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- July 2024
While it might seem like a challenge with the blank canvas of a new build garden, it is possible to transform it. The key to a successful cottage garden is embracing an informal, natural planting style. Avoid strict rows or symmetrical designs. Instead, plant clusters, allowing plants to intermingle and spill over pathways or edges.
This creates a sense of abundance and makes the garden feel more established and mature, even in a new build setting. Consider adding a winding path or a few rustic features like a wooden bench or birdbath to enhance the natural flow of the garden. Let plants softly encroach on spaces, adding to the charm and creating little nooks that feel inviting and serene.
Lush, Layered Planting Scheme
Cottage gardens are all about abundance, so focus on creating a lush, layered planting scheme. Start by planting roses as the backbone of your garden. Opt for traditional English varieties, which offer the classic full blooms and enchanting fragrance that define a cottage garden. Place them towards the back of borders or as central features in your garden beds.
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Climbing Plants for Vertical Interest
No cottage garden is complete without climbing plants that ramble over fences, walls, or trellises. Clematis or climbing roses (as seen in Blenheim Palace's Rose Garden) are a perfect choice for this, offering a range of colours and bloom times that can keep your garden looking vibrant from spring through autumn.
Plant clematis or roses near a fence or an arbour and let it weave its way through the structure, creating a soft, romantic feel.
Fantastic Ferns
To balance the abundance of flowering plants, incorporate ferns for texture and contrast. Ferns thrive in shady areas and can soften the edges of your borders or pathways. Their delicate, feathery fronds provide a lovely counterpoint to the bold blooms of roses and delphiniums.
Classic Cottage Perennials
To fill in the gaps and create a more natural, cohesive look, plant classic cottage perennials like echinacea and lavender. Echinacea (coneflowers) are hardy and add a splash of colour with their large, daisy-like flowers. They’re also great for attracting pollinators, which adds life and movement to your garden. Lavender offers not only fragrance but also a neat, low-growing option to edge your paths or borders. It is also drought-tolerant and easy to care for, making it a practical choice for a new garden.
