6 Garden Varieties for Every Type of Homeowner

Whether you’re a nature nerd, a home cook or looking to transform your backyard into a relaxing getaway, there’s a garden just right for your needs. Here are some ideas to get you started on the path to the backyard of your dreams.

Chef's garden

A gourmet vegetable garden could be the secret ingredient that’s missing from your life. You can’t help but be inspired when authentic Italian heirloom tomatoes and herbs are growing right outside your kitchen door.

Plant edible varieties in garden beds, raised beds or containers. But if you’re new to gardening, start with only a few vegetable varieties so you don’t get overwhelmed on your first try.

Quick tip: To make harvesting a quick and dirt-free affair, plant the most oft-picked edibles near a walkway so you can easily fill a basket before making dinner.

Florist’s garden

If happiness is a vase of flowers, then a never-ending supply of floral arrangements from your own backyard must be nothing short of ecstasy.

Plant flowers that you already know and love, but be sure to choose varieties that thrive in your region. For example, Floridians can’t reliably grow poppies and peonies, but they can grow agapanthus and bird of paradise. Grow foliage plants like aspidistra or leatherleaf fern to bring balance to your arrangements and offer a reliable alternative when flowers aren’t in bloom.

Quick tip: For the best cut flowers, choose varieties with tall stems and durable, pollen-free blooms, and stake them if necessary to prevent breakage.

Traveler’s garden

You take vacations to escape from the stress of everyday life, so why not turn your backyard into a retreat that feels worlds apart from your daily grind? Here’s the goal: Think of your happy place, wherever that may be, and design a garden that takes you there.

Embrace a vibrant color palette and cold-tolerant plants with big, bold leaves for a touch of the tropics, or create the feel of a mountain lodge by planting a rock garden with alpine plants and coniferous shrubs.

To travel someplace even harder to reach, incorporate fragrant blooms from your childhood home to help you recall your fondest memories.

Family garden

Don’t underestimate a garden’s value to a child. Every unfurling leaf and creeping caterpillar teaches volumes about the wonders of our world, and each path, puddle and stone offer a springboard for young imaginations.

You might still want a lawn for sports, picnics and stargazing, so leave space for a bed of turf and surround it with durable shrubs and ground covers that can take a trampling or two.

For clean and mud-free play, incorporate gravel “ponds” and dry creek beds for digging and splashing, and replace any well-trod paths with stones, bricks, mulch or other hardscaping.

Kids are fast learners, but play it safe and avoid any poisonous or overly prickly plants so you’ll worry a little less.

Naturalist’s garden

It’s hard not to smile when the view from your window is filled with songbirds, butterflies, woodpeckers and bumblebees, and getting them there is easier than you think — as long as you provide food, shelter and water.

Native shrubs and small trees provide not only beauty but also food, nesting spots, and hiding spaces for birds and other wildlife. Flowers such as coneflowers and asters are valuable because they provide nectar for pollinators and seeds for the birds.

Be sure to place a water source in your garden as well, whether it’s a large pond or a small water feature. You’ll be surprised at how many creatures turn up for a drink when they think nobody’s looking.

Workaholic’s garden

Are you too stressed and busy to bother with gardening? Think again! With a minimalist garden design and a limited palette of low-maintenance plants, even the busiest of businesspeople can enjoy a tranquil garden view without getting muddy feet.

Since each region has its own assortment of carefree plants, search for a list of those that do well in your state, or make a note of which varieties are used in local parking lots. If they can survive being trampled on in a narrow strip of dirt between cars, surely they’ll thrive under your loving neglect.

Quick tip: If space is an issue, grow drought-tolerant foliage plants in large containers and use a timed micro-irrigation system to provide water when you’re away from home.