grass, and switchgrass. Some common and attractive short grasses include little bluestem, palm sedge, and vanilla sweetgrass.

Plant wildflowers such as prairie roses to give your garden design the wild and natural look of the American prairie landscape.

Some popular flower choices for a Prairie Garden include:

• Aster
• Black eyed susan
• Columbine
• Coneflower
• Coreopsis
• Indigo
• Milkweed
• Orchid
• Phlox
• Sunflower

Prairie Garden Accessory Suggestions

Some accessory ideas to integrate into your Prairie Garden include:

• Place a rustic wooden bench or swing along a long path so that visitors can sit and watch the grasses sway in the breeze
• Display a collection of old metal watering cans. You could display them in a bunch or use them to line a pathway
• Place brightly painted birdhouses on tall posts in the middle of a field or bed of wildflowers

Transform your yard into a tropical paradise with a canopy of palm trees.

Do you have a special place in your heart for warm weather and the resort vibe? Want to recreate a little of that tropical flair that you enjoy while on vacation in your backyard? Why not plant a tropical style garden?

It’s possible to mimic the tropical feel even if you live in the Midwest; it just takes a little extra planning and a splash of creativity. The tropical garden is made up of big plants and bright colors; it’s just a matter of finding species that will work well in your climate. In these gardens, you’ll end up with a tropical feel even if the plants technically aren’t tropical species.

Tropical Garden History

Interest in tropical gardens has developed along with rainforest conservation efforts. Now, many zoos and botanical gardens feature native tropical varieties from Africa and South America. Some of the largest and most successful tropical gardens include the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, located on the Big Island, and the National Tropical Botanical Garden, located on Maui.

You don’t need to go to Hawaii to enjoy a visit to a tropical paradise, though. Many zoos feature permanent indoor gardens that you can visit even if you live in a in cooler climate.

If you have space a water feature such as this koi pond will enhance the tropical feeling of your garden design.

Tropical Garden Characteristics

As noted above, tropical gardens rely on bright colors and big plants. If you think of a jungle or rainforest, the plants aren’t meek little varieties that fade into the background. And in order to mimic that look, you need a lot of foliage to fill the space.

You still need to maintain the plants to keep them healthy, but otherwise you’ll want to let them grow wild. Let them crowd your paths. Plant varieties that will grow tall enough to block out the surrounding area so that visitors to your garden can pretend just for a moment that they’re out in the Caribbean somewhere.

Use hanging plants to give your tropical garden the vertical foiliage you would find in a rain forest or jungle climate.

You might think that if you’ve got a smaller space that a tropical garden is out of your reach. That isn’t true at all. You can still create a jungle-like atmosphere with a mix of dramatic colors and by filling the space completely.

Consider planting around the outside of a small patio so that you’ve still got room for a table and chairs. This allows you to use larger scale plants without crowding people while they dine.

You’ll also get a great jungle vibe by planting a few large species that overhang the table and block out the neighbors and street sounds.

Overall, you want the garden area to look as natural as possible. This means freeform shapes rather than geometrically perfect squares and straight lines. Naturally undulating ground as opposed to perfectly flat landscaping. And natural touches like rocks or boulders placed in beds or as seats along a long and winding path.

Plants should also look natural. By all means, prune them. Take care of them and keep them healthy. But if you feel the need to prune your plants into pretty shapes, tropical gardening may not be the right choice for you. Instead, let your plants grow lush and natural.

Tropical Garden Layout

• Your layout should be as far from formal as possible. Twisting or winding paths, overgrown edges, and natural shapes in your plants each contribute to the tropical atmosphere
• Pathways can be simple gravel or woodchip paths, or you can use stone or brick to create something a little easier to travel on

