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Cottage garden plants ideas


12 Key Plants for a Cottage Garden

The cottage garden planting style combines a romantic jumble of bulbs, annuals, perennials and flowering shrubs and climbers.

In contrast to a more carefully manicured herbaceous border, a cottage garden is an informal affair – a mix of closely but informally planted brightly coloured flowers. Cottage gardens are made up of a mix of colours, as opposed to a strict colour scheme.

Cottage gardens are also likely to make use of self-seeding plants such as foxgloves and aquilegias, which pop up spontaneously around the garden or in cracks in paving, adding to the informal look.

Traditionally, cottage gardens had an emphasis on practicality, mixing livestock, vegetables and fruit as well as flowers, which were mostly grown for their medicinal or edible properties. Cottage gardens today mostly focus on ornamental flowers, but it's possible to mix them with edibles, too.

More on cottage gardens:

Here are some key flowering plants for the cottage garden look.

Aquilegia

Red and white aquilegia

Aquilegias, or granny's bonnets, are old-fashioned cottage garden plants with bonnet-shaped flowers, often two-tone and with long graceful spurs. Flowering in early summer, they fill the seasonal gap between the last of the spring bulbs and the first of the summer roses.

Hardy geraniums

Geranium 'Wargrave Pink'

Hardy geraniums come in a range of colours, from dark purple to white, and grow brilliantly in sun or shade. They're perfect for the front of the border – chop them back after the first flush of flowers and they should reward you with a second flush.

Pinks

Dianthus 'Doris'

With their pretty flowers with a strong, clove scent, pinks (Dianthus) are essential cottage garden flowers, and come in a range of colours and forms; many have a clove scent. Short-lived perennials, they make good bedding plants – grow at the front of sunny borders and in containers.

Phlox

Phlox drummondii 'Cranberry and Cream'

Another cottage garden favourite, phlox have pretty, mostly pastel flowers with a sweet, honey-like fragrance. They're the ideal choice for the middle of a border, and thrive in rich, moist soil in light shade. They're loved by butterflies, moths and other pollinators.

Delphiniums

Delphinium 'Fountain Mixed'

Delphiniums are cottage garden stalwarts, towering at the back of the border in shades of blue, pink or white. Stake them before they get too tall, and protect them from slugs and snails early in the season. They make excellent cut flowers.

Lupins

Lupin 'Gallery Red'

Lupins are another cottage garden favourite, with pretty spires of pea-like flowers in a wide range of shades; they contrast well with roses. As with delphiniums, protect them from slugs. Deadhead to encourage a second flush of flowers. Grow in full sun, in moist, well-drained soil.

Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle 'Scentsation'

Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) has a relaxed, spreading habit and bears fragrant, tubular flowers from July to September. Grow it along a fence or up and arch or pergola for a romantic look.

Campanula

Campanula 'Sarastro'

Campanulas are loved for their bell-like, usually blue flowers and long flowering season. Traditionally used in cottage garden schemes, they look particularly lovely when grown under shrub roses. Campanula flowers are extremely attractive to bees and other pollinators.

Lavender

Lavender in flower

Lavender is a compact, evergreen shrub that looks good in all kinds of gardens, including cottage-style ones. Lavandula angustifolia is commonly known as English lavender. Most varieties have purple flowers, but some cultivars come in white or pink. Grow in a sunny spot.

Hollyhocks

Hollyhock 'Halo Lavender'

Hollyhocks are classic English cottage garden plant, with tall spires of large flowers from summer to early autumn. They're perennial, but they're often grown as biennials. Plant in groups at the back of a sunny border. Cut down after flowering to encourage fresh growth.

Peonies

Peony 'Coral Charm'

Peonies bring sumptuous flowers in a range of colours to borders in late spring and early summer. Grow in rich soil in a sunny spot.

Roses

Rose 'Graham Thomas'

There are so many roses to choose from, from ramblers to climbers and shrub roses. Their lax habit and beautiful, scented flowers are ideal for a cottage garden. Rosa 'Graham Thomas' is a modern climbing rose, bearing deep yellow, old-fashioned rose blooms with a rich, lingering tea-scent.

