The ice and snow is gone, the weather is turning better, and the plants are blooming again. Spring is in the air. Now is the time to prepare your garden for the planting season ahead. And if last year's garden was more frustration than reward, now is the time to perfect your plans and try again. In this spirit, we asked our readers to share pictures and descriptions of their "theme" gardens and patios. We hope our picks inspire your passion!

1. Butterfly Garden: Rosemary Willis designed this gem by stuffing her backyard chock-full of plants and flowers that attract butterflies. Bright colors and sweet scents are a must for butterflies. Fortunately, humans enjoy these sensational qualities, as well. Not only is Rosemary's garden beautiful, aromatic, and full of life, but as an added bonus, butterflies tend to eat the kinds of bugs that annoy people.

The traditional English garden theme is that of half-wild and half-cultivated plants that are allowed to sprawl and ramble as they will. Joshua Rakham designed his first backyard gardens in the classic form with magnificent recumbent plants, short hedgerows to keep the plants where they belong, and pathways - and then added garden globes, plaster gnomes, and fairies for a touch of whimsy.

When building a garden, pet owners must take particular care that they do not plant any poisonous plants where their pets can get at them. A cat garden takes into account plants that are safe for cats to be around, and also contain plants that cats can climb on, sit on, or play with. Even birdhouses (installed safely out of reach, of course!) can be entertaining for your cat.

4. Black and White Garden: Pilar Sota designed these striking backyard gardens to be beautiful both during the day and at night. By day, dark, rich, violets and sparkling whites make beautiful patterns. By night, the white plants reflect the moonlight, taking on an almost ethereal quality.

A new and unique type of garden has been created by Janice LaRoux. You might consider one of her tea gardens for y our backyard patio. She has over 50 different varieties of tea making plants in her garden. This makes her garden very interesting and aromatic, as well as useful for brewing tea. She has decorated her garden with different types of teapots.

If you are ready for a change in your backyard gardens, perhaps these theme garden ideas will inspire you. A butterfly garden is not only beautiful and aromatic, but functional. Butterflies eat annoying little bugs. A garden can have both wild and cultivated elements, inspired by an English garden. Cat lovers can design their garden around their cats with cat grass, catnip, birdhouses and plants to attract butterflies providing entertainment for the cats. A black and white garden that looks beautiful both during the day and at night in the moonlight. Perhaps you would like to enjoy a cup of tea on your backyard patio surrounded by your tea gardens.