Even a small space such as this courtyard benefit from the tropical style of landscape design.
• If you live in a cooler climate, plant perennials, trees, and shrubs that won’t die off at the first sign of frost. Then you can fill in with bright annuals once the weather is warm enough or use some pots to plant the more delicate species. These can easily be moved outside once it’s warm enough, and they also give the added benefit of a little tropical flair when you move them inside for the winter
• Within each bed, mix and match the plants. Again, you’re not looking for formal beds with the largest plants in a nice straight line in the back of the bed. Think of how plants naturally spread; plant them in smaller clumps and really mix up the colors, sizes, and textures to make each bed as lush as possible
• Don’t forget to make the most of your furnishings too. Low key or country style accessories and furnishings aren’t going to work well at all. If your space permits, create an opulent outdoor room, complete with pillows in an outdoor fabric, tiki lamps for light and ambience, or hanging lanterns

Plants to Use in a Tropical Garden

When it comes to a tropical garden, you want to fill the space as best you can. Choose big plants: i.e. tall or wide species. A combination of the two will create a nice jungle-like atmosphere.

Use Tiki torches to give your tropical landscape the feeling of Polynesia!

Species with large leaves are also a good choice. This doesn’t mean that you’re not allowed to select some smaller blooms by any stretch of the imagination, but a garden full of small plants isn’t going to quite capture that tropical feel.

The next thing to consider in terms of plant selection is color. Color doesn’t just have to be limited to blooms, although of course those will be very important in your tropical garden. Plants like coleus have colored foliage that holds up well in cooler climates and injects a lot of color.

When it comes to selecting colors for flowers and plants in a tropical garden, a wide variety works best. Mixing bright, vibrant tones like kiwi, bright red, orange, and purple is a good choice.

Some popular choices for a Tropical Garden include:

• Arum
• Begonia
• Canna
• Coleus
• Dahlia
• Fern
• Magnolia
• Nasturtium
• Palm
• Salvia
• Sedum

Add a small outdoor firepit to give your tropical landscape wartmth and light in the evenings.

Tropical Garden Accessory Suggestions

Some accessory ideas to integrate into your Tropical Garden include:

• Give your dining area a little Tiki Hut flair with grass skirts and Tiki masks
• Add a fire pit (check out your local regulations to find out what’s acceptable and what isn’t)
• Set out some teak furniture with plush cushions and plenty of table space for drinks and snacks

A nautical or ocean theme can be understated as this classic bedroom design shows.

The Ocean may be one of the most intriguing and stylish themes for home décor. With myriad colors, patterns and design elements from which to choose, you can decorate any room in your home with a nautical theme.

Think of it; seashells, lobster buoys, fish, sailboats, yachting pennants, surfboards, maritime art … the list of nautical design theme elements is nearly endless! Versatile and timeless, the sea has long been used as an interior design motif.

From casual and rustic to ultra modern and formal, you’ll find plenty of ideas, tips and images in this guide to help you create a unique and elegant nautical interior design!

Nautical Colors with Style

While blue and white, navy and khaki or sea green and yellow are typical ocean décor color schemes you can use accent colors such as red, orange or purple to liven things up and brighten the natural color palette of sea and sand. With accessories like yachting flags, lobster buoys, etc. you can add plenty of color to your nautical décor theme.

Use natural colors and textures by introducing the rustic look of driftwood or the mariner’s look of mahogany or other hardwoods with a natural finish into your room décor.

If you are a boater or live near the water, then a nautical theme will connect your home to the outdoor environment you love so much and nothing brings a feeling of serenity and elegance to a room like the sea!

What son would not love to have this elegant seafaring bedroom theme? While a custom bed platform shaped like a boat may be more than you would do it certainly makes a great focal point!

Formal or Casual

Rely mostly on color to establish a formal room décor with subtle hints of the sea in design elements and motifs you select; a little bit of nautical décor can go a long way.

Faux painting can transform a room like this nautical-themed bathroom into an undersea scene!

Use Asian or English furniture for a formal feel, with subtle lines, shapes and patterns that hint at a nautical theme without being too cliché or over the top. Beaded board and painted white wainscoting will give your nautical-themed room a more formal feeling.

For a more casual and rustic feel, you can use nautical ropes, nets, a sailing ship wheel, porthole windows and other maritime antiques to give your room décor the feeling of an old sailing ship, yacht, fishing boat, surf shop or other favorite nautical theme.

