30 Garden Plants and Ideas for a Dream Garden – as chosen by one of my offspring as they’re heading towards their thirtieth birthday.
And if you think some of the ideas are a bit quirky, it’s worth remembering that gardens are frequently a reflection of the person living there. I am a firm believer that whilst we are custodians not owners of the land which is our garden, that shouldn’t preclude us from creating our own special place. And there’s certainly much to be applauded in a garden which is pet friendly, wildlife friendly, child friendly, and (obviously) uses organic gardening methods.
But I’m getting ahead of myself as you don’t yet know what the contents of their list are. Firstly, let’s see what plants they’ve chosen. These make up more than half of our thirty items for the dream garden and I’ve subdivided them into edibles and ornamentals, although some would come into both categories.
30 Garden Plants and Ideas – Fruit, Vegetables and Herbs
Although these area in alphabetical order, the names are a mix of Botanical Latin and English.
Apple
A selection of dessert and culinary apples are required. This is to provide fresh fruit for eating at lunch time and others for turning into apple pies.
Banana
Musa basjoo or the Japanese banana, is the hardy banana which is often found in exotic style borders. The other one seen is the Red Abyssinian banana, Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’, which has red-tinted leaves and dark red stalks. Sometimes referred to as a tree, bananas are in fact herbaceous perennials.
Musa basjoo is the hardiest banana and should survive winter outdoors in mild parts of the UK and in warm cities. Elsewhere it will need to be taken into a greenhouse or be well wrapped up. However, the Red Abyssinian banana is a tender cultivar and would need a heated greenhouse or conservatory.
But neither are likely to flower and produce fruit ripe enough to eat in the UK except on rare occasions.
Cucumber
As cucumbers can be grown both in a greenhouse and outdoors theres no problem there. Cultivars which produce small fruit are a good size for snacking.
Grape vine
For this to be successful, a frame or pergola will be needed: vines, by definition, grow and twine around a support. A dessert grape would need a sheltered spot if grown outside, but should then produce tasty fruit.
Lavender
A long term favourite herb for many reasons, including beefriendly flowers, a lovely scent and homemadeshortbread.
Mange tout
This has been a favourite pick and eat crop since childhood. Then I used to growalong the path in the front garden so that first child out of the door for school got the opportunity to pick and eat ripe mange tout before their siblings!
Rhubarb
A rhubarb patch the size of most people’s dining rooms might just be big enough to provide sufficient rhubarb for crumble…
German Shepherd Eowyn and a rhubarb patch
Rosemary
Loved for its usefulness in cooking, pollinator friendliness and the aromatic evergreen foliage.
Thyme
Another favourite herb, more than one cultivar would be needed. Why? You’ll need to keep on reading to find out…
30 Garden Plants and Ideas – Ornamental
A selection that encompasses scent, seasonal changes, wildlife habitats and plants with practical uses.
Acer
By which is meant the Japanese maple that so any of us grow in pots so we can enjoy their glorious leaf colour even when we don’t have the right soil. I’m guessing a mature Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum Atropurpureum’ such as this would be popular. It grows to a fine arching shrub about 2m wide and high. Purple foliage in spring and summer turn a deep orange in autumn and as the tree matures the bark develops patterned bark.
Daffodil
Narcissus pseudonarcissus is the British native. This is the wild daffodil of Wordsworth’s poem and an indicator of old meadows and ancient woodlands.
Hazel tree
Corylus avellana, hazel, is a very useful free. If you can get there before the squirrels there are nuts to pick. And the tree can be coppiced to provide poles for supporting plants, building hurdle fences and more.
Jasmine
A scented climber – whats not to like?
Nepeta (catnip)
The clue here is catnip, so the Nepeta is Nepeta cataria. This is the one used for commercial catnip toys but is easy to grow (if you can keep your cats from eating all of it)
Oak tree
Quercus robur, the English oak, an excellent wildlife habitat but a large garden is really needed to grow one to any maturity. But yes, they can initially be grown in large pots.
Primrose
Primula vulgaris, such a pretty little springtime flower.
Rose
A strong fragrance, repeat flowering and preferably bi-coloured was the request. Rosa ‘Scentimental’ fits the bill as a bushy floribunda rose that is happy in a pot.
