Last Updated on April 9, 2024 by Real Men Sow
Cottage garden plants are a combination of perennials, bulbs, annuals, and flowering plants. In contrast, a well-tended herbaceous border is informal. It’s a mixture of brightly coloured flowers that have been planted close together. Cottage gardens can be made up of many different colours as opposed to one specific colour scheme.
Cottage gardens may also make use of self-seeding plants like Foxgloves and Aquilegias. These plants pop up around the garden or in cracks in the paving, giving it an informal appearance.
Why Cottage Garden Plants Are Low Maintenance
Cottage gardens were traditionally focused on practicality. They could be used to grow livestock, fruits, and vegetables, as well as flowers. These plants were often grown for their medicinal or edible qualities. Although cottage gardens are mainly focused on ornamental flowers today, it is possible to combine them with edibles.
Cottage Garden Plants To Grow Easily
Phlox
Has pretty, pastel flowers and a honey-like scent. They are a great choice for the border because they thrive in moist soil and light shade. These plants are loved by butterflies and moths, as well as other pollinators.
Aquilegia
Granny’s Bonnets are an old-fashioned cottage gardening plant with bonnet-shaped flowers. They often have two-toned blooms and long graceful spurs. They flower in early summer and fill the gap between the last spring bulbs, and the first summer roses.
Delphiniums
This flower towers at the back of your border in shades like blue, pink, or white. You should grab them before they grow too tall and keep them safe from snails and slugs. They are great cut flowers.
Lupins
With beautiful spires of pea-like flowers in a variety of colors; they are a great match for roses. Protect them from slugs as with delphiniums. To encourage another flush of blooms, deadhead them. Plant in full sun in well-drained, moist soil.
Peonies
beautiful flower that blooms in late spring or early summer. They have a wide range of colors and borders. Plant in sunny, rich soil.
Honeysuckle
Has a loose, spreading habit that produces fragrant, tubular flowers in July and September. For a romantic look, grow it along a fence, up an arch, or pergola.
Hollyhocks
Have tall spires full of large flowers that bloom from early autumn through summer. Although they are perennial, you can also grow them as biennials. Place them in groups near the border of a sunny area. To encourage new growth, cut back after flowering. In case your hollyhocks decline, also consider doing these steps when your hollyhock suffers from rust.
Hardy Geraniums
They are available in many colors, including dark purple and white. They can grow beautifully in either sun or shade. These flowers are perfect for the border’s front. After the first flush, cut them back and they will reward you with another flush.
Pinks
Pinks (Dianthus), with their beautiful flowers that have a strong clove scent, are an essential flower for cottage gardens. They come in many colors and forms, some of which also have a clove smell. They are short-lived perennials that make great bedding plants. You can grow them in containers or at the front of sunny borders.
Campanula
Famous for their blue, bell-shaped flowers and long flowering seasons. Planting them under shrub roses would make them pop out more. The campanula flower is very attractive to bees, and other pollinators.
Lavender
An evergreen, compact shrub that works in any kind of garden, even cottage-style. While most varieties are purple, some cultivars can be found in pink or white. Make sure to plant it in a sunny location.
Roses
Varieties of Roses: climbers, ramblers, and shrub roses. They are perfect for cottage gardens because of their light habit and lovely, fragrant flowers. Rosa ‘Graham Thomas” is a modern climbing rose that bears deep yellow, old-fashioned rose flowers with a rich, lingering aroma.
Other Cottage Garden Plants To Try
- Alchemilla mollis
- Sweet William
- Foxgloves
- Sweet peas
- Asters
- Alliums
- Tulips
- Daffodils
- Clematis