Don’t Over Do your Nautical Theme

While a pond yacht or model sailing ship can become a great centerpiece, you don’t want to over do things with lots of boats. The sophisticated nautical theme will incorporate design elements that are subtle but unmistakably help the room feel like going to the beach, stepping onto a ship or visiting a quaint fishing village without being cluttered or tasteless. Finding the right balance is a matter of personal choice as well as how formal or informal you want the room to feel.

Throw pillows with embroidered or printed images of the sea or nautical elements will help pull your nautical room design together nicely.

Use Paintings, Sculpture and Artwork

One way to help unify your nautical décor theme will be to select artwork that ties together, such as images of fish and sea life, the beach, fishing boats or another favorite nautical theme. Or, you might try mixing up the subjects of your artwork but using a common frame to tie them all together.

Nautical Pillows and Upholstery

Another way to infuse the feel of the sea without going too far overboard is to select throw pillows or blankets, area rugs and other accessories that use a fish, boat, shell or other motif in the fabric prints, embroidery, texture of fabric, etc.

Display Nautical Collections

If you like to collect sea shells, coral, lobster buoys, yachting and signal flags or something similar, you can display such items to enhance your nautical theme; in fact this is exactly how many people decide to give their home or a room the nautical décor treatment in the first place!

Make your own nautical theme room accessories like this sea shell wreath, made using a hot-glue gun.

Trimming Nautical Home Accessories with Shells

Use a hot-glue gun to attach sea shells to accessories including mirrors, lamps, and picture frames.

Mixing Finishes and Trim

Try mixing finishes by using high-gloss trim against off-matte painted walls. Use beaded-board wainscoting or chair rails to add depth and interest to your walls.

Creating Contrast and Pattern

Use stripes, sea shell or other patterns to add interest in your nautical-themed rom. Create contrast by using white slipcovers on dark wood-finished furniture, or navy blue on natural wicker to give your nautical décor an elegant look.

Fabric choices can really help add contrast and refrains in your nautical décor using elements such as piping, monograms, embroidered designs or printed patterns.

Grounding Your Nautical Décor Theme

While the sea is a great theme for your room, you may wish to incorporate elements that also tie your theme to the shore; use driftwood, shells, sand dollars, starfish or other beachside items to “ground” your nautical décor.

Echo the feel of sand and sea by using a color combination that mimics the colors of the beach, with warm tones like beige against the cool color of navy blue or sea green.

Something as simple as this sailboat mobile hung over a baby crib can infuse your room with a subtle feeling of the sea.

Nautical Décor Accent Pieces and Accessories

You can shop at local antique or specialty home décor stores to find items such as an anchor, buoys or crab traps for your nautical room theme. Wide wood plank flooring will give your room the feel of a ship’s deck or a seaside dock. Accessories like fish netting, a ship’s wheel, a nautical brass clock or barometer, antique brass spyglass, some rope ladders or brass lanterns will enhance the nautical feeling of your theme.

Consider using wall art to add a nautical touch as well. Paintings or prints of seascapes, ships at sea, sailboats, shell fish or other ocean scenes will help bring your nautical theme to life.

Decorative pillows, runners and area rugs can also help set a nautical theme in a living room, bedroom or other nautical themed room in your home and add comfort and warmth in addition to supporting your nautical room design. Use an old lobster or crap pot with a piece of glass on top to make a rustic nautical coffee table.

Tasteful and elegant, the Argonaut Hotel in San Francisco demonstrates what can be achieved with a nautical bedroom theme.

Additional Nautical Décor Tips

• Your home doesn’t have to be near the sea to have a nautical theme; whether you are decorating a single room in your home or looking a for a theme to carry throughout your home décor, colors and images of the sea will create a soothing, relaxing atmosphere regardless where you live!
• Images of lighthouses are a great way to decorate your nautical-themed room and you can have great fun traveling to various historic lighthouses, taking photos you can enlarge and hang on the wall or buying collectible lighthouse sculptures.