Salvia
Shrubby Salvias flower can from late April through to the frosts, and many are hardy in most of the UK. A free draining soil is important to get them through our wet winters. A border full of these plants would do nicely.
30 Garden Plants and Ideas – Garden Structures and Features
Now we’re onto not just hard landscaping, but also specific garden areas. These put together suggest a large garden, but most are achievable in a smaller space with a clever design and a multi-layered approach. And anyway, this is a dream garden!
Fire pit or BBQ
Or both! Although I feel a ‘death star’ BBQ might be most appropriate .
Vegetable patch / Kitchen garden
A vegetable patch or small kitchen garden that has room for those edibles already mentioned plus others. Easy to maintain, possibly with raised beds, or borders edged with evergreen herbs.
Living willow structure
Which could provide a tunnel leading to the kitchen garden, or be a more intricate structure with a few entrances and exits in which to play hide and seek with dogs and nephew.
Dog Training and Play Area
This needs to be a good sized grassed area, with plenty of space for herding games for a Border Collie.
Summerhouse
A place for humans to put their feet up and look at the garden. Electricity supply will be needed so it could be temporary office space too. And with heat for winter elevenses. Did I say humans? I think I meant cats – so there could well be a cat flap in the summerhouse door.
Herb lawn
This would be lovely next to the summerhouse, so you had an aromatic carpet to walk over. Non-flowering evergreen herbs are best. Two good ones are Chamaemelum nobile ‘Treneague’ and woolly thyme, Thymus lanunginosus. This latter makes a comfy bed for a puppy or a cat.
Border Collie puppy, Padme, snoozing on woolly thyme
Catio
And talking of cats (and puppies) … What, you may be wondering, is a catio? Basically, its an enclosed safe space for cats with walls and roof. Often used by those living in a flat for enclosing the balcony, and for those with indoor cats, chronically ill cats and fosterers to provide a contained outdoor space adjacent to the house. But it can be used for any cats as a safe environment if they want to go outside overnight. These cat enclosures are a wooden or metal frame with secure netting; they can be custom made to fit your house or bought.
Mini Orchard
Ahas a minimum of five fruit trees, which can be small cordons at 5 -6 foot high up to half standards reaching 12 – 15 feet.
Wildflower meadow with paths through
Which could be a part of the mini orchard, as early flowers would encourage pollinators for the fruit blossom. The primrose would be good for that. And later flowers such as cornflower and poppies would self-seed.
Small Woodland area, with Bluebells
As this is a dream garden, we can have full sized woodland trees – that oak for example, and the hazel, plus ash, beech, birch, hawthorn and holly. Native bluebells, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, would create a fragrant carpet in late April and May.
Border Collie Sharpe in a bluebell wood
Tree house
From which to enjoy the woodland wildlife perhaps. Not sure if this is a scramble up a ladder entry, which cats might also manage, or a staircase that is ok for dogs too. But I do love a treehouse, even the small one we had when our 30 year old was growing up.
Pond and enclosure for ducks
A duck enclosure to keep them safe from foxes doesn’t have to be netted over the top, but if part of it can be that is useful for giving them some weather protection. You could always add duck friendly plants such as good king Henry, Chenopodium bonus henricus and wild strawberries in there.
and keep scrolling down to see some of the various family cats in various gardens
and finally
You have perhaps read about 30 garden plants and ideas to find inspiration for your own dream garden – and I trust you’ve found some. Of course if you’d like some personal help to create a pet friendly garden filled with mixed ornamental borders and edible plants, then do please get in touch to ask about our design and consultancy services.
For further gardening advice and inspiration, check out Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below and our monthly Tipsheet – You could come and find us on Instagram Pinterest and Facebook too.
If you’d prefer hands-on personal help from yours truly to learn more about your garden and gardening, why not ask about our bespoke Gardening Lessons, where your classroom is actually your own garden. We can help you learn gardening basics, and also show you how to plan an ornamental border or kitchen garden. Have a read through this pdf download for info
And on that note, you can have a peek at the progress of my garden renovation, Spitfires and Slow Worms, on Instagram and Facebook
You’ll get to see it in person if you come to the Plews Gardening Workshops, I’m at the finalising of dates stage for weekday and weekend slots for January – April, so keep an eye on the website, social media and December Plews News Tipsheet for updates.
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