Cottage Garden

Welcome to the Cottage Garden. The earliest cottage gardens had a practical purpose, growing herbs, fruits and vegetables for the working class in England. The gardens surrounded the home and were densely planted. Later, flowers were included, considered practical because of the pleasant scent they brought indoors. Over time, a Cottage Garden became a distinct style using informal design and a variety of plants. The dense planting is charming…with or without the cottage.

• Creating a Cottage-Style Garden

• Use your favorite plants and use them in abundance.
• Add a birdbath and a birdhouse or your favorite garden ornaments.
• Welcome guests with a walkway or stepping stones.
• Use containers overflowing with annuals, vegetables or succulents.
• Add a place to sit and enjoy your garden.
• Use climbing vines on arbors, trellises and picket fences.
• Design a garden you can comfortably maintain.
• Plants that Create Cottage Garden Style

• Roses: Consider old-fashioned roses, climbing roses and today’s disease-resistant varieties. A mainstay of Cottage Gardens.
• Climbers and Vines: Use them to create height and dimension. Clematis, Lonicera and Morning glories are all wonderful climbing vines.
• Shrubs: Shrubs lend structure and color to the garden. Hydrangea and Lilacs now offer repeat-blooming hybrids. Callicarpa offers fall color.
• Perennials: These plants return every year. When making selections consider bloom time, length of bloom and light requirements. Shasta daisy, Daylilies, Iris, Lady’s mantle, Phlox, Solidago, Mums and Monarda are favorites of ours.
• Annuals: Annuals produce long-lasting seasonal color but must be replanted each year. Pansies, Zinnias and Marigolds have timeless beauty.
• Self-Seeding Annuals: They come back each year but grow from seeds not roots. Cleome, Larkspur, Sunflowers, Nicotiana and Verbena never disappoint.
• Herbs: They can be annuals or perennials. Consider Lavender, Lemon Balm, Mint and Basil.
• Vegetables: Vegetables like Lettuce, Cherry Tomatoes and Swiss Chard ‘Bright Lights’ are unexpected.
• Bulbs: Narcissus, Tulips, Crocus and Allium.

Have FUN with the choices!