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Five Traditional Elements of a Cottage Garden

 Five Traditional Elements 



If you want your cottage garden to be truly traditional, you'll be surprised to learn that up until the 19th century, many cottage gardens boasted little more than potatoes. Nostalgia conjures up an image of a typical cottage garden as beautiful and timeless, but also functional. One cannot forget that country houses, especially if some way from a town or market, are often self-sufficient.


1. A low fence or stone wall often encloses a garden and is a vehicle for planting



Fences were given to any cottage garden and served a practical role apart from providing structure to the plants. Their main purpose, of course, is to keep animals and rodents away from vegetables. The yards around the hut were fenced to keep chickens and other domestic animals and predators out. Today the fence still serves this purpose, but its role has expanded. A low stone wall or picket fence provides a backdrop for flowering garden beds and supports climbing plants.


2. Berry and vegetable plants, as well as fruit trees, reflect the importance of self-sufficiency


When you're looking to recreate a traditional cottage garden, incorporating vegetables, berries, and fruit trees is a no-brainer. From there, add herbs and fragrant flowers. These plants were selected for their utility in addition to their aesthetic value.


3. Common flowering plants, especially fragrant ones, grow in abundance



Aromatic plants were useful for masking barn odors and for cooking and herbal remedies. Sage, lavender, thyme, catmint and others are common in a cottage garden. Flowers are added to attract bees and other pollinators, protect the health of the garden, and ensure a productive season. As cottage gardens developed—and people began using them less and less to grow their own food and medicine—so did the appearance.


4. Plants growing profusely up houses or other structures


The cottage garden's signature rambling design has been expanded. This charming effect is, at least in part, an accidental side effect. Our overworked ancestors let the plants go to seed and vines, and the garden naturally overflowed. Plants adapted to busy environments were adopted in the English garden. Roses were appreciated for their fragrance and beauty. Self-seeders and perennials proliferated.


5. Self-seeders are encouraged



A new generation of plants has been adopted as key to the cottage garden look. Roses, foxgloves, clematis, violets, daisies and others began to be associated with the cottage garden. These plants form the cottage garden we know today.


All together, these elements combine to create a "classic" garden of a country cottage that lives on in our memories and hearts. With a little elbow grease, plants, sunlight and time, you can create your own version of a cottage garden wherever you are.

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Location: United States

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