Perennials growing freely and wildly, lush flowers and fragrant herbs: this is how natural and charming the cottage garden is. As early as the 18th century, the English designed their gardens to be easy to maintain and without lawn, but with lots of flowering native plants. The outdoor area became an idyllic retreat where people enjoyed spending time at any time of the year. Even today, many hobby gardeners cannot resist its playful charm. For anyone who wants to create a romantic atmosphere in their own outdoor area, we present several planting plans and explain which cottage garden plants are suitable. With these tips you will learn which flower and perennial combinations make an attractive garden appearance.
Designing a cottage garden: the basic principles
What actually does it?unmistakable charmof an English-style cottage garden? We have summarized for you the basic principles that you need to consider when designing your outdoor area.
1. You don't need a large plot of land for a cottage garden. Small gardens can be created particularly effectively in a cottage style and transformed into small oases of peace. The front garden, for example, is perfect for this.
2. Crops, i.e. vegetables and fruit, have no place there. Instead, it is created with flowers and perennials growing close together. Herbs and scented plants should not be missing either, as they attract butterflies, bees and birds.
3. The English garden should appear lush and natural. There are no limits to your imagination and every hobby gardener can choose the plants themselves and combine them according to their own preferences. What is important is that the end result is a colorful display of flowers.
4. No lawn. Ornamental grasses, on the other hand, fit perfectly into the cottage style. They visually divide the garden into different areas. Evergreen perennials or flowering shrubs give the English garden a suitable setting and provide privacy.
5. Large stones can set accents in the outdoor area and automatically draw attention to the flower bed.
6. Water, i.e. garden ponds and fountains, are rarely found in English gardens.
Garden plan for an easy-care front garden
The first planting plan is forsmall gardensideally suited. This flower combination also looks good in the front garden and automatically attracts attention. Delphiniums, foxgloves, lavender and peonies play the main role in this colorful ensemble.
Other suitable combination partners:Flowers and plants that love sunny locations and require nutrient-rich, moist soil.
Rittersporn:Delphinium belongs to the genus Ranunculaceae. The perennial has an upright habit, reaches a maximum height of 1.8 m and has blue flowers. The flowering period begins in mid-June. The perennial loves sunny, wind-protected locations. It is best to plant delphiniums in the middle or in the back of the flower bed. A loamy, moist and nutrient-rich soil offers the best conditions for rapid growth. The plant is extremely easy to care for. In summer it should be watered twice a week. The experts recommend supplying the plant with liquid fertilizer once a month in summer. Delphinium is a poisonous plant.
thimbleWith its lush pink flowers, it fits wonderfully into a romantic cottage garden. The short-lived plant (only grows for two years) can grow up to 1.2 meters high and blooms from early June to late August. The right location is in partial shade or in the sun in the morning and in the shade in the afternoon. Loose and nutrient-rich soil is perfect for the perennial. It looks good at the end of the flower bed. When it comes to care, the perennial is considered to be quite undemanding. Like delphiniums, it needs moist soil and needs to be fertilized once a month in summer. At the end of the flowering period it sows itself. Foxglove is also a poisonous plant that snails avoid.
Planting plan for a small romantic flower garden
In the 3.6 meter wide and 4 meter long flower garden grow the magnificent bearded carnation, the mallow, the yellow elder iris and the dwarf girl's eye “Sterntaler”. The cottage-style outdoor area features a variety of colors. The flowers are not only beautiful to look at, but also very easy to care for.
Other suitable combination partners:Plants that prefer sunny locations and love humus-rich soil.
Those Bartnelkencome from Asia. The biennial flowers reach a height of 50 cm and have a relatively long flowering period from May to early September. The optimal location is in the sun. You need humus-rich soil. They cut a fine figure in the flower bed both as soloists and in a group. Beard cloves are considered a robust plant. They need to be fertilized at the beginning of summer. During the flowering period it is sufficient if they are watered regularly with lime-free water.
Malvenare undemanding flowers that bloom from May to the end of August and grow up to 150 cm high. A permeable and nutrient-rich soil guarantees the plant's rapid growth and long flowering period. It prefers a sunny or partially shaded location. Mallows are supplied with liquid fertilizer every two weeks and watered as needed.
Yellow elderberry irises(Iris pseudacorus) are perennial plants with a height of 70 cm. The flower color is yellow. The flower loves permeable and nutrient-poor soil. The ideal location for the iris is in the sun. The plant is hardy like mallow and carnation. It blooms in May and June and requires little water.
Suitable plants for corners
Garden corners represent a major challenge for hobby gardeners. With the next combination of scented plants, the corner is guaranteed to become a highlight in the outdoor area. Butterfly lilacs, spider flowers, pansies, peonies, lavender, delphiniums and daisies harmonize very well and form a colorful, charming ensemble.
Other suitable combination partners:Plants that require moderately moist to fresh soil and love partially shaded and sunny locations.
The butterfly lilac(Species Buddleja), also known as the butterfly tree, has funnel-shaped flower spikes and reaches a height of up to 5 meters. The flowering period begins at the end of June and ends at the beginning of October. The right location is in the sun. The gravelly soil proves to be optimal for the perennial. When it comes to care, the butterfly lilac is quite undemanding. However, in spring, shortly before flowering, it must be cut back.
