Cottage Style

Cottage gardens are the relaxed and sometimes unruly offspring of the traditional garden style.

In cottage gardens, plants have a tendency to spill over lawns and paths, creating softer edges. But if you were to look at the design layout without plants, you may see the same straight lines and geometric shapes as formal (traditional style) gardens.

Plants in cottage gardens are colorful and diverse. Cottage gardens are filled with collections of your favorite flowers and plants that are both beautiful and practical. The cottage garden features colorful ornamentals, edibles, herbs and medicinals all mixed together as one. Plantings utilize every available space, creating a feeling of charm and “organized mess.”

Other common elements in cottage style are clay pots, white picket fences, arbors, and trellises.

Elements of cottage gardens

• Informal plantings that appear “randomly placed” with very little open space.

• Walls and fences covered with climbing plants and vines

• Natural materials like brick, gravel, decomposed stone and mulch used for pathways.

• Plants that spill onto paths and over fences to “soften” the edges.

• Ornamental plants mixed together with medicinal and edible plants.