Can’t travel? No problem. You can create your own backyard oasis in any hardiness zone with plants that scream “South Seas Island Magic.” Pick plants with big leaves and/or blowsy, fragrant flowers in shades of bright fuchsia, red, orange, and purple. We’re talking cannas, Japanese aralia, and hardy bananas for bodacious foliage; hibiscus (including hardy varieties for cooler climates), Aztec lily (Sprekelia spp.) and bougainvillea for splashes of tropical color; and hardy jasmine, angel’s trumpets (Brugmansia spp.), and honeysuckle for heady fragrance. If you want to grow plants that are outside your hardiness zone, no worries — our Large Adjustable Indoor/Outdoor Plant Caddy lets you roll tender plants into protected indoor areas when the weather turns nippy.

If TikTok is any indication, this year, gardens with an eye toward astrology, the playfully sinister, and hedgewitchy medicinals are going to be popping up more. This doesn't mean you have to commit to going full Addams Family, though — just punctuate the garden with moodier, spookier, and night-blooming specimens. Plant a moon garden of creamy nicotiana, silvery moonflower, and night-blooming jasmine. Black plants like chocolate cosmos, black dahlia varieties (like ‘Black Wizard’ and ‘Arabian Night’), and black mondo grass bring mystery and drama. You can even include plants thought to have magical properties, like datura, rue, and vervain. Add a few lanterns or a bird bath full of crystals for full effect.

Vegetable gardens are more popular than ever, thanks to an increased interest in self-reliance and smaller carbon footprints. But that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style — a functional vegetable garden can still be the focal point of your yard. Grow heirloom varieties for visual interest, like striped tomatoes (‘Berkeley Pink Tie-Dye’ and ‘Black Strawberry’ are two varieties to look for), purple-podded snap peas and beans, and vining Fairytale pumpkins. Don’t be afraid to work edibles into the ornamentals in your landscaping — a bright Swiss chard or flowering amaranths with giant sprays of bronze and magenta blossoms look equally at home in a flower garden as they do a raised bed. Add attractive trellises and arbors for your vining veggies to climb. For instant gratification, try setting up a new bed in our Large Metal Garden Bed — the galvanized metal is rot-resistant, and the sleek design fits with any architectural style.