Fresh Scent

Create a perennial bed with terrific fragrance near an open kitchen window or along a meandering path. Good long-blooming and sweet-smelling choices for sun to light shade include daylily, dianthus, summer phlox, nicotiana, petunia, heliotrope,oriental lilies and rose.

Pathways

While you're designing your garden, remember that curving, meandering paths are the most inviting. A path that curves out of sight is especially nice, beckoning you to explore.

Flower Bulbs

Plant bulbs in clumps, not rows, of at least six or more for an impressive show of color.

For floral arrangements, consider planting Asiatic lily, dahlia, or gladiolus bulbs.

Canna lily, with its warm, tropical blooms and lush, large leaves, adds contrast in the garden.

Deter Weeds

When putting in a gravel, brick or wood chip path, you'll save a lot of weeding if you first lay down a porous weed mat (often called landscape fabric). Don't make the mistake of using black plastic lining. Waterproof plastic will collect water in exactly the shape of the path, making it soggy in summer and icy in winter.

Herb Garden

Create a culinary herb garden in a window box and post it just outside your kitchen window or door, or set it casually on the deck. Good choices include sweet basil, rosemary, parsley, cilantro, marjoram, thyme, oregano and sage. (All like full sun.) Tuck in an annual flower or two for color.

Rock Garden

This garden is really up to you, but I like to use large rocks of various shapes, sizes and colors. I would also recommend using drought-resistant plants. Expert opinion says that a good mix of plants would be various sedums, artemesia, blue fescue grass, moss rose, dwarf cosmos, coreopsis and gazanias.

If you live in a cool, moist climate then, of course, use your local plants.

Homegrown Vegetables

Just because you don't have a plot of land to plant doesn't mean you can't enjoy homegrown vegetables this summer.

First consider your sunlight. Tomatoes need about six hours of sunlight a day, while beans and leafy greens tolerate less. Purchase 4 or 5 inch plants for the best chance at success.

Choose the right containers and materials. Be sure your soon-to-be-full-sized plant will fit in the container you choose. Transplanting veggies that get too large can be traumatic and ultimately limit your harvest. Usually an 18 inch pot is big enough for tomatoes, while peppers can handle smaller pots. You will need small rocks in the base of the container to encourage draining, as well as fertilizer, compost and nutrient-rich potting soil. You also may need trellises or poles once growth starts.

Plant your vegetables. Place the small rocks in the container. Then add about half compost and half potting soil. While placing the plant, press firmly around it as you add soil. Stop soil 1 inch short of the container's rim.

Water thoroughly and let drain. If possible, the first time you water, do so in the sink or bathtub to thoroughly wet the soil and allow for good drainage. Water your plants daily as needed.