The snow has melted, the air is starting to warm up, and the smell of springtime is in the air. It might be time to start getting your garden ready for the glorious spring and summer that are to come. And if you're sick of your backyard garden, it also might be the perfect time for a clean start. We asked readers to submit pictures and descriptions of their "theme" backyard gardens and patios. Here are our top picks - maybe they will inspire you!

Butterflies are remarkable creatures. They are attracted to bright colors and sweet scents, and they like to eat bugs that annoy people. A butterfly garden, designed by Rosemary Willis, is full of life and bursting with beautiful plants and aromatic, sweet-smelling flowers that attract butterflies - and people! The colors, the flowers, the aromas, and the fluttering wings of butterflies all combine in this gem of a garden.

An English garden is one of the oldest types of backyard gardens in the world. Certain very specific types of plants and flowers are very intrinsic to the English garden. The English have very traditional gardens that include wild flowers, hedges, and paths. Some designers have also including garden globes and statuary in their otherwise traditional English gardens.

3. Cat Garden: Check out this amazing garden Sissy Nye-Robison has designed...for her cats! She's used lots of kitty-friendly plants and architectural elements. Things like small trees and hardy wisteria plants for climbing, catnip and cat grass for nibbling, and features that attract birds and butterflies so your cat can stay entertained. One important thing to note is that Sissy emphasizes that you choose only plants that are non-poisonous for pets, so do your research and your kitty will enjoy gardens as much as you do.

Black and White Garden: There are backyard gardens by Pilar Sota designed to be both striking and beautiful day and at night. During the day, the garden is covered with dark, rich, violets and sparking whites to create beautiful patterns. At night, the white plants reflect moonlight, creating 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.

Our favorite backyard gardens include the butterfly garden designed by Rosemary Willis, with bright colors and heady aromas. Joshua Rakham chose an English garden with natural growth and formal hedgerows, and the whimsy of gnomes, fairies and globes. Sissy Nye-Robison's pets love a cat garden full of catnip and other safe cat-friendly plants to attract butterflies and birds, and wisteria and plants suitable for climbing. Pilar Sota chose a striking black and white theme that is as beautiful in moonlight as it by day. Finally, Janice LaRoux set off her backyard patio with a tea garden using more than 50 different plants and tea pots to add to the theme.