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DIY: How to Create a Disney-Themed Garden

In most parts of North America, the dawning of spring is synonymous with being a time of rebirth and renewal—a time to get back into nature, and—if you happen to have a green thumb—the time to get your gardening on. Planning which plants to plant, and coming up with fun-themed gardening patterns can be a great joy, even to those who aren’t seasoned pros. It can be an excellent springtime activity that parents and kids alike can get in on. What’s more, if you just happen to be a Disney fan, such an endeavor may bring forth the opportunity for making magic that’s quite literally right in your own backyard.

There are so many unique ways in which to create a wonderfully themed garden laden with Disney touches. Whether you want to hone in on a specific character or story, or even create a montage of many, go an all-floral route or incorporate edibles, the possibilities are endless. Here are some helpful tips and suggestions for creating your very own Disney-themed garden.

Eeyore garden decor
Credit: Karen Pritzker

Related: Disney Has A New DIY For You To Try This Autumn

Choose A Theme

Anyone who has ever stayed at a Disney Resort knows that each one tells a story through elaborate theming. And this technique works just as well in cultivating a Disney-designed garden. Perhaps you want to go a Disney Princess route, or maybe you’d like to keep with a classic Mickey and Friends motif. A Disney character montage across the board is another consideration that always works well. Or maybe you have a favorite Disney movie/movie franchise you’d like to focus on in particular. Perhaps you even want to honor a beloved land or attraction from Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or another a specific from Disney Parks. How would you’d like to recreate a little resort magic at home inspired by your favorite Disney Resort accommodation? Whatever you choose, the opportunities are endless. Use your own imagination, decide what you want to create, and start making magic!

Bambi and Thumper garden decor
Credit: Karen Pritzker

Related: Don’t Miss the ‘Encanto’-Inspired Garden at the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival

Consider Size and Shape

Whether you have acres and acres of land to work with or you fall short in having available space or tillable soil, gardens can come in all different shapes and sizes. Do not let this deter you; raised garden beds and pots can work wonders just as well as large land-based garden plots when you utilize your inner Imagineer. Perhaps you could paint or decorate different pots/containers to match the specific Disney motif you’ve decided on. There are also many awesome Disney-themed pots you may order online or find at brick-and-mortar retailers.

DIY Disney-themed pots
Credit: Disney Family/Elise Apffel

If you do have a fair patch of land to work with, though, you may want to plot out how much space you’d like to designate for your garden, plan your borders, and maybe even consider the shape you’d like to make your garden in. Creating a Mickey Mouse-shaped design, for instance, is a fun way to set your very own Hidden Mickey at home!

Mickey-shaped garden
Credit: Adventures in Familyhood

Related: Love Disney & Flowers? Try This DIY Mickey-Shaped Flower Bed

Décor and Accents

We’ll get to the plants in just a bit, but let’s talk about all the possibilities out there for implementing garden décor and other themed accents. There are many notable retailers that proudly vend in Disney brand gardening goods, like figurines and statues of beloved characters, along with other similar touches. And just by letting your creative juices flow, you’ll even find ways to incorporate otherwise non-Disney implementations—an act of Disneyfying those into the grand scheme of things as well. Say you’re doing a Gnomeo and Juliet theme, for instance; aside from the primary players you can recruit countless red and blue lawn gnomes as “extras” into your work of gardening and really have a good time!

Fairies for DIY fairy gardens can likewise provide additional props and background characters in a Tinker Bell scenario. As another example, if you happen to be focusing on a film like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, any wishing well will work just fine with the overall motif. The possibilities are endless, and there are no limits to what you can do.

Dopey lawn ornament
Credit: Karen Pritzker

Related: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – 8 Facts About This Beginning of Disney’s Dynasty

Picking Plants

Choosing your plants per Disney design is in many ways the most exciting, thought-provoking part of the whole gardening process. First you have to consider what you want by asking yourself the very same questions anyone who starts a garden asks. Do you want a flowers-only presentation? Or will you incorporate edibles like vegetables and herbs? Consider whether you want just annuals that bloom for only one season or perennials that come back each year (or even a mix of both). Are you more focused on the colors of certain plants and how they will look when implemented into the overall motif, or will your focus be more on a certain plant species in reflection of the theme you are purveying?

  • Flowers and Plants: There are so many ways to make Disney magic with the floral you choose for your garden. Just consider all the flowers that have been symbolic in Disney films, for example, like roses, marigolds, and others. Then there are those with significant names or have associated characteristics to certain characters or movies. Some examples of these include daisies for Daisy Duck, fragrant jasmine for Princess Jasmine, and bluebells for Belle. Symbolic plant ideas to consider may be Elephant Ear plants for Dumbo, Goldfish flower plants to accent a Finding Nemo/Finding Dory or Little Mermaid theme, an Ice Plant for Frozen, Hibiscus flowers for Moana/Lilo & Stitch, Thistle for Brave, and Peonies or Plum Blossoms for Mulan. If you have the means to incorporate a water source or even an entire water garden, you might even decide to grow Lotus flowers for Mulan as well! Again, the possibilities are endless.

Lotus flower
Credit: The Spruce
  • Edibles: Similar to incorporating flowers, edible plants also do wonders in spreading Disney’s many magical motifs. A dwarf apple tree, for instance, doesn’t take up too much space, and it does double in the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs symbolism. There’s also the uniquely named Snow White Tomato variety if you’re going this route. Likewise, the Rapunzel Tomato (a long trailing vine variety of cherry tomatoes) is perfect for tackling the Tangled theme. And speaking of Tangled, acorn and butternut winter squash varieties can technically be planted in the spring and will bloom throughout the summer months These, along with parsnips, are crucial ingredients for making Rapunzel’s favorite Hazelnut Soup. On a similar note, in regards to winter squashes, pumpkin lovers should know that these gorgeous gourds can be planted in the spring time also, in honor of Cinderella.

Rapunzel tomatoes
Credit: Wilson’s Garden Center

Related: Seasonal Celebrations At Home: A Guide to Having Awesome Autumnal Disney-themed Celebrations

  • Color Scheme: Whether you go with edibles, floral, or a combination of both, one of the simplest formats to follow, in keeping things simple, is to work with a matching color pattern. This concept works even if the plants you choose do not play a particular role in active Disney symbolism. Perhaps you have a Mickey Mouse garden going and would like to incorporate a mix of reds, yellows, and whites, or a Minnie Mouse motif with reds and whites. You can really have a lot of fun with a Daisy Duck design, accented by daisies in such colors like pink, purple, yellow, and white. There are just so many ideas out there for what you can do!

Daisies
Credit: Gardener’s Path

Related: Fun Facts About Disney’s Daisy Duck

It’s never too late (or early) to cultivate a new interest in gardening, and anyone who already knows the joy that it brings to life can tell you that growing things right at home is a fulfilling way to make magic. So, it only makes sense that by incorporating a Disney theme would magnify that magic even more. We’ve shared only a sampling of the infinite ideas for doing a DIY Disney garden. We hope we’ve inspired you to get gardening, all while making magical memories in the process.   

About Laura

Laura Catherine aka “LC” is a writer who resides in Maryland with her family and several pets. She visits Walt Disney World whenever she can. Additionally, she is a published author of three novels, a children’s book, and has a passion for gardening.

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