Malva moschata (Musk Mallow) - BBC Gardeners World Magazine

Flower colour:

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Musk mallow (Malva moschata) is a perennial wildflower native to southern England, and closely related to the common mallow (Malva sylvestris). It’s now found all over the British Isles and is common in hedgerows, field margins and along roadside verges. It has pretty pink summer flowers with a gentle, musky fragrance.

Musk mallow does best in dry soils and is a popular choice for cottage garden schemes and wildlife gardens. It’s sometimes grown as part of a perennial wildflower meadow. It makes an excellent cut flower – indeed its musky fragrance is enhanced when the flowers are brought indoors.

For garden use, the white-flowered variety ‘Snow White’ is most common.

How to identify musk mallow

Musk mallow has small, saucer-shaped baby pink (occasionally white) flowers with five petals, and a musky fragrance. It has deeply lobed, hairy leaves and hairy stems. It can grow to heights of 1m, although dwarf cultivars are available.

Advice on buying musk mallow

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Where to buy musk mallow

How to grow

Malva moschata

Plant calendar

A table displaying which months are best to sow, plant and harvest.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Flowers

Plant does not flower in January

Plant does not flower in February

Plant does not flower in March

Plant does not flower in April

Plant does not flower in May

Plant does not flower in June

Plant does flower in July

Plant does flower in August

Plant does not flower in September

Plant does not flower in October

Plant does not flower in November

Plant does not flower in December

Malva moschata and wildlife

Malva moschata is known for attracting bees, beneficial insects, butterflies​/​moths and other pollinators. It is a caterpillar food plant and has nectar/pollen rich flowers.

Attractive to Bees

Attractive to Beneficial insects

Does not attract Birds

Attractive to Butterflies​/​Moths

Attractive to Other pollinators

Is

Malva moschata poisonous?

Malva moschata has no toxic effects reported.

No reported toxicity to:

No reported toxicity to Birds

No reported toxicity to Cats

No reported toxicity to Dogs

No reported toxicity to Horses

No reported toxicity to Livestock

No reported toxicity to People

9 Cool Ideas for the Garden (Bookmark this!)

1 Don't Throw Rusty Things

Don't rush to dump a rusty ladder or basin - they still come in handy in your garden. For example, they can make an atmospheric and original decor.

Social media blogger Kitutukimusume

Antique objects combined with densely flowering plants will fit especially well in a Provence, vintage or shabby chic style garden. Rust-covered decorations in such a tandem look very unusual and at the same time fit well into the surrounding landscape.

2 Set up a carved railing

A flower bed railing could well be a stand-out feature in a garden. Use beautiful forged and carved lattices to decorate a flower garden or zone a plot with them.

Social networks of blogger Lidia Struve

Choose a fence height that is not too high, but noticeable: for example, up to the knee. So the lattice will be clearly visible, but will not block the view of beautiful flowers.

3 Collect bouquets

Even if you have enough flowering bushes in your garden, add some more beauty in the form of bright bouquets. They can be placed where nothing grows, or additionally decorate not the most attractive areas in the garden.

Social networks of blogger Pia Esbensen

You can collect flowers that do not grow in your garden: for example, field flowers. Bouquets of fragrant herbs or beautiful branches also look interesting.

4 Use old dishes instead of vases

Vintage dishes look great in the garden and can be used as an alternative to vases for fresh cut flowers.

Social networks of blogger Olga Nesterova

In addition, garden flowers can be planted in old cans and teapots, as in a planter. And very small plants will look great in old mugs.

5 Plant flowers in a cage

Cells decorated with flowers look very nice in the garden. They can be decorative or real, left over from poultry.

Social media blogger Deco With Mom

Pour earth inside and plant a flower or combination of plants in it. A decorative planter cage will look good both among trees or flower beds, and, for example, on a table in a recreation area.

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6 Find a new use for cans

Large cans may well become a beautiful accessory for planting flowers. They can also be used as stands for smaller planters or other accessories.

