How to Plant a Cowboy Garden

Place Western-themed yard decorations throughout the yard. To decide where to place items such as wagon wheels, rustic sculptures or barbed-wire fencing, look out various windows in your home. Being able to see these objects from inside will tie the cowboy garden to your Western home decor. Also, use them to emphasis area with natural plantings.

Plant native plants near garden items. Watch where the shadows from large garden decor fall. Avoid planting in these areas because most plants need at least six to eight hours of sunlight a day. Compile a list of native plants that you can use in these areas. Choose plants that bloom flowers that match or complement the colors of your items.

Use succulents and other water-retaining plants. The Wild West conjures up images of cacti and natural landscapes. Plant a wide range of succulents if your region does not get too cold, or choose plants like the prickly pear cactus that can withstand cold weather. Other rare cold hardy succulents for Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 8 include Agave parryl, Hesperaloe parviflora and Dasylirion wheeleri. The majority of succulents can survive the winter temperatures of Plant Hardiness Zones 8 to 11. If you live outside of these zones, plant succulents in containers and bring them inside during the winter.

Distribute wildflower seeds in garden beds. Wildflowers are prominent in the West. Almost every region bursts into color in the spring. You can create this same look by sowing seeds in beds or over areas where you do not plan to mow. If you live in a region that experiences a mild winter, you can plant wildflowers both in the fall and spring to have a bounty of colors throughout your Western-themed yard. Plant Hardiness Zones 3 to 7 can plant wildflowers both in spring and fall. Classic wildflower choices consist of winecups, wild sarsaparilla, common sunflowers and blackeyed Susans.

Hide unsightly structures or buildings, like a shed, that don't contribute to your cowboy theme. Erect trellises and plant vines, plant ornamental trees or place tall ornamental grass in front of structures to keep them from distracting the eye. Appropriate ornamental grass types include fountain grass, ivory feathers pampas and pink crystals ruby grass. You also can fence off these areas and wrap the top with barbed wire for a Western touch.