How to Create a Cottage Garden

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If you’re looking to create a relaxed and artless garden, you should opt for a cottage garden. This style is often devoid of grand geometry and artistic curves, but instead relies on irregularity and color to set the mood. Beds can be as wide as necessary, and you can even use borders that reach the house. In a cottage-style garden, the emphasis is on harmonious color combinations and fewer features than in traditional gardens.

Cottage gardens are easy to maintain, as they are casual and free-flowering. Moreover, you can mix and match plants of different shapes, sizes, and colors. For example, you can plant delicate, feathery flowers next to spiky, bold-leafed shrubs. A common rule in a cottage garden is to plant tall, hardy plants in the back and short, sprawling ones in the front. For a fuller and more colorful look, use flowers that have similar colors and textures.

You can create a meadow in a cottage garden by using only wildflowers. However, you can also use other plants to give the area more depth. For example, you can plant meadow-type perennials in neglected areas or use a big container to plant them in. Ensure that the area gets plenty of sunlight. You can create a meadow by using classic meadow seed mixtures. Some examples include marigolds, foxgloves, cosmos, and ox-eye daisies. You can even intersperse aromatic herbs with the flowerbeds.

A cottage garden should be relaxed and free-flowering. It should be full of vibrant colors and a welcoming scent. If you want to create a more structured setting, consider adding a couple of busty shrubs and elegant spires. In the foreground, use fragrant perennials like lady’s mantle. It is a good idea to use perennial plants so that they don’t require much maintenance. You can also add spring bulbs in October or November for a brighter look in the winter.

In a typical cottage garden, fruits, shrubs, and vegetables thrive alongside shrubs and other plants. A scarlet runner bean climbs on weathered wood poles, while cut grapevines support climbing roses and Roger’s Red grapevines. The white blossoms of a hawthorn shrub and the pink-colored clematis vine make a beautiful focal point in the middle of the garden. And if you want to add a tropical flower, go for it.

When creating a cottage garden, remember to focus on planting flowers that are free-flowering and easy to maintain. In addition to flowers, you should also plant plants with interesting shapes and textures. For example, you could place a spiky vine next to a delicate one. The best way to use an arbor and a gate is to create a pathway between the two areas of the garden. The path is a key element in a cottage garden.