Failed Cottage garden

Syfini · June 2023

Hi, I spent last Spring planting, hoping at this stage beds would look something akin to a colourful cottage garden. That’s not the result I see (guessing that I’ve chosen wrong/or too many plants, wrong layout). Would anyone be happy to suggest anything that might improve and at least help give the desired effect? Thank You!

Fairygirl · June 2023

I think to have a real cottage garden look, you need quite a lot of room - large borders or similar

It might be easier to have some 'cottagey' plants, but mix in some shrubs [great for supporting the perennials] and add bulbs and maybe some grasses if you like them. That will give a longer period of interest, and also less work as lots of perennials need some support, and also division every so often to keep them thriving.
You can add in some annuals too, for summer, if you like growing from seed, or you can buy some bits and pieces in spring if that's easier

AnniD · June 2023

Personally l would smarten up the bed edges so that you have a defined edge along the lawn, and if yiu can widen them, that would help

.
You have the beginnings of a "cottage garden" with the plants there such as the foxgloves.
What other plants do you have, and planting conditions? (Sun, shade, soil type etc.).

Syfini · June 2023

Thank You for your help Fairygirl, I’ll take a look at some annuals and seeds/bulbs to help improve. I think I might remove one or two plants (Turkish sage?) as they are taking too much room without adding anything except masses of large green leaves.

Syfini · June 2023

Thank You AnniD. The beds are quite dry, sunshine moves from one bed to another morning til mid afternoon. I planted achillea, Turkish sage, Cephalaria gigantea, Agastache Blackadder, Veronicastrum virginicum Fascination, Verbena bonariensis, spending a small fortune 😟 to very little effect. Now I’m not sure if planted too many different plants, or just the wrong plants… in the wrong place… there are also buddleias at the back of the beds.

borgadr · June 2023

The dry weather over the last 6 weeks won't have helped (as well as last year's drought if you mean spring last year), depending on where you are. Younger plants need more water until they develop deeper roots. The verbena bonariensis should be loving the dry summers though (mine are), but they might have suffered with a cold wet winter - again, depends where you are.

Your agastache might not have survived the sudden cold snap before Christmas (mine didn't).

If you're just starting out, then you've been a little unlucky in that the last 18 months have been quite unusual weather-wise.

B3 · June 2023

I agree that defining the borders will improve the look of your garden straight away. You can use a hose to try out the shapes. If you have an upstairs, look out the window at the shape before you start to nibble at the grass with a half moon. Cheap to buy if you haven't got one.. I prefer a sinuous shape - but that's me😊

Fairygirl · June 2023

I feel most of the plants you've got are quite vertical too, so it might be a good idea to look at lower growing plants which will balance things out a little bit

It's also about getting something for as much of the year as you can, and that can be tricky, but if you can make the border a bit bigger, as @AnniD says, that will give you a bit more scope to get that variety in there. Hardy geraniums are always a good start, but try placing some pots, or similar, in and about the plants you have, with a suitable size and colour on them [just a simple label of some kind] and see how you can get some changes in size. Once you feel you have some other heights/widths that would work, then you can look at plants that suit that sizing. If you're unsure, you can ask for ideas.
It's always a bit of experimentation, and climate is always a factor, even without the tricky stuff as @borgadr says, but it will give you some ideas to be going on with.
All plants will take a couple of years to reach maturity too, so that will make a difference, and shrubs take longer, so just bear that in mind

We've all had these problems at times - plants don't always behave as we expect, and they need moved, so don't worry too much - you can always take them out or move them around. I'm doing exactly that just now with a few things

Butterfly66 · June 2023

The Turkish sage is probably still settling in. I would stick with it as a I suspect you will get flowers next year and it really does have. Along season of interest once it gets going

Syfini · June 2023

Thank You all very much for your suggestions and advice. I noticed that I have been avoiding sitting in my garden lately and realised all because I have been so deflated by the results this year after my sole hard work last year. Now at least I know I can give it another go and don’t need to give up 🙂

didyw · June 2023

Keep the phlomis ruselliana (Turkish sage) - it may not be until next year that you get the flowers but they are lovely - and the seedheads look good too - especially in the winter with snow on them.

You might want to try some hollyhocks - a great cottage garden flower, and as @Fairlygirl says, something lower such as hardy geraniums. Other low growers that I have in my cottage garden border are stachys byzantia (lambs ears) and sedum Autumn Joy (now called Hylotelephium telephium 'Herbstfreude' annoyingly). Maybe a honeysuckle along the fence. Bulbs to come up in spring before the herbaceous perennials get going, and some annuals to fill the gaps until they bulk out a bit. Dahlias look good in a cottage garden too. Some rudbeckias or asters perhaps, for later in the season...

Agree that the borders will look better for having a defined edge.

Failed Cottage garden

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