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The Cottage Garden: Planting From Scratch

December 24, 2019

So, I’ve wanted to build a cottage/English garden for some time now and started a larger project than I anticipated. In doing research I wanted to understand what attributes make up this type of garden, and what features I wanted to include. There are really two main kinds of English Garden: the rolling estate/park and the cottage garden. The rolling estate is lush with broad expanses of green, and has a park feel broken up by “rooms” or areas of diverse planting. The cottage is your typical loose, flowing and colorful garden.

Key Attributes of an English Garden

So here is a collection of English/cottage garden traits I compiled:

  • Abundance – in the garden there is always a feel of slight overgrowth and abundance. Bare spots are not allowed, paths should be slightly crowded with blooms. There needs to be a “full” feeling.
  • Natural – plants should always look like they are in their natural habitat.
  • Weaving – using a variety of plants, vines and containers there should be a woven feel throughout the garden.
  • Variety – there should be a variety of bloom types,, sizes and colors to create a visual texture.
  • Informality – There is always a main theme of informality on the verge of organized chaos.
  • Layers – using height and plant types, there should be a layering of foliage and blooms.

Stay tuned for more on my Cottage Garden project.