I think we each have a different way of creating a cottage garden. For me, my garden's style is dictated by my need for a place for my plant collection!

It is true! I am a plant collector, but I want them to look pretty, not just be kept in the greenhouse, like a collection. I want an interesting path to traverse to see all these plants, with a few stepping stones among the plants so a person can get a better look at them. A place to sit or even to stay and read is nice- necessary in my garden. A place for birds to rest and refresh themselves is necessary too.

In my garden, I have a rabbit warren and a pig farm. All concrete statuary, of course. I don't know why, but I
love pigs and bunnies. I also have a statue of a little girl and an angel, and a statue which once was an angel, but is now the prettiest lady in any garden. She was broken into several pieces, her head off and in several pieces, and we never did find her left arm/hand. DH put her back together and she is in my garden. I figure if Venus had no arms and is beautiful, my statue can have one arm and be beautiful too.

We did have a nekkid lady in the garden, but I asked DH to put her in the back yard. She was a bit too perky for me. DH was a little put out, he made her, and is very proud of her, which he absolutly should be- in the back yard.

More than anything else, your garden should make you happy.

Janie

Here is a link that might be useful: my prettiest statue

That's funny Janie!!! thanks for sharing. There seems to be a lot of activity on this forum, and I was really seeking people's thoughts and ideas about cottage gardens.
It's not very feasible right now, as I'm renting a house, but when my DH and I buy, I want an old house, with an old feel to it, big shady trees....and I want to turn it into a garden haven. Yes, I was thinking a stone path. But I really wanted to hear others feelings and experiences on what a cottage garden is to them, and how to create one. Oh well. Thanks!

Sorry, that IS what my cottage garden is to me; a place to grow my collection, in a manner that is kind of organized.

This is the advice I gave to mystic_dragon on a similar thread;

"I suggest you start with defining 'what you want/need'.
Get a tablet, or a spiral notebook, and start making lists of plants you like, pathway materials that appeal to you, garden features you love, mulch and compost resources, first/last frost dates, rainfall records, where the sun is at different times of the day, 'recipes' for pot combinations, .....Put it all in this one spot. You might think it is frivolous, but I use my 'book' about every day. You can make it a journal if you want...
DO check with your county to see if they offer free compost and mulch. It can save you hundreds of dollars, and native is always better, when it comes to mulch. All of my mulch comes from our county transfer station (the dump). Also, if you have any grain mills around, you might check to see what kind of 'trash' is available there. We have a cotton gin close to us, and we get fantastic compost from there, for free.

DO learn to propagate your own plants. There is a propagation forum on this Garden Web, and the people there are very knowledgeable and will cheerfully advise you how to propagate anything and everything."

I don't hold myself up as an expert, but I did make a nice living for several years as a landscaper, including all facets of the occupation, from concept, to installation, to maintenaince.

We all go about it in different ways, at a differemt pace, and with unique styles. Perhaps someone else can offer their advice from a different perspective. If you read posts by Token or Foxes Earth, wonbyherwits, todancewithwolves, or plantmaven, you will learn 5 different styles. Each is excellent in what they do, yet each is very different from the others.

For you, the task will be to decide what your style and direction will be.

Janie

Janie was not trying to be funny, that is the way Janie gardens. You won't want to emulate my garden, it's just a bunch of flower beds that grow around an old house in the country. I do know whom to ask, though.

If I were a gardener in zone 6, I would look through the pages in this form and look first at posts by gardeners in my zone and the next colder, for a start. Not that the rest of us don't have great ideas, but a climate like your own is a good place to start, fewer disappointments.

Here are some previous posts that have an abundance of information crammed into them that I think might be helpful.

Definition of a Cottage Garden

Plants for a cottage garden

Overplanting for a Layered Look, how GottaGarden and Others get 'The Look'

Favorite Shrubs in the Garden

A Picture from Everyone

When you look at the thread, 'A Picture from Everyone,' make notes of gardens that you like the 'look' and search the Forum for more of their posts.

I hope you find this helpful.

