Theme gardens are always fun and the ideas are endless. They can also be all sizes and even indoors.

One of my favoite theme gardens is a Sunflower House. It’s colorful, gets a lot of attention and comments and best of all I love sunflowers.

My first sunflower house was about 12 foot by 12 foot. I made it big enought that you could sit inside if you wanted. I placed a small bench in the center that I found in an old barn. It had such character!

I planted about seven differerent varieties of sunflowers in all sizes. On the outside row of the house I planted Teddy Bear Sunflowers and Dwarf Sunflowers. In the second row I planted a variety of taller sunflowers.

One the corners I planted sunflowers that grow 15 foot tall. They are a Virginia sunflower seed that has been handed down from generation to generation. I call them Grandfather Sunflowers. I do not know their real name but I have never seen them in seed catalogs.

Every four foot or so I plants several ornamental gourds seeds. I thought the gourds would look nice. On the corners I planted Scarlet Runner Beans, my favorite vine!

I alos planted several Rattail Radishes for color and as a natural repellant for the Cucumber Beetle.

I finally added a few geraniums and marigolds. By the entrance I created my own archway usung grapevine I cut from the property.  It just added and fun look to the whole garden. I also added a smaller watering can for decoration and to use and a few old narled root pieces for fun.

The Sunflower Garden was a success. The only thing that I didn’t realize would happen is that the bees really enjoyed it too. So I used it in the mornings and evenings and left it to the bees in the afternoons.

I often use a mailbox in my larger gardens. It makes a cute garden art piece and serves a function too.

I pick up my used mailboxes at auctions, garage sales, or even along surbsides.

The older boxes  add to the artistic look I want in the garden areas.

I make sure the mailbox works and opens and closes properly. It’s a great place to store

• a small notebook for planting tips and planting dates
• small hammer
• small stakes
• string
• seeds that I will plant later that day or the following day
• garden markers
• garden spade
• ruler

or any any other useful item that I know I will needing in a day or so.

By having a usable mailbox stoage area this keeps me from running back and forth for one  item time after time and I have a place to store items out of the rain and away from my dog who loves to pick up any item I lay down and run around the yard taunting me.

I have also had the bad habit of laying down an item and not being able to find it unil the lawn mower does. This has solved that problem.

To make the mail boxes look different each year I have moved them to a different garden. I have placed an artifical bird on them or a cute signs. Sometimes they get a vine placed near the bottom that will wind its way up the mailbox during the summer. One year I had a double decker mailbox. The bottom one to use as storage and the top one was open and mainly there for look, but I did have birds use it as a perch.

Exercise, fresh air and watching plants grow are only a few of the relaxing healthy benefits of gardening.

For me the challenge of laying out gardens and combining color, shape and textures add to the enjoyment. Throw in different and unusual plants and garden art pieces and a trip to the garden becomes an adventure. By bringing in plants or having a small greenhouse or sun room you can enjoy nature al the time.

All aspects of gardening have relaxing qualities, but many will agree flowers seem to bring instant peace and contentment. Is it the fragrance? Color? Texture? More than likely the combination

Flower Thereapy in healing is beoming more important in many hospitals and therapy center. Many are incorporating gardens, greenhouses and floral arrangements scattered in hallways and rooms.

A study called “The Art of Healing” is being studied and practiced aroung the world. The concept was started by Dr. Edward Bach in England. Through his obseravtions and study of homeopathy he studied the effects of flowers on health.

As stated in the article, “Flower Therapy acts on man as a whole, awakening his inner healing force, stimulating a change of conscience and, indirectly, a change in the energetic structure that acts over pathologic processes, modifying them. “

If you would like to know more about his studies and how he used this information check out the story from the Cuban Daily News and Cuba Now. http:www.cubaheadlines.com/2007/10/30/6726/flower_therapy_an_approach_to_the_art_of_healing