You have a variety of nautical themes from which to select. Here a surfing theme works well with bright yellow color scheme.
• If you have a fireplace, think about ways you can give it a seafaring look by hanging a wooden oar over the mantel, using hardwood or sandstone to create the fireplace surround or using nautical accessories to adorn the mantel.
• You might consider mixing up different nautical themes in various rooms in your home; using a rustic fishing theme in one room and a more refined, elegant ocean-side décor in another. The variations on ocean, sea and nautical themes are wide enough that you can mix them while using the nautical theme to give your home interior an integral design that carries from one room to another.
• For a more understated nautical theme, pick the sand and sea color scheme you like and don’t overdo the accessories; you’ll find that a subtle theme may be more to your liking and can add pieces in time so that you don’t suddenly feel your home looks like a maritime museum!
   

Roses add color and drama to any home landscape design!

If you have a love for old fashioned, traditional blooms, heady scents, and dramatic plants, rose gardening might just be the right choice for you.

Rose gardens don’t require much in the way of special requirements: just some good soil and a willingness on your part to spend some time out there taking care of your rose bushes (and a pair of good gardening gloves to protect your hands from the thorns might be nice.) If you’re a rose lover, they’re a terrific option to get some low cost blooms onto your table.

Depending on their layout, rose gardens can be very formal or casual, almost like a country garden.

Take the time to consider how you plan to use your garden and how it will integrate with the interior and exterior of your home. Then choose a layout and types of roses that work well with the feeling that you want to create.

Rose Garden History

Once upon a time, roses could only be found in the Middle East. Rose products such as perfume and medicines were an expensive export in other parts of the world. They became in such demand that the Romans soon imported a variety of rose species and established the rose gardens in the southern part of the city.

Roses have always carried a lot of symbolism. High society suitors used to spend hours crafting complex bouquets that would convey their exact thoughts to the recipient. Red roses, of course, symbolize love, for example. White ones symbolize purity. Yellow used to mean jealousy, but the meaning has been changed to friendship. And there was also the War of the Roses in England, in which York supporters wore white roses and Lancaster supporters wore red ones.

Use climbing roses to add verticality in your rose garden.

Rose Garden Characteristics

Of course rose gardens feature a variety of rose species throughout the area, although the plant selection doesn’t need to be limited exclusively to roses. In fact, you’ll want to select some foliage at the very least to fill in spaces. However, the good news is that many rose species grow quite large, so they’ll fill in an area quite nicely. There’s nothing like walking down a long path bordered with fragrant rose bushes.

There are actually many different varieties of roses that you’ll need to select from. Depending on your garden plan, you may want one of the old fashioned species roses, which haven’t been altered. Repeat bloomers or floribunda flower frequently during the summer, which is a good thing if you plan to cut some periodically throughout the season. Shrub roses are a little smaller and more compact, and they do better in cold winter weather. Hybrid tea roses are free branching and a good basic rose. Any combination of roses will work for a rose garden. If you’re new to gardening and looking for some breeds that are easy to maintain and work well in your climate, it’s a simple matter of heading out to your local nursery. They should be happy to make a recommendation or two.

Rose gardens are actually relatively easy to maintain as noted above. One of the most important tasks you can perform is deadheading. Deadheading is a simple process in which you cut off blooms that are starting to fade, before they go to seed. With species that bloom more than once during the season, deadheading is absolutely essential. And even with other species, it’s an important thing to do that will preserve the appearance of your plant and cause it to fill in better.

Rose Garden Layout

No style of garden is as colorful and dtramatic and the rose garden in full bloom.

• One thing to consider carefully is the overall layout. If you plan to install walking paths, you’ll need to make sure that they’re wide enough; otherwise you’ll be constantly poked by the roses growing alongside
• You’ll also need to give larger rosebushes a little extra support, otherwise the weight of their blooms will cause them to topple right over. Sure, you can plant individual stakes for each plant to give them a little help, but also consider planting a row of climbing rosebushes along a stationery object like a white picket fence
• Select an area with good drainage. Roses don’t do well in soil that stays too moist, so if you’re forced to plant in a low, marshy area, you’ll need to create some raised beds to protect your roses from rot
• Consider the views. One of the best things about planting a lot of roses is that they look great close up and far away. Make the most of a long pathway with an arbor or trellis that allows the roses to climb and make a dramatic statement. Mix up the colors or stick with a dramatic monochrome plan

Plants to Use in a Rose Garden

Obviously, you want to plant roses in your Rose Garden, but it’s a mistake to stop there. At minimum, select a few complimentary plants to fill in the gaps and provide a little contrast to highlight the beauty of your roses. For example, you might plant a row of white roses along a long path. This is beautiful enough, but planting a hosta variety with colored leaves in between each of the roses will really make those white blooms pop.

