The English Cottage Garden

Something about the English cottage garden says "home". With its whimsical, carefree intimacy, it suggests generations of care and family life. It's also the ideal style for those who like to "potter about" in their garden without being obliged to lavish care on it.

Planning

Despite its left-up-to-nature look, actually creating an English cottage garden does take some planning. Many of the plants typically used can quickly become overgrown if not controlled. In its entirety, an English cottage garden can easily sprawl across a whole backyard, so trying to add too many plants the first year could result in a mess. This style also calls for a large number of plants and buying them all at once could get expensive. Adding plants slowly, over several years, can both keep the garden under control and save money. The first year may not be as lush as you'd like, but this garden style "matures" beautifully as plants fill out bare spots and perennials bear more and more blooms.

Plants for the English cottage garden

A good variety and density of plants, particularly perennials, is what really makes the cottage garden. Britain, of course, is not short on rainfall, and many of the plants listed here need require a fair amount of water. There are many choices possible beyond this short list and the flowers you ultimately choose will depend on your climate. Beautiful as they are, traditional cottage gardens weren’t only for show. They also provided food and medicine in the form of herbs. All the herbs listed below are edible, either in foods or as tea.

Flowers for the English cottage garden
Flowers common in English cottage gardens include cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), Russell's lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus), Pot marigold, Baby's-breath (Gypsophila piniculata), Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena), Larkspur (Delphinium parryi ssp.), Wallflower (Erysimum cheiri), Tricolor daisy (Ismelia carinata), Dame's rocket(Hesperis matronalis), Godetia (Clarkia amonoena), Shirley poppy (Papaver rhoeas), Black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata), Tall toadflax (Linaria), Sweet william catchfly (Silene armeria), Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia 'Munstead'), Lamb's Ear (Stachys byzantina), Mullein (Verbascum 'Jackie'), Forget-me not (Myosotis sylvatica), and Shasta Daisy (Leuncanthemum x superbum 'Snowcap').

Herbs for the English cottage garden
Herbs often grown in English cottage gardens are borage, catmint or catnip, lemon balm, chamomile, lady's bedstraw, dill, lovage, hyssop, Greek oregano, savory, rue, sage, savory, sweet basil, sweet marjoram.

Planting design

English cottage gardens are typically quite dense with flowers and herbs and little space is "wasted" on lawn. Planting at varying levels (using raised beds or terraced slopes) adds depth and a feeling of abundance to the garden. Plant for a lush look with waves and mounds of color. For balance, place your favorite species of plants in several places throughout the garden. Don't worry about a few bare spots for the first year or two; they'll fill in quickly. Likewise, don't be afraid to let the plants sprawl and wander a little. A bench under a trellis with climbers like honeysuckle or climbing rose makes a peaceful rest stop. A natural flagstone path meandering through the garden, with some aromatic thyme planted between the stepping stones, will suit this garden well. Rock walls and wrought iron also complement the cottage garden.

English cottage garden decor

The English cottage garden has a naturally homey, welcoming style in which simple, relaxed decor works best. Try to avoid any formal elements, such as geometrically-shaped ponds or poured-concrete paths. Furniture, traditionally of wood or wrought iron, looks best in natural colors that are easy on the eye. Simple decor can do a lot: a homely toad statue squatting among the daisies adds to the easy, friendly atmosphere; a light-catching gazing ball floating on its pedestal over the lavender lends some whimsy.