Social networks of the blogger Piilopirtin Taikaa

For convenience, you can put a tabletop on top - this way more pots will fit. Both new tin containers and heavily rusted ones will look beautiful - they will add authenticity to the garden.

7 Shelving ladder

An old wooden or metal ladder can be used as a stand for plants and garden accessories. So you can organize a small storage system for small things.

Social media blogger Strawberry fair fields

This is a good way to decorate an empty corner or fence wall. Garden decor also looks great on the stand from the stairs.

8 Make a bed out of a chest of drawers

If you have an old chest of drawers that has already fallen into disrepair, it will make a spectacular and original DIY garden decor. To do this, put it in order, paint it if necessary, and arrange flower beds in the boxes.

Social media blogger Mika Diy 05

Curly and hanging flowers will look especially beautiful there. Several tiers will create the feeling of a lush and voluminous flower bed, but at the same time, the chest of drawers will remind you that this is furniture.

9 Place flowers on the fence

If the surface of the fence allows you to place decorations on it, do so. For example, transplant a few plants into a pot and set up a small portable flower bed on the fence.

Social media blogger Jeanne kokeshi

It is not necessary to use country plants - you can put indoor flowers "for a walk" there. And cut bouquets mixed with garden decor will also look beautiful.

Material prepared by

Elena Perlova

6 country ideas that will make life easier for a novice gardener

Listed all the ideas in the video

1 Plant a minimum of plants

In a gardening store, it is easy to succumb to temptation and buy a variety of seeds and seedlings. As a result, you will have to prepare a large area for planting, germinate plants according to different rules, and take care of them. It is very easy not to calculate and simply not physically cope with everything. Instead, make a clear list of what you will be planting. For example, one type of flowers or shrubs around the perimeter of the house, two flower beds, 2 types of vegetables and 3-4 types of herbs. You can cope with such a volume if you visit the country house every week for 3-4 days. If you come only for the weekend, give up part of the landings.

ShutterStock

2 Watering the plants in the evening

There is an opinion that it is necessary to water the plants early in the morning, literally at dawn. With this approach, while relaxing outside the city, you will not be able to get enough sleep, and if you oversleep and water later, the plants can get burned in the sun.

Water the plantings closer to sunset, around 6-7 pm instead. If possible, discard the watering can and run a convenient hose with a nozzle that regulates the power of the jet. This will speed up watering and not be so tiring.

Pixabay

3 Choose plants that do not need a greenhouse and insulation for the winter

Try to choose plants that are not afraid of weather changes in summer and the onset of cold weather in autumn. Building a greenhouse and warming plants for the winter is too difficult for the first gardening experience.

A good way out if you are not sure that you will continue gardening next year is to plant annuals. They will fade and produce during the season, and in the fall they can simply be removed from the site.

4 Choose self-fertile plants

All garden plants are divided into three types: self-fertile, partially self-fertile and self-fertile. Self-fertile plants will produce a crop, even if there are only 1-2 of them in the garden. Next to them, you can additionally plant unpretentious fragrant herbs and flowers to attract bees. But everyone else needs a company to pollinate and produce a crop.

Varieties of self-fertile plants

Pixabay

5 Buy seedlings in containers

In garden markets and shops you can find seedlings of the same plants in containers and with bare roots. The latter are cheaper, but for their planting, more work will have to be done - to process the pit, lay out fertile soil, add fertilizer. In addition, it will be easy for an inexperienced gardener to break the roots when planting or make a mistake in storing a seedling.

Plants in containers do not have this problem. They can safely wait a few days before planting, and the roots will not be affected when moving into the hole. In addition, an earthen ball on the roots already consists of fertile soil with fertilizers.

6 Leave paths between plantings

A common mistake for beginners is to plant beds close to each other, not considering that the plants will grow. As a result, it is inconvenient to walk around the garden and the garden, and weeding and watering turn into exhausting work.

To avoid this, always allow space between shrubs, flower beds and beds. You can additionally lay them out with hay so that weeds do not grow there.

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