Cottage Gardens seem to conjure up images of quaint country cottages, white picket fences, and rose arbors but they are so much more and even though they emerged in Elizabethan times they are just as beautiful and practical today. It is the stunning combinations of growing vegetables alongside flowers, shrubs, trees, and animals in a lovely working ecosystem, that make this style of gardening very popular. I am excited to share my 10 essential Cottage Garden Plants with you!
I like that Cottage Gardens are informal and have a natural way about them. The winding paths and fences have a romance all their own, add flowers and you create a place you never want to leave. I suppose that is a quality that all good gardens possess!
My 10 Essential Cottage Garden Plants
Hollyhocks
Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) bloom mid-summer with numerous flowers on tall spikes and are good back of the border plants as they are so tall. I like a bit of whimsey in my garden so I let them push their way forward every now and then. I garden in zone six and I battle rust every single year on my hollyhocks. Still, they are worth the effort. I find that Malva “Zebrina” which I also grow is a very good substitute for hollyhocks if you find them hard to propagate in your area.
Roses
Well, I am passionate about roses! I found that the very best are from David Austen and I highly recommend you getting your roses from this wonderful business. I have many in my garden and my children just purchased five more for me for my birthday. They are all historic old English roses (Rosa) and I can’t wait to plant them in spring! I grow my roses organically as I do all my other plants.
Catmint
Catmint (Nepeta) is a staple all around the garden. I grow “Nepeta Mussini” and as an added benefit the bees and my cats love it. Another delicate blue flower that has a lovely sway about it. A front of the border plant that spreads naturally here.
Larkspur or Delphinium
I am ashamed to say this, but here in Ohio, I have never gotten my delphiniums to bloom more than one year. I think it may be too warm here? However, I plant tons of tall Larkspur in my yard and they look almost the same. The blue color makes every flower around it just pop! Larkspurs are annuals while Delphiniums are perennials.
Daisy
The daisy (Asteraceae) is the official plant of The Peaceful Haven and I grow many varieties in my cottage garden. Daisies are so easy to grow too! I have even grown other types of flowers like chamomile that have daisy-like flowers. There is just something so wholesome about a daisy. My favorite is the Ox-Eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)!
Peonies
My mother-in-law calls peonies( Paeonia) “ant-plants”. I was fortunate enough to have an old peony bed on this property when we moved into our farmhouse over twenty years ago. It’s still going strong and I am thankful to have enough to make beautiful spring bouquets! This is a truly lovely plant and oh, the smell is intoxicating!
Pinks
The new varieties of pinks don’t smell, which is such a shame as the old varieties of dianthus were known for their sweet delicious odor. You can still find the old varieties (Dianthus) but they are harder to find. Sweet William is a taller variety that I love too!
Bellflower
There are many, many varieties of the Bellflower (Campanula). It is a historic, well-known species including Campanula rotundifolia, commonly known as harebell in England and bluebell in Scotland and Ireland (though it is not closely related to the true bluebells), and the southern European Campanula medium, commonly known as Canterbury Bells.
Honeysuckle
I just planted this charming plant last year and now don’t know how I ever lived without it! I love the delicate flowers and how fast it climbs. It twines its way over garden gates and walls and even though roses. Honeysuckle (Lonicera) makes for a beautiful effect. A definite must-have in any cottage garden!
Columbine
Columbines (Aquilegia) remind me of fairies. They used to be referred to as “Granny’s Bonnet” and I can see why they were named so. I have many in my garden and I love how it surprises me every year by sprouting up in the most random and yet perfect places. God’s garden design seems always to be better than mine and much preferred too!
As a side note, I get most of my seeds from several companies. Fedco Seeds are the cheapest seed around because they are a farmers co-op, Seed Savers is also excellent as well as Baker Creek. I hope this will help you in planting your very own Cottage Garden this year!
Your Turn…
What’s your favorite garden style?
Blessings,
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