How to Create a Cottage Garden

by Three Dogs in a Garden

Find the ideas and inspiration to create the cottage garden of your dreams!

how to create a cottage garden, diy, flowers, gardening, how to

This is Marnie and this is her country garden. The road that leads you to Marnie Wright's property is dotted with homes, but her remote little house is what some might describe as being "in the middle of nowhere."

Describing the garden as a whole Marnie says: "All told I guess the garden covers about 2 acres (I include the big swimming pond in this). It slowly developed over the years one bed at a time. My vegetable garden was soon overtaken with perennials, so I would dig another garden elsewhere. This went on for years, the perennials taking precedence over the vegetables."

I asked Marnie where she suggested someone new to gardening should begin. Here's her sage advice:

"I would suggest that the novice gardener look at gardening books and magazines to get an idea of what kind of garden appeals to them."

"Make a plan and keep referring to it moving forward. "

"It's hard on a limited budget, but it's a good idea to invest in your trees and shrubs first. Research your choices before hand and take care with their planting. Don't cut corners, as trees and shrubs will be the garden's bones."

"When buying perennials, try not to buy one of each of the perennials you like, but rather, get enough plants to make a statement. Your may have to pare down your wish list to accomplish this, but one of each plant looks spotty."

Daylily 'Jolyene Nicole' has pink petals with rose veining, a gold eye and a lime-green throat. This daylily blooms mid-summer and has evergreen foliage (depending on your gardening zone). Height:35-50 cm (14-20 inches), Spread:45-60cm (18-24 inches). USDA zones: 3-9.

Container plantings are scattered throughout the garden.

"I have a lot of containers because, I like designing them and enjoy the summer-long color . They can be moved about where help is needed. The containers add an architectural element to the garden-especially the large ones," says Marnie.

"The garden is full of color, which I love, and large enough that I can have large clumps repeated here and there. I grow a lot of annuals and tropicals throughout the garden."

Knowledge and skills can always be learned, but what a gardener really needs is a passion and desire to help things grow. I asked Marnie what makes her passionate about gardening.

"Jennifer, how does one describe passion? It was an overwhelming need to be outside, working in the soil. Vegetables at first, but perennials soon took over. I really enjoy growing my own plants from seed, and the whole nurturing process until the plants are safely established in the ground."

If you're new to gardening, and on a budget, be resourceful! One of the more rustic features in Marnie's garden is a homemade shed.

"I built a garden shed from old salvaged wood from a century old barn that had been torn down nearby. It has lots of garden collectables and old flowerpots and things I can't bear to get rid of. The shed provides a little privacy, so I built a patio seating area shaded by a big River Birch."

Daylily 'Custard Candy' has custard colored flowers with a maroon eye. Full sun. Height:60-90 cm (24-36 inches), Spread:45-60 cm (18-24 inches). USDA zones:3-9.

Asiatic lily 'Cappuccino' has cream petals splattered with a deep maroon. It blooms early to mid-summer.

Full sun. Height: 45-60 cm (18-24 inches), Spread:30-38 cm (12-15 inches) USDA zones:5-9.

Another piece of advise for the beginning gardner: make your garden personal. It adds character and speaks to you, the gardener.

No doubt you'll have noted that Marnie's property has many unique and whimsical features.

"The wheel is an old bell pull from a church. I bought it at a garage sale my neighbour had this past summer. He very kindly came and put on the post to hold it up. I've planted clematis at the base and there's a hanger for a pot on the side closest to the pond."

Culver's Root, Veronicastrum virginicum is a very tall, bushy perennial bearing fine plumes of mauve-blue flowers from summer into fall. Attractive to butterflies. Full sun. Height: 120-180 cm (40-70 inches), Spread:75-90 cm (29-35 cm). USDA zones: 3-9.

Wandering around Marnie's garden is pure delight. The garden is chock full of nooks and crannies that can't be seen at one glance. Along the way there are lots of treasures awaiting discovery.

I want to give the final words of this post to Marnie. I asked her what encouragement she'd give the novice gardener who looks at a garden like this with awe and perhaps a little bit of apprehension.

"Never worry about what someone else's garden looks like compared to yours. Be inspired by them! Enjoy the journey, learn from your mistakes, share plants with others and you will find others will be generous with you. Work hard. Get dirty. Never mind what your fingernails look like! Fall into bed exhausted and dream about tomorrow. Before you know it, thirty-five years will have passed. You'll still love your garden and you won't be able to wait to get out there."

See more of this garden on my blog. There is also plant notes.

Bookmark this post with a Pin.

Enjoyed the project?

You can do it! Saved to your projects

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this project?

Ask a Question

Comments

Join the conversation

3 of 7 comments

Elaine DeLong-fuehrer on May 11, 2016
i do have the orange ones and ive seen them in a peach color too. im from Alaska but now live in So Idaho.ground is dry and hard. ive transplanted them several times and every yr where they were planted before seems to get bigger(where ive taken the transplants..lol)

Like Reply
Hannah V on May 11, 2016
Theres not many things more beautiful than a cottage garden. Your posts are always a fav to swoon over :)

1 Reply
- Three Dogs in a Garden on May 11, 2016
  @Hannah V Thanks Hannah!
  
  Like