By Teresa Opdycke
Zen Gardens - Stone Gardens - Italian Gardens - English Cottage Gardens
The deep pink hollyhocks stand like stalwart soldiers next to the house guarding over a vast array of flowers and foliage plants in a riot of color. Behind the simple plank fence stands an amazing English cottage garden that doesn't just whisper but yells out, "Look at me!" to anyone strolling down the sidewalk. Old-fashioned romantic notions come to life within the spontaneous joys of whimsical flower power. There may be some method to the flower madness, but there's no secret formula to having your own garden of abundance; it's available to one and all. What does a beautiful garden require? At least six hours of sunshine a day for plants that are not considered shade plants. Decent soil, but you can beef up mediocre ground with well rotted manure or compost. Most plants prefer to keep their roots out of standing water, making drainage an important issue for an English Cottage Garden. Fertilizing a few times during the growing season with an all-purpose plant food like Miracle-Gro will do the trick. As you begin thinking about what to plant and when to plant, keep in mind that color in a garden is what makes it attractive. Plant perennials, annuals, herbs, shrubs, bushes and bulbs to give a good show throughout the growing season.
Some of the most enchanting English cottage gardens just happened with helter-skelter plantings, but designing ahead may get faster results. Do keep in mind that growing a lush flower garden takes time. Incorporating perennials takes about three years to reach maturity, meaning planting today won't give you a lush garden next month. Remember the old adage: "Good things come to those who wait." Until the perennials come into their own, plant more annuals such as zinnias, marigolds, love lies bleeding cocks comb, cosmos, larkspur, strawflowers, globe amaranth, mignonette, calendulas, cleome, gaillardias, Johnny jump-ups, pansies, petunias, phlox, verbena, ageratum, caladium, alyssum, and baby's breath. Annuals can be sown from seed, but start them early indoors to get a jump on the season.
Nothing looks more charming than a cottage garden that leads up to a doorway. If all demands are met, start with plantings on either side of the walk. What plants to choose depends on your specific tastes and desires. Planting next to a walk means low growing that won't obstruct the path. One design tip to keep in mind is tall to the back, short to the front. You wouldn't want to grow daylilies next to the walk, but definitely grow them as a background.
One of the marvelous advantages about English cottage gardens is that a color scheme can be planned or not. Mounds of pink monarda or bee balm shaking their shaggy heads next to the regal sky blue delphinium imbues planned pandemonium. A good rule of thumb when planting any plant - whether it's a perennial, annual or bulb - is to plant in odd numbers starting with three. Buy in threes and plant in threes using the same color to create a more striking effect. The plants that can be included in a cottage garden are as broad as the rainbow spectrum of color.
Low growing plants that are great in front of a garden or along a path: lavender, thymes, miniature plants like the Tom Thumb zinnias, marigolds, forget-me-nots, pansies, Johnny jump-ups, silver mound artemisia, and lungwort. Any plant that is compact and small in stature makes a lovely border.
Middle of the road plants like cranesbill, cottage pinks, bleeding heart, lamb's ear, lady's mantle, globe thistle, poppies, catmint, yarrow, columbine, and daisies work well mingling in the center and at the sides of beds.
Foxglove, hollyhock, and delphinium and other plants that have height form a tall, elegant background. The list of plants wanders into the horizon and back again. Choose the flowers that you love in colors that please you. Don't forget to include shrubs and bushes like roses and peonies. A climbing or rambling rose that can be trained up an arbor or trellis gives dramatic background effect. When choosing roses for an English cottage garden, try the varieties that need less maintenance such as David Austin roses or old varieties such as the Damask rose or cabbage rose. Their lovely scents and gentle beauty will take your breath away.
With so much profusion of colors and textures, do you still need a focal point? Absolutely! A focal point to a garden gives the eye a place to begin or to rest. An English cottage garden exudes casual elegance; there's nothing staid or stiff in the look of one cultivar whispering secrets to the next as they intermingle in joyous beauty. Share the controlled chaos of your garden with friends and neighbors by adding seating in strategic locations and planting especially fragrant flowers. Consider placing a structural piece among the flowers - a birdbath will give another dimension to the garden and entice the wild fauna to join the flora.
Gardens constantly change, which keeps them endlessly fascinating. Changing your garden over time brings freshness and renewed excitement. Create paths of bark, mulch, pea gravel, slate, or stepping stones that meander and define spaces. A word of caution: If you decide on grass paths, make certain the width allows for mowing. You'll always find room to tuck in a new variety next to an old favorite. You may discover that a plant you thought would work in one spot really doesn't, so move it to make a new more eye catching area. The allure of a garden brimming over with lush flowers as the fragrances mingle in heady perfumes conjures up images of English cottage gardens. If you've always wanted a less formal garden that simply enchants, the English cottage garden grown your way happily obliges.
Zen Gardens - Stone Gardens - Italian Gardens - English Cottage Gardens
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