Around the beginning of the seventeenth century, wealthy members of the upper class started to perfectize the cottage garden and built their own version of cottage garden design. It wasn’t long before the cottage garden design became the dream garden of many today. As the Industrial Revolution drew to a close in the nineteenth century, cottage garden design and building became even more popular. The popularity of cottage garden design peaked in the early twentieth century, when both gardening and cottage garden design became popular among the middle-class population.
The first thing you need to consider when planning your own cottage garden design is the location. The site, size and layout must be carefully considered. First of all, decide on what sort of arrangement you want to have. Will your garden be used for growing perennial flowers, annuals or perennials? If you want to grow a mixture of perennial and annual flowers, then you should plan for a planting scheme that will allow you to get the best of both worlds. The traditional classic cottage garden plants that are grown in this style include Queen Anne’s lace, Hosta, Hellebores, Sedum Autumn Joy, Pansy, viola fruit, adder, hollyhock, and creeper.
For a classic cottage garden, you should try to include as many annuals and perennials as possible. Annuals can provide color and blooms year round while perennials such as hollyhocks, creeper, and pansies bloom only during the winter. Different kinds of annuals and perennials also do different things for the garden space. Hostas and Hellebores, for example, draw out larger areas of ground for growing, shade annuals can be planted to frame other flowers or containers, and cottages, tables, and window boxes can be decorated with annuals such as fuchsias, honeysuckle, and daffodils. Annuals and perennials will save you time and effort in the garden and will ensure that you never run out of color or flowers to bring home to your table.
When planning your cottage garden plants, don’t forget the small shrubs and bushes that you can grow as well. Small shrubs, such as dwarf roses or azaleas, make a wonderful border for beds or driveways. Small plants look more natural than large ones, and will add color and interest to the space. Shrubs are an excellent choice for the cottage garden because they are generally quite drought resistant, and the shrubs will provide some level of privacy when you are not using them as a path or a display area.
For some cottage gardeners, flowering shrubs and bushes are an absolute necessity. However, there is a wide variety of flowering shrubs and bushes that can be used in gardens, and some of these flowers bloom throughout the year. Because they are not in season all year long, annuals such as California poppies and blue blossoms provide an evergreen supply of color throughout the year. Annuals also help keep lawn grass from becoming too green during the dry months of fall and spring. In addition to flowering plants, there are some evergreens that are suitable for gardens, and some gardeners prefer these over annuals because they are more persistent and durable.
One of the most popular plants for cottage garden design is a variety of grasses. Most perennials are considered to be more appealing than annuals, but there are exceptions. In order to bring color to the garden year-round, planting some deciduous shrubs in the winter will dramatically change the appearance of the landscape. Semi-annuals such as Bermuda grass, bluegrass, and curly dock grass provide color and texture throughout the year and are considered by many to be more attractive than annuals. Another plant, the Kentucky bluegrass, is considered to be less invasive than other annuals and offers an interesting contrast of pale green and blue shades in the garden.
The foundation of any cottage garden design should be a combination of organic materials such as wood chips and crushed stone. Wood chips are an effective way to add color and texture to the garden and are available in a variety of colors. Many gardeners use wood chips on their beds to give the bed’s character, and they do not require mowing, watering, or even removing snow from the surface. Stone chips are available at many garden stores and can be used to create a focal point or define a decorative feature, depending on your preferences.
Cottage garden planting ideas are only limited by one’s imagination. A cottage garden offers plenty of versatility, and the resulting landscaping can be a source of gratification and relaxation. By carefully planning the planting locations, one can create an outdoor oasis perfect for relaxing on a warm summer day. Before long, the hard work of planting will begin to pay off with a spectacular display of blooming flowers.