Nell

To me "a cottage garden" means an informal riot of color with lots of plants growing in and around each other. I have perennials (old roses primarily) and self-seeding annuals (chamomile/anthemis, Johnny jump-ups)and biennials (Queen Anne's lace) all climbing over each other. Lavender flops out over the sidewalk and the iris and daylilies poke their heads up for a shot at some sunlight. I'm adding more edibles to the landscape after losing two plants to rose rosette disease, so now I have a rabbiteye blueberry in the front yard by the cramoisi superieur and Stanwell perpetual roses. Five-year-old Dear Son has planted some strawberries in the front yard flower beds, and I've just bought some French sorrel, a perennial green (though I may have to pot it up to keep it from the yard bunny. >:-/ ). From what I've read, the original cottage gardens were a mix of edibles and "pretties."

The main thing is to regard your site (sun requirements) and climate. Trying to zone bust can be fun, but it can also be expensive and frustrating. Check out library books to get some ideas about designing a cottage garden, and remember--grow what you LIKE, not what you think it "ought" to have. :-)

A cottage garden can be anything you want it to be. It's your garden after all.

Here's a link to mine:

Here is a link that might be useful: my cottage garden

- Wow Libby, that's a garden!
- Foxesearth thank you so much for posting those links, very helpful.
- Janie, you really said it all when you said "more than anything else your garden should make you happy" so true!
- remontant, good advice. "Plant what you like not what you think you should." To me that is the beauty of the cottage garden.

A cottage garden allows you to express your individual personality. That's the main key and like every person it should be your own unique expression of what makes you happy.

Blue

Cottage gardens aren't created overnight. They evolve through time and hard work. If it's not something you enjoy, then you'll never have a garden you're happy with or proud of. They can be a tangle of plants or a series of beds around the yard. There might be statues, fountains, ponds, trees, shrubs, roses, tropicals, succulents, anything you like. There may be cabbages mixes with perennials and carrots growing with the roses. It's entirely up to you.

A cottage garden is never done.

thanks so much Nell! (I'm bookmarking this page).

Estelle

I remember watching a gardening show on TV, and the expert said
to pick 3 colors for your garden flowers. I didn't like that idea, because
their were so many colors I liked. Then on another show, they said plant
what you like, their are no rules. So that is what I think a cottage garden
is. I plant what I like, where I want. The more flowers, the more beautiful.

LOL, Roper, pick 3 colors for one end of a bed, put white beside those to mediate and pick 3 more.

I believe that planting what will grow and thrive in your climate and soil is key to a successful garden. That's why I have big mophead hydrangeas and not rhododendrons. That's why I plant gingers and not hostas; vitex instead of buddleia; crape myrtles, not lilacs.

That's the reason I keep urging you all to look at the gardens in your zone, your part of the country. Even the hardscapes are going to be different: we have limestone, New England has bluestone. Bloom where you are planted.

My favorite example is Glenda's zone 6 pic of three perennials blooming together that I thought to plant, then realized that each of them bloom at a different time in my garden. That is not to say that you can't get ideas from other gardens, it is a reminder to know bloom times in your own area.

Ryan Gainey, Atlanta designer, once said to start with making some pretty beds, then go from there. I've watched his garden in magazines and books and web sites over thirty years or more. At one time, he had borders around a lawn. Then he had cottage type plantings that filled the whole backyard. Suddenly he pulled out the middle and put back a lawn space. As time passed, he went from rustic twig arbors and stacks of clay pots to more sophisticated brick portals. Gardens are not static. Today's birdbath can be next year's garden pond, they're both water features.

Token is right, a Garden is never done. Do take time to enjoy the flowers of today.

Nell

Different advice from many, but all on the same page. All good advice too.

Thanks for all the links too, Nell. I had not seen some of those.

Janie

My cottage style garden includes free-form beds, a picket fence, stone walkways, vegetables & herbs mixed in with the perennials, bird & bee houses, watering holes for the critters, and places to sit.

I don't grow many annuals, unless they're self sowing; restrict my palette other than avoiding pastel colors; or try to force anything to grow in a way or place that it doesn't want to. I buy things on impulse and find a spot for them, and move stuff around continually. Although I may start with a general picture (in my head) of what I want, I almost always end up with something different.

I think of a cottage garden as a process, rather than a result.

