There are many home garden themes to choose from. Some of these include formal, natural, cottage, sanctuary, Japanese, and Mediterranean. When choosing a theme for your home garden, consider the style of your home. Brick walls would fit in well with a formal theme. Wood would work well with a Japanese theme, and stone with a Mediterranean theme. If you have a small home, you might want to consider a cottage garden theme. If you only have a small patio or balcony, you can create a small patio garden.
Formal gardens are typically symmetrical and geometric. A formal garden displays its power over nature as the plants are only allowed to grow where they are planed and in the shape chosen by the gardener. This type of garden should be very well manicured.
Natural gardens work well for people who have a large yard with mature trees, wildflowers, logs or tree stumps, and native plants, etc. These gardens are perfect for children.
Cottage or English gardens are full of flowers which appear to have come up naturally. With this type of garden, multiple plants are planed in small spaces and are allowed to grow over garden paths and twine up trellises or wings. These gardens have a mixture of colors and fragrances. There will also usually be an old-fashioned rose which will be allowed to grow over arches or trellises.
Japanese gardens provide a serene and tranquil setting perfect for relaxation and meditation. Elements, such as stones, water features, plants, and ornaments are used. Asymmetry is used in this type of garden and only things that occur in nature will be used. There will usually be no painted objects or metal.
Mediterranean gardens are warm and dry. A fountain will cool the air, and the air will be fragrant with the scent of lemons, rosemary, olives, and lavender. There will be an outside dining area. The patio, walls, and paths will usually be decorated with terra-cotta pots, mosaic tiles, and seashells. There will usually be an arbor covered with grapevines.
A small patio garden is perfect for people who have limited space. By first focusing on your needs, you can then decide what type of garden theme you want in your patio garden. You need to decide if you would like a quiet reading area, a place for some comfortable chairs and a table, a barbecue area, an area in the sun or shade, or you would like to have a water feature. You can then build the theme of your small patio garden around your needs.