If you’re really a purist and want to plant roses and only roses with no other types of flowers, take the time to select a variety of species that grow at different heights and have different types of foliage. You can plant them with some ornamental shrubs to break up the vista. Just remember that, especially in larger gardens, you need a little variety to keep the eye from becoming bored. Take the time to inject some dramatic pops of color in your roses; find a variety with a particularly vibrant color and use it to highlight an entryway or surround a patio. Integrating this type of variety will help keep your rose garden from being ho hum.

Peonies, Hyacinth, Daisies and other flowers will complement and enhance your rose garden.

Some popular choices for a Rose Garden include:

• Aster
• Bleeding heart
• Daisy
• Hyacinth
• Lily of the valley
• Hosta
• Peony
• Primrose
• Tulip

Rose Garden Accessory Suggestions

Some accessory ideas to integrate into your Rose Garden include:

• Break up a long row of roses with simple stone statues placed between every second or third bush
• Inject a little country flair by planting creeping roses in an old wheelbarrow or wine barrel
• Display a collection in your garden like old metal watering cans or stepping stones. Again, use accessories to inject variety into the view

A water feature with colorful flowers will enhance any style you choose for your home landscape design.

Maybe you have an existing pond in your backyard and would love to build a garden around it. Or maybe you’re so in love with the idea that you’re willing to start from scratch. The fact is that water gardens are very easy to implement in your yard. Besides, who can resist the idea of sitting down with a cool drink next to a trickling waterfall and your very own pond?

Unless you’re blessed with a preexisting pond, you’ll need to do some planning first. First, determine the features you want. Do you want a waterfall? Koi pond or other fish? Plants only?

The more stuff you want in the pond, the larger it will need to be. Select a location where rainwater won’t drain into the pond, carrying fertilizer and muck into your pond. And take the time to map out the pond on the ground to make sure its what you want before you break ground.

Water Garden History

Historically, water features such as ponds and waterfalls were often found in Japanese gardens. The tradition passed from them to the Greeks and Romans, and many European gardens integrated fountains and ponds into their elaborate gardens. After World War II, water gardening became increasingly popular, since many plants and fish varieties were now readily available outside of Japan.

A small waterfall adds the sound and movement of flowing water to your landscape design.

Water Garden Characteristics

Obviously, the central characteristic of your water garden is the water. The shape of your pond or ponds really contributes to the overall vibe of your garden. If you like a more modern, geometric look, try a circular or oval shaped pond. If you like something more natural, use freeform shapes for the water features. If you’d like to be able to walk through the garden, consider a narrow pond with a bridge arching over it. If you plan to create a sitting area next to the pond, orient the pond along the sitting area so that everyone can see it.

While most gardeners spend a lot of time pruning, weeding, and watering, water gardeners have a different set of important tasks. As a water gardener, you’ll need to focus on keeping the pond clean and the nutrients in the water properly balanced. It’s actually rather similar to keeping a fish tank.

You’ll need to keep the water free of debris, maintain the water pump and filters, and periodically test the water. Water can be treated or changed to help keep levels where they ought to be. Even if you don’t have fish in your pond, don’t skip these steps. Murky water will really interfere with your enjoyment of your Water Garden, and if it gets particularly bad, it can kill off some of your delicate plant life.

One concern that many potential water gardeners have is mosquitoes. We’ve all been taught that standing bodies of water attract them, so Water Gardens are a big mistake, right? Actually, that’s not true. Water gardens attract dragonflies and damselflies, and they eat mosquitoes for lunch. So do koi and other fish, for that matter, so your pond will police itself when it comes to mosquitoes. However, you do want to make sure that the water in your garden is circulating properly; little pools of stagnant water should be eliminated just to be safe.

