Spring into Bloom: Designing and Planting Your Dream Cottage Garden

Okay, I know those March winds can still feel a bit chilly, but they’re also hinting at warmer days ahead! Can you feel that gardening excitement starting to bubble up? Bare patches of dirt are about to transform, and it’s the perfect time to dream up a cozy, colorful cottage garden bursting with flowers, yummy veggies, and all the good scents. Get ready, because we’re about to dive into creating your own little slice of garden magic

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Embrace the Abundance:

Cottage gardens are all about layering and intermingling, adding a variety of textures and heights. Don’t be afraid to mix it up! Personally, I love the casual feel of a cottage garden and it works with the style of my home and yard.

Cottage gardens tend to be packed with plants and color, something is always in bloom throughout the growing season. But even though this is a more causal style of gardening the basics still apply: designing garden beds with a mix of short, medium, and tall plants.

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Color Magic:

Cottage gardens thrive on bold and joyful color palettes. Here are 3 different ideas for creating your cottage garden:

• Analogous: Plant hues next to each other on the color wheel, like purple, lavender, and pink for a calming effect.
• Complementary: Play with opposites for vibrant pops, like orange and blue, or yellow and purple.
• Monochromatic: Embrace the elegance of one color in different shades, like a white garden with touches of cream and ivory.

Analogous:

Complementary

In my gardens, I have a mix of analogous groupings and complementary beds. One of my favorite color combos for a pop in the garden is purple Siberian Iris and yellow bearded Iris. They always look so happy next to each other. They are both early-season bloomers too.

Another combo that works in a cottage garden is yellow and pink. Above you can see how pretty a yellow daylily in front of tall pink phlox looks blooming together in June.

Monochromatic

Above is an example of a monochromatic garden bed. On a trip to Waco, TX we stayed at one of the Magnolia vacation rentals and all of the landscaping around the gorgeous home was white flowers. Mostly roses and magnolias. If you want to take a peek inside this home decorated by Joanna Gaines I shared my trip and lots of photos.

Flower & Foodie Fusion:

One of my favorite things that I started in the garden a couple of years ago was to mix some of my raised beds with vegetables, herbs, and flowers. To me, it just screams “cottage garden”! There is something very charming about flowers growing with your veggies.

Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but many herbs and flowers act as companion plantings for your vegetables attract pollinators, and deter some pests…so it’s a win-win for you and your garden!

In this raised bed I planted an artichoke (super fun plant to grow!), annual flowers, and small herbs.

• Herbs with charm: Rosemary, basil, and dill add beauty and fragrance while beckoning bees.
• Tiny Tomatoes: Patio varieties of tomatoes bring pops of red and a taste of summer.
• Lettuce with flair: Let lettuce mingle with flowers for a yummy and pretty bed.

Last year my favorite mixed bed in my cottage garden had an herb garden on one end, calendula, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, beans, onions, and zinnias. It had interesting colors and textures right until the Fall.

Design Delights:

Have some fun with your cottage garden!! To keep it charming and interesting you can add pretty paths, birdbaths, and rustic or vintage touches.

• Paths and curves: Invite exploration with winding paths and meandering borders.
• Hidden surprises: Tuck away charming birdbaths, vintage watering cans, or quirky statues for an unexpected touch.
• Rustic charm: Upcycle old tools, barrels, or ladders into unique planters or trellises.

In my gardens, I don’t have any paths but I do add fun touches wherever I can to add a little charm. One thing that I always do is to tuck in birdbaths wherever I can not only for the birds but for the butterflies too!

You don’t need fancy birdbaths either! An easy DIY birdbath is an upside-down planter pot and a saucer. Add a few stones or glass beads in the saucer to create safe resting spots for butterflies. Tuck them in among your plants and flowers.

Vintage metal obelisks and towers are perfect for any cottage garden. They give your space an instant English garden feel! Check out your local flea markets and vintage bazaars for them.

Do you like making things yourself? Try this garden tower. It’s made with a cheap tomato cage and bamboo stakes. Perfect for climbing flowers like this black-eyed susan vine.

Plant Power:

Remember, a healthy garden starts with good soil and proper care:

• Test your soil: Know your pH and nutrient levels to choose the right plants.
• Compost with love: Feed your soil and reduce waste with homemade compost.
• Water wisely: Give your plants a deep drink but avoid overwatering.

Soil Testing

I would recommend searching out your local cooperative extension for soil testing. Here in New Hampshire, it is under $20 for the service. (UNH cooperative extension soil testing)

Compost

Another thing you can do to create a healthy garden is to feed your soil with compost. If you don’t want to compost on your own you can buy bagged compost at the garden center or check with your local landscaping companies that sell mulch, they often have compost available.

If you are in New England I would highly recommend the Coast of Maine garden products, I love their Quoddy blend lobster compost.

Another tip, here we mulch our leaves (well my husband does) and we keep a pile out back for me to use in the garden the following year. Not only are the mulched leaves perfect for a base layer when filling a new raised bed, but the leaves feed the soil as they decompose.

Watering

When watering it is better to water your plants deeply rather than a quick squirt to only wet the surface. Deep watering will encourage better root growth as they reach for the water. Shallow watering will give you shallow roots and therefore a weaker plant.

Also, make sure you are watering the base of all of your plants whether it be flowers or veggies. Wet leaves encourage disease. Yes, it might seem easier to just wave your hose around to give everything a drink but take the time to aim for the dirt.

Containers need more attention and dry out quickly especially on hot, sunny days. In the heat of Summer you will have to water daily and sometimes 2X a day for smaller planters of flowers. Nothing worse than a droppy pot of flowers!

Blooming Inspiration:

Here are some specific cottage garden favorites to spark your creativity:

• Flowers: Columbines, poppies, foxgloves, daisies, sweet peas, cosmos, clematis, roses, lavender, peonies
• Herbs: Rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, dill, chives, parsley, mint
• Vegetables: Cherry tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, radishes, kale, swiss chard

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FAVORITE ANNUALS TO GROW IN A COTTAGE GARDEN

• Zinnias
• Cosmos
• Strawflowers
• Snapdragons
• Sweet Peas
• Celosia
• Amaranth
• Sunflowers

Remember, a cottage garden is a living work of art, ever-evolving and full of surprises. Embrace the joy of experimentation, let your creativity blossom, and watch your magical spring garden come to life!