Designing a Cottage Garden: How To
Cottage gardens originated back in Elizabethan times and it is still a popular style to this day. The informal style is perfect for making use of the space in any size of garden. Typically found in cottage style gardens are natural planting, curved pathways and loose materials like gravel or bark. There is nothing ‘harsh’ about a cottage garden with spaces that flow into each other to create a seamless and natural look.
In recent years, cottage gardens are becoming more popular in urban areas as well as the countryside as the planting style encourages wildlife, especially pollinators. Plants like Delphinium, Rose, Lavender and Geranium help to achieve the informal look and also provide movement and texture.
See below our ideas on how to achieve a cottage garden look in your garden.
How to get the look?
The typical cottage garden tend to feature romantic elements like arches with climbing roses and flowing pathways. To achieve a ‘cottage garden’ look use romantic elements like arches with climbing roses and flowing pathways within the garden. Combine these with natural materials like bark or reclaimed blocks to add texture and give an overall more natural look to the space.
Which colours to use?
Pastel colours like pinks and purples work well in a cottage garden alongside pops of yellows and reds. Typical colour combinations include:
Pastels - pale blues, pinks and purples create a soft romantic feel
Purple & white - creates a very calming feel and gives a cohesive look to the planting
Pops of colour - combine pops of yellows and reds with pinks and purples to create a bolder look
How to choose planting?
Planting within cottage gardens all about texture and creating a cohesive look. Repetition and grouping plants help to achieve this look. Ideal plants to use are:
Delphinium e.g ‘Pacific Summer Skies’, ‘Magic Fountain Cherry Blossom’, ‘Highlander Crystal Delight’
Rose e.g ‘Open Arms’, ‘The Albrighton Rambler’, ‘Ballerina’
Geranium e.g ‘Summer Skies’, ‘Dreamland’
Achillea e.g ‘New Vintage White’, ‘Cloth of Gold’
Salvia e.g ‘Peach Melba’, ‘African Sky’, x sylvestris ‘Mainacht’
Astrantia e.g ‘Pink Crush’, ‘Star of Billion’
For more inspiration, see our Gurgedyke Project where we created a cottage garden style planting scheme.
Do you have a garden that needs a transformation? Get in touch to discuss how we can help.
