Cottage Garden Cheatsheet
Do you admire the pictures, but have been unsure of how to put together your own cottage garden? Why not start with one corner of your yard or a front dooryard entry?
If the abundant and romantic look is something you decide you want, it is a matter of plants spreading out into borders, and “garden rooms” by way of division and seeding. This way, the flowers will anchor the design throughout the garden. Eventually you will have that Cottage Garden.
Three Simple Things To Remember
1. Make a list of the Cottage garden plants you want.
Grows on You.com shows what you can do with a small corner
Start out with plants that will give you the full and abundant look that is characteristic of the cottage style. There are many old fashioned choices of plants that will look much more at home in this type of garden than the modern hybridized versions.
For truly traditionalist garden makers, The Cottage Garden Plantlist
A compilation of Golden blooms, The Gold Cottage Garden
2. Not to say you shouldn’t have an overall plan. A larger vision of the landscape design is always a great benefit. It saves time and mistakes. This does not require strict rules to follow, but simply gives some structure and guidance to a gardener (which will be appreciated on trips to the garden store).
With a plan you are free to look for the best plants and possibly pick some up at a discount, because you already which ones you want.
To understand the elements of this style, Cottage Gardening
3. Make a sense of enclosure.
If making your own plan, one easy tip is to center a cottage garden around a path, and cozy up to a corner or the house. That will help provide the enclosed, intimate feeling that this style embodies. Keep the scale stepped in layers of interest, but broken here and there.
Keep the front of the planting low and spilling onto the pathway, arrangements of middle ground (mid-height) plantings with the occasional tall spire or even a small ornamental tree. Weave twining and vining plants, or include a climbing rose, attached to the tree, draped on a fence, or to the side of the house.
Is a Cottage Garden for You?
English Cottage Gardens
See “The Quaint Cottage Garden” to answer the question whether this garden is for you and cottage garden advice.
Quaint Details
A Garden Tuteur
Giving vertical interest and saving precious growing space, this attractive tuteur will hold bean plants, or morning glories and bring a traditional, charming point of interest into the plan.
A Rose Arbor
Instantly reference the charm of a cottage garden with a Rose covered arbor. Climbing roses come in many colors, red, yellow, pink, white, and they may be the heirloom or modern type. All will give a focal point of beauty when grown on an arbor. Arbors lend vertical interest and can form either a gateway or frame a seat.
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Are You Ready for a Cottagecore Garden?
If so, and this abundantly floriferous planting style appeals to you, dive deep into Cottage Gardening
