Theme gardens have been popular for centuries. Some are whimsical, practical or even political. A theme garden makes a visible statement about what's important to the gardener, though the forms gardens take within a single theme can be as individual as the people who plant them. Not surprisingly, this year the most popular theme is a salute to American nationalism.

"People loved our red, white and blue petunia hanging baskets and containers," says Kathy Miller, head grower at Bluemount Nurseries in Monkton.

Though the red, white and blue garden's colors echo Old Glory, there is a vast number of possible plant choices, which means the effect can range from bold -- electric blues, fire- engine red and bright white -- to subdued.

"You can have tints of the colors," says Kerri Nichols, outreach horticulturist at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton. "For example, pines and junipers like blue rug juniper, which is a creeper, can give shades of blue."

Master gardener Joan Org recently taught a workshop at Brookside Gardens on patriotic container gardening called "Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue," which used both bold and subtle shades together in the same pots.

"We used Salvia 'Red Lady,' blue Veronica 'Sunny Border' and Lamium 'White Nancy,' " she says, listing the sharper hues. "Then we also put in Achillea 'Red Beauty,' Miscanthus 'Morning Light' and Festuca 'Elijah Blue' [blue fescue grass], which are more muted. And everyone got a flag to stick in the pot."

Another option is to plant the red, white and blue flowers in the design of an American flag, though getting the lines straight requires a certain amount of work with tape measure, stakes and string guidelines.

An alternative is a premeasured pack, like the "Grow a Flag" packet at Kingstown Garden Center near Chestertown. Seeds of red corn poppy, white sweet alyssum and blue dwarf cornflowers are embedded in biodegradable paper in a pattern like the Stars and Stripes. All you do is lay that baby out, spread a layer of fine soil over it, water (keep it moist for several weeks), and voila! Or at least that's the idea.

Though making a flower picture is an option, most gardeners prefer a beautiful show whose color choice adds a patriotic dimension. This year, Jim McDaniel, head gardener for Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton, created a red, white and blue garden with spring bulbs.

"We used blue grape hyacinth, a small, early tulip called 'Red Riding Hood,' and 'White Crystal Bowl' pansies," he says. "The tulips started to show color even before they bloomed, and the pansies and hyacinths lasted a long time."

Plant red, white and blue flowers that will bloom at the same time. Otherwise, you may end up with a Canadian flag garden of red and white and or a Norwegian white and blue.

Planting flowers that hold a long time can help smooth over glitches in bloom time. For example, pansies are very long-season. You can plant them in fall in a protected spot to over-winter. They bloom early the next spring and keep blooming for weeks unless it gets too hot. Or plant more than one kind of plant for each color so the bloom times of whites, reds and blues are overlapping and progressive.

"You could use Bacopa, which has a little white flower, with white 'Babylon' Verbena," suggests Kathy Miller. "For red, you can use the scarlet annual Salvia and Verbena 'Tukana Scarlet.' And for blue, use 'Surfinia Blue' petunias and Scaevola 'Blue Wonder.' With that combination, it will carry through the season."

Another consideration is whether the garden (or container) will be in full sun, partial sun or shade. Having some plants that refuse to bloom in shade coupled with those that fry in the sun just won't work.

Generally, annuals like full sun, while perennials run the gamut from sun to shade, so you need to check light requirements before you get too excited about a combination.

Sources

Bluemount Nurseries

2103 Blue Mount Road

Monkton, MD 21111

410-329-6226

www.bluemount.com

(open to the public on Saturdays)

Homestead Gardens

743 W. Central Ave.

Davidsonville, MD 21035

410-798-5000

www.homesteadgardens.com

Behnke Nursery

11300 Baltimore Ave (U.S. 1)

Beltsville, MD 20705

301-937-1100

www.behnke.com

(other locations in Potomac and Largo)

Valley View Farms

11035 York Road

Cockeysville, MD 21030

410-527-0700

www.valleyviewfarms.com

Combinations

Here are some seasonal red, white and blue combinations:

SPRING

Tulip 'Red Riding Hood' or 'Red Lady'

Narcissus 'Bridal Shower' or 'Poeticus'

'Jenny' grape hyacinth (Muscari)

SUMMER

Red geraniums

Veronica 'Alpina Alba'

Salvia 'Victoria Blue'

MIDSUMMER

Coreopsis 'Limerock Ruby'

Chrysanthemum coccineum or Shasta daisy

Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue'

LATE SUMMER

red canna

white alyssum

blue ageratum

FALL

Red chrysanthemums

White cushion chrysanthemums

Blue Aster 'Monch'