starting a cottage garden

Posts

• fidgetbones Posts: 17,614

  March 2014

  I am assuming you mean companion planting? or do you mean a cottage garden where veg and fruit trees are  mixed with flowers.

  If you mean companion planting, what veg are you planning on growing?

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• BobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

  March 2014

  One definition of a cottage garden is that they contain a fairly random mix of things so in one sense you can't go far wrong!

  What would be ideal is a mix of plants which flower at different times, preferably all the year round, so attracting bees and other insects to help pollination of your veg and fruit.  Some random suggestions, all of which are considered 'cottage garden' plants:

  Foxglove, snowdrops, campanula, lavender, hardy geranium, sweet rocket, sweet william, dianthus, delphinium, aquilegia, allium, buddleia, euphorbia, achillea, aster, wallflower, phlox, hollyhock.  I could go on..

  A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  

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• harriet whelan Posts: 10

  March 2014

  I grow peas, runner beans, leeks, toms, lettuce, onions and carrots. I have a dwarf apple tree and a cherry tree, raspberries and a blackberry plant too. I am growing rhubarb too!
  
  
  
  Thank you for the flower suggestions, it really has helped.
  
  achilleas are beautiful.
  
  
  
  Are astilbe suitable for a cottage garden? I love the pink and white ones!
  
  
  
  Thanks peeps!

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• nutcutlet Posts: 27,441

  March 2014

  If you like it put it in, have the plants you like rather than plants that have become known as cottage garden plants. 

  
  
  In the sticks near Peterborough

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• Dovefromabove Posts: 88,124

  March 2014

  That's the lovely thing about cottage gardens - there are no rules, no real styles, just grow what you like and what you need and move it about until it looks happy and makes you happy 

  
  Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
  
  
  
  
  
  

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• harriet whelan Posts: 10

  March 2014

  I bought some seeds today! I got a packet of plum pudding seeds (poppy) from Thompson & Morgan. They are gorgeous.
  
  
  
  Thanks everyone you have helped marvellously!
  
  
  
  harriet

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• jess miller Posts: 14

  March 2015

  Please help I am thinking about turning my back garden which  has a lawn and a border with all different  kinds of plants including herbs

  But I want to turn it into a proper cottage garden  now the question is do I dig up the lawn or leave it??

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• Ashdale Posts: 149

  March 2015

  Or you could do what I'm doing myself and reduce the size of the lawn.  I remove a little more grass each year.  You will have more growing space and not so much grass to cut and look after.  And plant your cottage borders densely and you will need less weeding time too.

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• Forrestgrump Posts: 247

  March 2015

  I recently took over a garden with loads of lawn and have started to reduce the size this year I'm going cottageish is that a word any way Im going to grow a few veg and herbs in amongst the flowers , lettuce, carrots, beans, thyme, sage, you get the idea.

  I'm growing a lot of the plants from seed will take a bit longer but cheaper when you want 30 perennials of one type for instance, and any spare I will swap for what else I want.

  In this instant the flowers are what will come first but the veg I hope will add interest and as a bonuses we might get the odd meal.

  If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.

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• Beaus Mum Posts: 3,550

  March 2015

  I love " cottageish" 

  would love to see progress pics of both your gardens Gb, Harriet and Jess 

   

   

   

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