Modern Cottage Garden, The: A Fresh Approach to a Classic Style

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Allow self-seeders to spread, and if something pops up in the wrong spot, dig it up and move it. As this is a natural planting style, everything can have its place.

Have comments or questions about our modern cottage garden design ideas? Tell us in the section below. The top five cottage garden plants recommended by the Royal Horticultural Society for ‘voluptuous planting and haphazard self-seeding’ are foxgloves, lavender, delphiniums, scented philadelphus and roses. The cottage garden needs a boundary of some sort. A strong surround keeps cold winds out of the garden and creates a microclimate. A similar principal as the walled gardens attached to large country houses. Cottagers would have used native hedging or hurdles. Hedging was cheap and widely available at that time and of course it may well have produced edible berries to help sustain the family. In the next century, the Christian monks migrated throughout Europe and cultivated gardens to sustain themselves. They not only improved cultivation techniques and propagation methods, but they were the first people to make sophisticated garden designs. They were gardening within the confines of the monastery walls and came up with the geometrical path system with a rose garden in the center that is still common today. The key to creating a modern garden is to think outside the box (so veer away from the traditional lawn and narrow flower beds combo). Instead, focus on adding intrigue with water features, climbing plants, and darker fences – and try swapping your lawn for deeper beds, filled with structural evergreens, ornamental grasses, and maximalist flowers. What is a modern garden style?

To get that cottage garden look, you’ll want to focus on letting your space come together naturally. For example, instead of having your plants arranged from shortest to tallest mix them up to create a more organic look. Provide support 'As they grow, insert canes or metal plant supports around taller flowering plants to keep them secure in strong winds. Put them in early in the season and they’ll soon be disguised by foliage. It's super handy for those summer days that involve sun and rain in equal amounts – beat the unpredictability with this smart design. Karen Burgess credits her bountiful cottage garden with healing her from illness, consoling her in hard times and inspiring her floral art. “I’d die without this garden,” she smiles. “I had cancer during the Covid pandemic, and that’s when I truly learned the benefit of this wonderful outdoor space. Yet you don’t need to own a thatched, period stone cottage in the heart of countryside to enjoy this kind of display. These informal, mixed planting schemes can be created around any style or age of property, whether you live in a town, city or a village in the middle of nowhere. In fact, the benefit of a cottage garden is that the style is typically very busy - ideal for anyone wishing to grow lots of plants in a small area.

Prepare the soil 'First prepare the soil for planting by forking in plenty of manure or garden compost and remove any weeds.' Plants are usually spaced well apart, but forget this rule when planting up a cottage garden. In fact, cottage gardens were traditionally a way for poor people to grow as many culinary and medicinal herbs and flowers as they could in a small space. Place them closer together than normal so that the soil is soon hidden and everything knits together to form a mass of foliage and flowers. Alan Titchmarsh recommends pea shingle. You can lay it straight on to firmed and leveled earth that’s weed-free or put down a weed-proof membrane to suppress them, he explains. From Tudor times until the Victorian era, cottage gardens were functional rather than decorative, with an emphasis on productive culinary and medicinal plants, and flowers to aid pollination filling any spaces in between.Weed regularly: cottage gardens may look free-growing, but this is far from reality. Keep a close lookout for intruders that could soon colonize your planting scheme. Underplanting your trees with seasonal blooms is a great way to add interest to an otherwise uninspiring part of your garden. There are many different approaches to landscaping around trees, but bulbs are one of the easiest options. Here, vibrant red tulips interspersed with naturalized grape hyacinths and dots of yellow tulips and daffodils make a painterly palette in this otherwise dead space. Overall, creating a cottage garden requires a blend of careful planning and a relaxed approach,’ explains Georgina from Paving Superstore. ‘It's not about striving for perfection, but rather cultivating a sense of whimsy and nostalgia. By choosing the right paving, planting perennials and annuals, using traditional fencing and adding some sculptural interest and water features, you can create a charming and inviting space that captures the essence of a classic cottage garden.’

Note that the pergola posts will inevitably shrink and swell with changes in ground and weather conditions. As the installation proceeds, it is imperative all pergola posts are set vertical and remain in line at all times otherwise the pergola will not be structurally sound,' Leigh says.'A good spirit level must be used throughout the process to ensure complete accuracy.' None of this would have been possible without my wonderful garden and flowers, which have saved my life these past few years. I’ve put my heart and soul into this garden, and it’s repaid me with all these opportunities to lose myself in my art. This really is my special place.” Karen's top tips for cottage garden creativity The original cottage gardens were planted by British laborers who had little land and no time for flowers. They simply needed food for their family and herbs to treat illnesses so they planted vegetables, herbs, and fruit interspersed with a few flowers to ward off bugs. Also remember the taller the pergola the more unstable it may become and it may also be harder to maintain,' he adds.

Plant Combinations: Finding the Right Mix

Could you see yourself relaxing in a cottage garden? Do you need help with the design? Look no further. Tapestry Design Studios have all the planting knowledge you need to create a beautiful cottage garden. Then take some time to enjoy the sight of butterflies, birds and bees attracted to this beautiful space by the intoxicating aromas and lovely blend of colors. Cottage garden plants