by Sam Madsen

Created on: August 22, 2010   Last Updated: August 23, 2010

What is a botanical garden? It is a generally a well tended garden in a public places  where the botanical names for each of the plants or flowers that are grown are also displayed.

But here at home you can use the more common names to describe the variety of plants, trees and flowers you care for in your very own botanical garden hideaway.

The fun part of creating a botanical garden in your own back yard is you can choose only the plants you like the most. Regardless of the types of plants and flowers you use, make sure you have a focal point, something that says “look at me” type of plant or tree. A flowering ornamental tree is a great choice for a taller object to plant in the center of a scene.

Using tall grasses, such as Pampas grass or Zebra grass, both make great fillers for a large space to fill. They have a wide range of uses, from a corner with the taller grass being in the back. Or you can just plant them here and there, throughout your yard. Bamboos are a favorite to create a tropical look and add to your botanical theme also. There are ones that grow in clumps and some that grow where ever they want to come up, they are called runners and they will invade your neighbor's yard, so read about the type you want to plant, before you buy them.

Now, to add some flowering bushes, trees and plants, to help create the feel of a lush tropical garden area, in your back yard oasis. There are so many to choose from, this part will be hard to pick just a few. But if you are lucky enough to have a large backyard, you will get to build an even bigger botanical garden, using many wonderful plants.

Rose of Sharon trees are great to add in your garden, and you can trim them to a certain height. They come in a variety of colors and single or double petals to. The Hibiscus flowers come in tree form, bushes and shorter growing plants. They also come in several colors and are from the same family as the Rose of Sharon. Some of these beauties actually have blooms up to the size of a pie plate. They are absolutely gorgeous and are a never ending show of new flowers every day.

Flowering bulbs, like Gladiolus, or a hybrid of Lilies, both can be purchased in large amounts and when planted in a mass planting, they put on quite a show. Most of them are three to four feet tall, with vivid colors to help make your yard pop with lively and inviting contrasts.

The more plants, trees, and flowers you plant in your back yard, you “will” be creating a botanical garden. You don't have to have a huge space to create the cozy feeling you are after. By planting things in a clumping pattern, you can design a path way leading your guests in and around your garden, thus making it appear larger and feel as if it keeps on going.

You can use small plants to outline a walkway or help create one by using them. Border plants or short grasses work well to accomplish this. You can even put a bench at the end of a walkway, to have purpose for the trail and to give you a private place to meditate or just enjoy nature.

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