Cottage Garden Ideas
If you are planning a cottage garden, here are some ideas to help you with your design. Learn what plants will thrive in this style of garden, what paths you can use to create a cottage garden, and how to add a summer house to your design. You can find many ideas for gardens on the internet.
Plants To Use In A Cottage Garden
Cottage gardens have a more informal look and are great for hosting lantern-lit dinner parties. If you want your cottage garden to convey the same rustic appeal as your home, then include a diverse collection of plants and flowers. Choose a variety that blooms throughout the year, and choose plants that self-seed.
Echinacea Coneflower and Heliopsis are two perennial plants that work beautifully in cottage gardens. They are both easy to grow and have a variety of uses. For example, they are both beautiful plants that attract hummingbirds. Also, they require little maintenance. If you would like flowers to last all year round, consider planting the popular coralbell, which has bright sprays of flowers that attract hummingbirds. You can also include a daisy, which gives you long-lasting summer blooms. This plant’s simplicity makes it a favorite for beds and borders and also makes a great cut flower plant.
In a cottage garden, you should select plants with a range of heights. The shortest plants should be at the front, while the tallest ones should be positioned in the middle. In a cottage garden, it’s important to avoid thuggish plants. You can plant a mixture of annual and perennial flowers.
For a part-shaded area, foxgloves will add color and interest to your cottage garden. These bell-shaped flowers grow two to four feet tall and will bloom throughout the summer. They’re hardy and resistant to powdery mildew. Be sure to space them far enough apart to prevent them from crowding one another.
Traditional cottage gardens are romantic and full of scent. They’re a wonderful way to add some country charm to any home. Cottage gardens can be low-key during the winter months, but you can add seasonal colour all year long with autumn crocus, winter iris, tulips, and daffodils. In addition, you can incorporate arches, which will give your garden some structure and encourage more scented climbers and perennials. Lastly, water features are another great addition to any cottage garden. Solar powered ones are the easiest to install.
Roses are another popular choice for a cottage garden. They are versatile plants and can be grown as potted or as bushes for borders. There are several different types of roses, including rambling roses and climbing varieties.
Plants That Are Easy To Grow
If you want a cottage garden that’s full of colour, delphiniums are easy to grow. These annuals bloom from June to July and feature a wide range of flowers, including blues and whites. They work well in borders and as cut flowers. Delphiniums can be grown from seed, which you can sow in autumn and overwinter before the spring. They need well-drained soil and should be staked to avoid wind damage. You can also cut their stems back in early summer to encourage a second flush of flowers.
Snapdragon is a perennial plant that grows in any well-drained soil, but it prefers neutral soil with a neutral pH. Its large flowers resemble open mouths and look great in English cottage gardens. These plants are endemic to meadows and pastures. The flowers are often a single colour, but the “Excelsior Group” has white or pink varieties.
Pink paper daisies are also easy to grow and make a classic cottage garden. These plants need full sun and water frequently, but their large blooms last for 14 weeks. They also do well in containers and pots. Harvested blooms can be placed in vases and dried for use later. This plant will grow to a height of 12 feet. Several varieties are available that are resistant to powdery mildew.
Hollyhocks are another easy to grow plant for a cottage garden. They are tall, and look especially good lined up against a fence. Hollyhocks are drought-resistant and have a long blooming season. They need full sun, but also need a slightly shady spot. They are also easy to grow from seed, but you may need to stake them to support their growing habit. If you want a garden with more color, try foxgloves.
Another easy to grow plant is amaranth. This plant is beautiful with feathery flower stalks and long, green leaves. The flowers can be found in a wide range of colors. Its leaves can be eaten and the seed can be saved for the kitchen.
Paths To Create A Cottage Garden
Pathways can be a great way to give your garden a rustic, cottage feel. They can be softly curved to invite you into the garden and explore more. You can use bricks, cobbles or bluestone to create the hard surfacing. You can also use wood chips or gravel as soft surfacing. Be sure to edge the paths carefully.
Using paths in a cottage garden is one of the best ways to get many different perspectives of the garden. The path should meander through the landscape and should not be formal. Using wicker and willow for borders can help soften edges, as well. A cottage garden also benefits from scented foliage. Some fragrant plants include lavender, salvia, and catmint. Adding hardy geraniums to the mix will add a touch of color and texture.
Cottage gardens can also benefit from arches and pergolas. These structures can provide shelter while still giving the garden a cottage feel. The right type of pergola or archway can help break up the lawn and add whimsy to the cottage garden. However, be careful not to overdo the decorative elements. It’s important to keep the cottage style free flowing in the garden.
The key to creating a cottage garden is to mix a variety of heights. Tall plants should be at the back of the beds, while smaller plants should be placed near the edges. Alan Titchmarsh recommends creating a pyramid structure in your garden, placing tall plants at the middle and low plants near the edges. You can create a pathway that meanders around each bed to showcase the plants.
Cottage gardens can also benefit from dry stone walls. These walls, which are built without mortar, are a common feature in rural areas. Originally, these walls were used to create boundaries for livestock or land. They add a rustic, cottage feel to a cottage garden, and they can be planted with classic cottage style flowers. One of the most common flowers to use in a dry stone wall is erigeron. The soft, mounding daisies in this flower can create a quaint and charming cottage garden.
Cottage gardens should include native plants. Native plants are adapted to local conditions and require much less care than introduced species. Natives also provide a distinctive cottage feel.
Adding A Summer House To A Cottage Garden
The cottage garden is a relaxed, free-flowering garden. You can add annuals to create a border or perennials for a more colorful foreground. Some perennials, such as larkspur, are re-seeding and will bloom year after year with just a single sowing.
You can use the summer house for a variety of purposes, from a potting shed to a child’s playhouse or a writing retreat. You can also convert it into additional accommodation for weekend guests, if needed. If you are thinking of converting the summer house into a guesthouse, make sure it has plumbing and electricity. You can also consider painting it in pastel colors that add to the cottage feel of the garden.
A cottage garden does not require perfect symmetry, but it should have a balance between flowers and foliage. A large dahlia will not sit well next to a delicate cosmos, and vice versa. Summer houses add a romantic touch to your garden, and many are insulated for heating and have verandas. Cottage gardens are ideal for adding a summer house, as it makes your garden feel more cozy and romantic.
If you’re planning to build a summer house in your cottage garden, consider incorporating it with other plants. For example, crab apples are great for cottage gardens, because they have a pleached shape and can be trained to grow vertically. You can also use a traditional weathered bench to divide your yard into different zones. However, make sure to not add too many decorative items to your cottage garden, as it may ruin the free-flowing look of the garden. Then, use natural looking borders and islands of plants to break up the lawn to create an attractive, sheltered space.
For the background of your summer house, try using perennials. Consider adding bird feeders and nest boxes for your cottage garden. Birds are important pollinators, and they are important to the growth and health of your cottage garden. In addition, consider planting flowers that attract insects and pollinators. Hollyhocks, which are traditionally planted against cottage walls, are a good choice for the cottage garden. These plants draw moisture away from the walls, keeping the foundations dry.