I thought janie's comment about the perky statue was funny, not her style of gardening! Yes, we all have unique styles, and it comes through in our gardening. I just have this dream, but realize it would take years to complete and fill it out, but that's okay. I like hard work and learning new things. Every "mistake" is just a lesson learned. My dream cottage garden: an old house, with big porches, lots of trees, and plenty or room for gardens!!! I see a trellis, an entryway into the back, covered with climbing something, and beyond pathways, a bench where I can relax and watch birds, butterflies, and enjoy the beauty of nature. So many stress a "plan". That's not my style, I like free-form, natural look. A journal is a good idea, and of course you only want to grow things suited to your climate, and I prefer perrenials. I can't stand houses with boxwoods cut into little boxes out front. I have wildflowers growing. Love it! I also have a vegetable garden, a few beds on each side of porch, and a bed on side of house for sun -loving medicinal flowers and herbs.
Being new to gardening, I'm learning as I go. This is not a fleeting hobby for me, but a passion. I'm enjoying where I'm at know, but will hold onto my dream! Thanks for the input, and links.

For me a cottage garden is a garden that looks somewhat informal and is FULL of blooms. In my mind, I see Narcissus, Tea Olives, Viburnums, Lilacs, Peonies, Delphiniums, Iris, Foxgloves, Cosmos, Lilies, Lavender, Butterfly bushes, Rose bushes, Climbing Roses, Clematis, Gardenias, Hydrangeas, Hostas, Daisies, Verbena, Black-eyed Susans, Hollyhocks, Dinner Plate Dahlias, etc. etc. set against a white picket fence. Sounds of nature, a soft breeze, birds chirping, butterflies and bumblebees, water flowing and lots of color and fragrance from Spring through Fall. Cute birdhouses, bird baths, stone bunnies, benches, paths. A joyful place, a peaceful place. Like someone said a place that makes you feel happy and a fun project that never really ends.

I know what you mean about not wanting a formal, "planned" look and I also understand what Janie's saying. I find having at least a loose plan is helpful. Some things I consider are color combos, height of plants, sun/shade needs and bloom time. I also started keeping a journal. I sometimes forget but for the most part I jot down what I plant and where and when I plant it. It's a wonderful resource and I find myself referring back to it quite often.

We bought a new house three years ago and the yard consisted of a weedy lawn, two crape myrtles, a rose of sharon and a juniper. That was it! The first year we started by putting in trees, then planted shrubs and finally last year I began planting flowers. Here are a couple pics. One looking out the front window and one of our side yard. As you can see my garden is still a long way from what I see in my mind's eye! But we're making a little progress.

Libby, thanks for posting the link, your garden is amazing!! Love your cute kitty too.

Franny

{{gwi:682184}}

{{gwi:682185}}

Great garden, frannyflowers. I like your grassy paths and well mulched beds. Your plan came together nicely.

Nell

And on the other hand, there is my "plan". :)

This is my idea of trial and error. It's a cottage garden. A water feature, some found items for vines, lots of different plants and seedlings all growing at different rates. Some wintersown plants, lots of divisions and reseeders, and plenty of weeds, maybe. I'm scared to pull anything since I just tossed out seeds last week. There are daffodils that haven't died back. Irises that didn't bloom. Hollyhocks, coreopsis, butterfly bushes, knockout roses, salvias, larkspur, etc and so forth.

{{gwi:682187}}

BEEutiful pictures.....

I wish I had a spikey flower to grow here, like the delphinium and foxglove. We do have larkspur, but it is a cool weather plant. Later in the year, we have liatris 'Gay Feather', which is a native, but we don't have anything in-between. I love the look, and feel that it 'goes' with a cottage garden.

Janie, who got 2.5" of rain yesterday! Doin' the happy dance here!

I have just come back from a day out to the coast and along the way passed a lot of genuine cottages ie small rural houses some stone, some brick, some thatched, some not. I also visited a lovely old manor house with a beautiful garden. So I've seen a lot of gardens in passing today and the 2 main things I think epitomise the English style of cottage gardening, apart from the huge variety of styles and plants, is that most gardens over here have no soil visible when in full growth and are less a riot of colour than a riot of green with colour added. So that's how I tend to think of a cottage garden and that's the style I like. But everyone is gardening in different places and climates so I say do whatever takes your fancy and suits your area.

ps little dani - have you thought of acanthus? That's tall and spiky and drought proof. It comes from the Mediterranean. Another idea is Eryngium Miss Wilmotts ghost - also drought resistant and tall but not so spire-like.

What a good idea that acanthus is! I can get it when I go to town, too.

I have flame acanthus, but it is closer to the s. coccinea than the bears breeches.

Thank you so much for the suggestion!

Janie

Flora, that's a great garden concept:

"no soil visible when in full growth and ... a riot of green with colour added."

Greens from chartreuse to darkest emerald -- with colour added. Um, will take a bit of planning.