Spring is swiftly approaching, and we are all excited to get back into our gardens, get our hands dirty and create the garden of our dreams. Sometimes when our world is full of changes, and the ‘new normal’, it’s refreshing to embrace the beauty in the chaos. Structure, formality and routine all have their place, but often we find the most charm in the informal.
As we are brainstorming the gardens we would like to create, we can consider one beautiful and distinct style of garden embraced throughout history, the cottage garden. This style is of English origin and utilizes traditional materials, dense plantings with a mixture of ornamental and edible plants in an informal design. The focus is on grace and charm rather than a formal structure.
Your cottage garden could have a practical purpose and be used with an emphasis on vegetables, herbs, fruit trees or could even include a beehive! You could also just use your space to showcase a variety of flowers, and richly scented roses. Ornamental grasses and native plants can be used especially in our area to adapt to the needs of a drought tolerant landscape. Another mainstay of a traditional cottage garden are informal climbing plants, self-sowing annuals and freely growing perennials.
Cottage gardens allow for the flexibility and freedom of personalization. You can have your plants grow together however you please. Your flowering shrubs mingled with roses, herbs with bulbous plants, climbers over hedges and free-spirited seedlings popping up here and there. Cottage gardens are often the subject of paintings throughout history due to their casual and informal beauty.
This style allows us to disregard the rules and do what we really love, which is cultivate our own haven of delightful floral abundance. Here are a few tips to help you get started with your own cottage garden this spring:
- Start small –
You don’t always need to go big or go home. Starting small will allow you to have fun with your garden without creating a monster you don’t have time to take care of. As your time, and your confidence increase so can the size of the space.
- Choose the right soil –
We are what we eat, and so are our plants! Starting with a rich, organize soil will help reduce watering and fertilizing. Adding compost is also very beneficial. Don’t forget to use a mulch to help reduce weeds and create a neater more unified look.
- Reduce your workload –
Even though cottage gardens are informal and less structured, you can decrease your workload by making sure you put your plants in the best space for them. A plant in its most ideal conditions will be a happy plant and that means less care, a.k.a work, for you.
- Choose the right plants –
Plants that we think are perfect for cottage gardens are:
- Foxglove
- Climbing Roses
- Geraniums
- Delphinium
- Wisteria
- Peonies
- Cosmos
- Dahlias
- Lavender
- Hydrangeas
- Dianthus
- Think outside the box –
Add vintage accessories to your garden to create a focal point and increase the personalization of your space. You can also utilize hardscaping to complement the garden and create beautiful visual interest.
Cottage gardens are an easy way to add style and beauty to your landscape. We would love to help you design your cottage garden and choose the plants that work best for you. Stop on by and let’s chat about the best options for you.
