A Southwestern theme design at the Baker Residence

Whether you have a small landscape or large one any garden can be made into something really special by designing with a theme. Themes can pull together hardscapes and plants and transform any space into your own private vacation-land or retreat.

Themes can come in colors. Using a single color or family of colors will add cohesion to a landscape. Using white flowering plants and white décor can create sparkle in a shady garden.  Bright colors can make a garden look festive and make a trip through the landscape an energizing experience. A garden with a soft blue and purple theme is likely to be restful and make for a gentle, stress-relieving landscape.

Designing after a location you love is another way to create landscaping with a theme. Ideal designs can be sculpted around English or cottage landscape designs. Western or Southwest themes can transform a bland garden into a place worthy of visiting. You can build an Asian, Japanese or Zen garden for beauty and tranquility. Or consider making your garden into a tropical paradise.

Other ways to create themes are to design your garden around a special event like a sculpture, a water garden or a natural rock or gnarled tree that already exists on your property.

Use your climate and property to blend into your theme. With care a tropical design can be created with bamboo structures, recycling water features and some of the showier drought-tolerant plants even in a hot, dry climate.  Design a theme that integrates well with your house and its surroundings. By making your theme work with the environment where you live you can not only make your garden into something special, but keep costs and maintenance as low as possible.

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