Naomi, that does sound like a fun project. Not overwhelming. I like what you already have in mind. Over 40 feet, you can repeat those a few times in masses. Sounds like this is pretty much full or partial sun? Other things I would consider are jatropha (peregrina and multifida), clerodendron ugandense (FL friendly, not invasive), justicia golden flame, dwarf acalypha in front of border (almost year-round color and very short- can tie the whole bed together).

Mexican Sage, Russellia Firecracker, Cape Daisy. Maybe a Belinda's Dream rose (no spraying and blooms well with even one application of slow release fertilizer a year.)

But here's something else to consider. A cottage style garden is not a carefree garden. Having color in the backyard is great but unless your mother can find time at least every other week to spend in the garden, this space could end up causing her stress, not pleasure. Maybe you should think about blooming shrubs instead? And a couple vines? Then she could heavily mulch the area under the shrubs and forget about weeding. Add some containers close to the house for easy watering and for changeable color.

Thanks Anna- yes, it's full/partial sun. Jatropha was one of the "anchor" plants I mentioned which in my mind equals BIG. LOL I have a nice standard jatropha in my "nursery" area that I'm going to donate to her project. I like butterfly clerodendrum but have never seen this plant for sale ever ever at a nursery! Only read about it and seen pictures. Wonder if I could track one down- is it care free? Not familiar with the acalypha- I googled it and it says zones 10-11....do you think it can handle Central FL? Looks like exactly what I am looking for- year round color, non-fussy.

Naomi

Hi Kate- when I think of "cottage style" I simply mean carefree form with a natural growth pattern as opposed to a more formal look. She wants a heavily planted area with a natural look. Perhaps we have different ideas on definitions? Not sure. :-) She'll pull weeds once a month but won't have time to prune and fertilize regularly. Thanks for the flower suggestions- I think Cape Daisy is perfect. And she loves firecracker plant and I wouldn't have thought of it.

Naomi

How about cannas, African iris, pentas and salvia?

Ginny

I definitely added flowering shrubs to fill the space. Then seeds can be sown between them like coreopsis,cosmos and zinnias.I also have alot of geraniums and the soil they are in is like concrete.Hardly ever water then and they bloom away

I agree with the cannas and Iris, I would also suggest Lantana, that's about as carefree as it gets! Maybe a Verbena and some Zinnias too. Gerber Daisies are also pretty easy.

I'm a total novice but I can recommend the most prolific and care free flowering plant in my yard: Plumbago.

I don't even water it when I water my other plantings because it just doesn't ever seem to need it. No issues with pests and it just flowers & flowers.

Every so often I wack it back mercilessly because I like to keep it a bit more contained as it's out front and it just recovers and fills in with blooms in no time as if nothing ever happened.

A special little bonus are these tiny little lilac colored butterflies who buzz around in it :).

First time I read through I didn't see that you already mentioned plumbago, lol! Sorry! I was so happy to have a suggestion :-P

My only other practically no care flowering plants are my oleanders. I've got the dwarf light pink variety out front and again - flowers & flowers and the only pest to contend with is oleander moth caterpillars occasionally. The hot pink ones out back are HUGE and those I never touch.

Hi. May I suggest choosing from the following flowering plants which are quite easy to care for? Pentas, lantana, marigolds, Mexican heather, caladiums, and begonias. These are quite drought tolerant and don't require a lot of fertilizer. It should tell you the sun/shade requirements on the plant's container, but generally, pentas, lantana, and marigolds prefer mostly sun while the other two can take partial or diffused sunlight. Happy gardening! Sheri :)

gaura. very cottage. very pretty. very easy. never misbehaves. perennial for 3 years. EASY to start from seeds. an ornamental banana or two -- again, well behaved and easy. i have a nice patch of bananas and dietes (african iris) -- totally maintenance free. doesn't even need water. camelias are beautiful, tho slow and somewhat expensive. i'd put in a weeping yaupon as a centerpiece, maybe a bottlebrush (the dwarf ones).

Plenty of nice suggestions here, I even added a few to my list of plants for cottage garden

I am planting mine up, but I do spend a lot of time in it. I grow roses, but interplant with lots of carefree perennials and annuals. My cottage garden is in full sun, all day long. So far I have (what I remember sitting in the lab):
1. Blanket flower, Gaillardia pulchella - wonderful! Smothers any weeds around it
2. Blue daze
3. Lemon basil - loves sun and heat, smells so good when touched/brushed
4. Gaura, pink and white
5. Yellow daisy...bush daisy, I believe
6. African Iris
7. Day lilies
8. Society garlic
9. Porterweed

10. Blackberry lily
11. Tampa verbain
12. Lantana
13. Oxalis deppei 'Iron Cross'
14. Fan flower, Scaevola aemula
15. 4 o'clock
16. Lots of marigolds, from seeds

and a few more, cannot remember names

Besides roses and perennials,I also planted:
1. Tibouchinia, two vars
2. Almond bush, Aloysia virgata
3. Butterfly Bush 'Lavender Eyes'
4. Vitex
5. Golden dew drops
6. minituare climbing orchid tree, do not remember species name
7. Evergreen Wisteria, Millettia reticulata

All of these seem to grow with not a whole lot of attention...
Olya

Cosmos, the Bright Lights or Klondike yellow and orange ones reseed themselves for me and like both sun and shade. Along with them I have Cleome and Red Scarlet Sage or Saliva. Both reseed and can take sun and shade. The Cleome and Cosmos are tall and wispy while the salvia are bushier. both nice for cottage gardening.

My white cottage garden is the best idea I've ever had. It was hit and miss to begin with. I bought more of whatever lasted over the year without hardly any maintenance, like the white plumbago I got last year did so well that I bought four more this weekend. Tomorrow I'm going to get another pinwheel jasmine to fill in one part. I use a lot of filler too, like white varigated lirope, artillery fern, and white vinca (which seem to be sowing themselves). The different colors of green, along with the variety of leaf textures and different heights, all brought together with the whites is very peaceful and graceful to enjoy.

To begin with I mulched heavily. This year everything is growing together so well that I won't have to remulch. I've planted so well that I just have to trim twice a year, fertilize, and as far as weeds go ... a few mornings a month, when I take out the garbage, I pulled some of the few weeds.

It's good to have a big anchor. I have a Texas white olive tree (white geiger) in the center that blooms all year. It looks pretty good .... AND the best thing is I don't have a lawn to mow :) :) :).

Wert9wert, please, please post some pictures of that white cottage garden, it sounds really beautiful!