Water Garden Layout

• Once the pond shape has been selected, you’ll need to dig out the area and line it with a waterproof liner. Take the time at this point to step back and consider the overall appearance of the pond and how it works with the surrounding environment. Now is the best time to make changes
• Flat ponds can be pretty boring. Inject a little variety into a flat landscape by building a short rock or slate wall along the back of your pond and plant ferns or other plants along the top
• A waterfall really adds visual interest and helps to aerate the water at the same time. Your waterfall can land right into the main pool, or it can trickle through several levels of pools before it gets to the bottom
• Carefully plan your approach when it comes to placing plants. Move from the center of the pond outwards, placing the larger potted plants in first, followed by the floaters, then smaller potted plants, and edging. Make sure to leave an easy access point that will allow you to test the water without trampling on one of your beautiful plants

A small pond or water feature in your garden will attract wildlife and add natural beauty to the landscaping.

Plants to Use in a Water Garden

Your Water Garden plants not only provide something pretty to look at, but they make important contributions to the little ecosystem that you’re constructing. For example, they offer shelter to your fish and block animals from using your pond as an impromptu bath. You’ll need a variety of different types of plants, including some that grow on the pond’s edges, some that float in the water, and others that are placed in pots that are then placed underwater.

Anacharis is one plant that you’ll definitely want to check out because it consumes nutrients that will allow algae to spread. You’ll probably still need to keep an eye on the algae situation, but anything that helps to keep algae in check is a very good thing. However, if you plan to keep koi, they consider anacharis to be a tasty treat, so you’ll need to protect them.

You’ve got a couple of options when it comes to planting species that are appetizing to your fish. You can create two separate pools connected by a waterfall, and put the anacharis and other species in the upper pool, or you can just use plant protectors.

Cool and refreshing, a water garden gives you the opportunity to use plants that thrive naturally around a pond or stream.

Some popular choices for a Water Garden include:

• Anacharis
• Cattail
• Creeping jenny
• Dwarf papyrus
• Lotus
• Taro
• Water hyacinth
• Water lilies
• Water poppy
• Water willow

Water Garden Accessory Suggestions

Some accessory ideas to integrate into your Water Garden include:

• Install a garden bridge. Try a rustic country style or a streamlined modern version to suit the décor
• Create an imitation island covered in flowers
• Install lanterns in the ground around your pond to illuminate the entire area at night

From 17th century Europe, the formal or knot gardening style incorporates geometric shapes such as squares and circles, givng it structure not found in nature.

If you are a person who likes symmetry; clear, uncluttered lines; and simple ornamentation, a formal or knot garden might be the right choice for you. These two garden types are very similar. The key difference between the two is that knot gardens are generally arranged symmetrically, often with pruned boxwood hedges featured prominently.

Formal gardens may or may not be symmetrical, but as in the knot garden, plants are pruned and cultivated to create a clean and uncluttered look overall.

Whether you plan a symmetrical knot garden layout with plenty of boxwood for edging or just a formal and elegant look overall, these gardens rely heavily on geometric shapes and straight lines. This gives the garden an overall feeling of order and organization not found in other garden styles.

Formal or Knot Garden History

When you think of formal gardens, you may automatically think back to grand palaces like Versailles. French, Italian and English manors or villas also made use of formal gardening, since it made for a pleasant place to stroll despite less than practical clothing and footwear. In fact, most gardens throughout Europe were formal in style through the 17th century. It was only during the early 1700s that more natural landscapes became popular.

Formal or Knot Garden Characteristics

The key to a successful formal garden or knot garden is the layout. Consider plotting out the area on a piece of graph paper or in a garden design program. Integrate straight lines and simple geometric shapes such as squares, rectangles, and circles into the plan. Gentle curves or circles can add some interest, but use them sparingly.

Symmetry and balance play an important role in creating the formal garden style.

