Cottage Garden Style
What Is This Style?
One of THE most popular garden styles as it allows you to include all the plants you love and doesn’t have to look as polished as other styles, although it can be if you want. This style developed from the self-sufficiency gardens of English working-class households; an unplanned style where plants are placed where there is space rather than if the planting combination is aesthetically pleasing. This developed into the relaxed and friendly garden style we now call Cottage.
Who Does This Style Suit?
This style is very forgiving if you're not the most enthusiastic gardener as the lack of bare soil, once established, helps minimise weeds. It’s also forgiving on the wallet as you can sow seed to build up your garden over time, plus vintage elements look great within this style so embrace second-hand furniture and decor in your space. Bright colours are really popular within Cottage gardens and so embrace your inner maximalist and go wild with colour. However, if you want a more coordinated space then a cool-toned cottage garden would be absolutely beautiful.
This garden style can be adapted to the tiniest balcony or the largest wrap-around spaces!
Added Extras
Another great aspect of Cottage gardens is the ability to blend ornamentals and edibles together in the same space, no need to build a separate vegetable garden! There are now plenty of ornamentally gorgeous fruit and vegetables out there now so you don’t even need to compromise your style.
Potential Downsides
There are some down sides to this style though. If you don’t have time to grow lots of plants from seed then it either be very expensive to buy plants or can take a long time to propagate enough to fill a space from a few bought-in plants. Also, you have to embrace the inevitable chaos that will develop, as the type of plants often used in this style can self-seed freely so won’t stay where you want them.
Conclusion
If the energy and vitality of the informal planting speak to you and you don’t mind the work, then a Cottage Garden is probably going to give you a huge amount of pleasure. It has been hugely popular for decades so won’t look dated but can evolve with you for as long as you need it to.
Designer’s Tips
Be bold with colour combinations: don’t shy away from bold colours even within a calming scheme. Orange, red and dark purple look fantastic together but you can also add that dark purple judiciously to a cool toned palette to catch the eye
Remember Shrubs: it’s incredibly easy to get absorbed in pretty flowers and tasty veg but evergreen or winter interest shrubs will keep your space looking good all year
Mix and Match Furniture: If you’re on a budget or have an eclectic style then mis-matched dining chairs or lounging furniture can look amazing. Maybe paint it all the same colour or palette to ensure it looks intentional