The pansiesare among the most beautiful ground cover plants in the cottage garden. The flowers reach a height of approx. 20 cm. They require moderately moist soil, so they need to be watered regularly, and thrive equally well in sunny and partially shaded locations.
The spider flowerscome from South America. The annual plant has a long flowering period from the end of June to the end of September. It does particularly well in sunny or partially shaded locations and prefers fresh soil.
For shady locations
If the property is in the shade, then hobby gardeners face a major challenge. With the next planting plan we will come to your aid and show you how you can plant a cottage shade garden in a variety of ways and which flowers and perennials should be considered. The “Endless Summer” hydrangea, toad lilies, swamp irises, spring roses, the large-leaved forget-me-not and the blue-leaved hosta are the perfect combination partners in the flower bed.
Other suitable combination partners:Flowers and perennials that grow in shade and partial shade and require nutrient-rich soil.
DieBlaublatt-Funkiecomes from Japan. It thrives well in shady and semi-shady locations and requires moderately moist, humus-rich soil. The plant reproduces vegetatively and blooms for two months - June and July. The leaf color changes over the course of the summer: at the beginning it is dark green with a blue undertone, at the end of the summer it becomes light green.
DieToad lilyfascinates with its multi-colored flowers, which set accents in the flower bed from August to October. The flower requires nutrient-rich, moderately moist soil. It prefers partially shaded locations.
DieLenzroseblooms from late February to early April. The optimal location is in partial shade. The humus-rich and moderately moist soil offers the best conditions for rapid growth.
Plants for flower beds
If the property is large, it is possible to divide the garden into several areas. A flower bed is usually placed in the middle of the garden as an accent and connecting element. We offer you an idea for a fire red flower arrangement thatguaranteed not to go unnoticedbecomes. Real watercress, golden balm, tuberous milkweed, common sunflower and mallow can develop their full potential here.
Other suitable combination partners:Red blooming flowers and perennials that love sunny locations.
The golden balm(also known as Indian nettle or horsemint) comes from North America. The perennial herb can reach a height of 140 cm. It blooms from early June to late August. During the flowering period, the plant has a pleasant scent that attracts bees and butterflies. The golden balm prefers sunny locations and requires humus-rich, permeable soil.
The tuberous milkweedcomes from the USA. It also needs a sunny, wind-protected location and humus-rich, loamy and loose soil.
The common sun brideloves sunny locations and loamy, fresh soil. It does not tolerate waterlogging. The flowering period begins in June and ends in October. The plant produces cup flowersin Orange, fire red and yellow glow and attract butterflies.
Plant garden path
To ensure that the garden path in the cottage garden looks natural, the next planting plan comes to the rescue. Evergreen rhododendrons, the wig bush (also called dye sumac), daisies, lady's mantle and the Chinese carnation are guaranteed to attract everyone's attention.
Chinese carnation, also called summer carnation or Chinese carnation, loves sunny to partially shaded locations. It does not tolerate waterlogging. A permeable, fresh soil proves to be optimal.
The wig bushgrows in sunny locations and loves gravelly soil. The sprawling shrub grows up to five meters high and up to 4 meters wide. It produces large inflorescences in the summer months of June and July.
Other popular combination partners include the following flowers
Plant: daylily
Flowering time: late May to early September
Location: sun or partial shade
Soil: Rich in humus, permeable, moderately moist
Care: Only water the dried soil with water.
Plant: Dahlias
Flowering time: Starts in July, ends with the first frost
Location: Sunny
Soil: Evenly moist, humus-rich soil
Care: A distance of at least 40 cm between the individual plants must be provided when planting.
Plant: Montbreite
Flowering time: June to September
Location: Sunny to partially shaded
Soil: Dry, loose, no waterlogging
Care: Transplant to a new location every three years.
Pflanze: Gladiolus
Flowering time: July to August
Location: Sunny, protected from wind
Soil: Nutrient-rich, loose soil with sand content
Care: Gladioli are cut off after flowering
Plant: Begonia
Flowering time: Varies depending on the variety, June to August
Location: shade or partial shade
Soil: Loose, nutrient-rich
Care: Provide a drainage layer when planting.
Plant: Guernsey lilies pink
Flowering time: August-October
Location: Partially shaded
Soil: Loamy, airy soil
Care: Water moderately
Plant: lily of the valley
Flowering time: end of April – end of May
Location: partial shade
Soil: Loamy, humus-rich soil
Care: Cannot tolerate strong sunlight in summer
Plant: Magnificent charcoal
Flowering time: early July to late August
Location: Sunny
Soil: Moderately moist clay soil
Care: Cut off the ears after the end of the flowering period
Plant: Peonies
Flowering time: Depending on the variety, the flower blooms for a month in either April or May or June
Location: Sunny
Soil: Moderately moist
Care: Also suitable for the rock garden
Plant: tuberose
Flowering time: July to the end of September
Location: Sunny
Soil: Rich in nutrients
Care: Annual