Since your garden relies heavily on shapes and lines, it’s absolutely vital to maintain plants properly. While overgrown pathways might look completely natural in a woodland garden, they look unkempt when set in a formal design. Similarly, shrubs and other plantings need to be pruned and maintained regularly into clean shapes to make the most of this design. Suffice to say that if you’re interested in a low maintenance garden, formal style might not be the best choice for you.

Formal gardens lean more towards the uncluttered look, as opposed to the more natural mishmash of plant species found in styles like the country garden. Rather than planting a bed with a great variety of species, consider two or three, and plant them in symmetrical rows or squares to add to the feeling of order and simplicity.

You may even elect to use a monochromatic color scheme when it comes to flowers. One popular choice is to select only plants with white blooms, which look terrific against the dark green foliage of boxwood and other shrubs. Or perhaps you’d prefer selecting two or three complimentary colors to mix things up a bit while still maintaining the formal appeal of the layout.

All of this focus on symmetry and order may start to feel a little constraining. It’s certainly acceptable to deliberately break the mold in a formal garden, so long as you do it deliberately and with good reason. For example, you might have a long pathway leading to a gazebo or dining area in your formal garden.

Even if you’ve limited yourself to white plantings throughout the rest of the garden, flanking the entryway to the dining area with red blooms for example really makes the most of the vista and draws attention. Use pops of color or an unexpected curved line to draw the eye to your favorite views, plants, or gathering areas.

If you have limited space in your garden, you could design a miniature knot garden!

It wouldn’t be right to discuss a formal garden without at least mentioning a topiary. As you may know, the topiary is an evergreen that is pruned into a specific shape or image.

Topiary shapes may include geometric patterns such as windmills or crosses or something a little more complex and fanciful like rabbits or elephants.

Generally, more complex topiaries look out of proportion in smaller gardens. If you have a smaller space but just can’t resist the allure of a topiary, consider creating a smaller geometric shape that won’t overwhelm the space.

Formal or Knot Garden Layout

• As noted above, pathways should be straight, with the occasional curve thrown in for interest. Flower beds are generally made of simple geometric shapes
• Consider traditional pavers like stone, brick, or concrete blocks for pathways. Choose geometric shapes that compliment your flower beds
• As with all gardens, you want your plantings to be visible, so plant the largest species in the back or center of the bed. With the formal arrangement, it’s also good to focus on symmetry and shape, so try to make sure that your plantings and accessories are all balanced appropriately
• If your garden is hilly, you need to level the playing field as much as possible. Even gentle hills will interfere with the straight lines of the garden and make them look a little lopsided. You can spend a lot of time moving dirt around or you can take the time to flatten the area where the pathway will lie and use the extra dirt to create raised flowerbeds
• However you choose to plant, define the pathways with an evergreen like boxwood, geometric edging material, low stone walls, or something. Otherwise, the upkeep necessary to keep the edges of your paths clean will likely drive you loopy

Plants to Use in a Formal or Knot Garden

Topiaries and hedges trimmed to form square or circular shapes are the hallmark of a good formal garden design.

Generally, plants found in a formal garden are traditional rather than exotic. Rather than firey colors and showy blooms, you’re looking for something that has classic lines and restrained colors.

If the space is large enough to accommodate it, consider planting a small arbor in one area of the garden. Symmetric rows of fruit bearing trees are attractive and work well in a formal setting, and there’s nothing that beats heading out to the garden to pick some fresh fruit for an afternoon snack.

Some popular choices for a Formal Garden include:

• Boxwood
• Evergreen
• Hosta
• Hydrangea
• Marigold
• Morning glory
• Peony
• Primrose
• Rose
• Violet

Knot Gardens often integrate attractive and aromatic herbs like thyme, marjoram, lemon balm, and rosemary into the mix.

Formal or Knot Garden Accessory Suggestions

Flowers and foliage should be selected for contrast and complementary colors when designing your formal garden.

• Furniture materials:
  • Wood
  • Wrought iron
  • Stone
• Some accessory ideas to integrate into your Formal or Knot Garden include:
  • Place Grecian urns filled with flowers at regular intervals along a pathway
  • Flank a bench with two traditional hanging lanterns
  • Integrate a small number of choice stone or concrete pieces in traditional shapes such as pineapples or globes