Thirteen Staple Plants for a Charming Home Vegetable Garden
Let's dive into the chaotic, yet charming world of cottage gardens – a genre that shuns formal precision in favor of a wild, vibrant jumble of plants!
Cottage gardens flaunt a muddled mix of bulbs, annuals, perennials, flowering shrubs, and climbers. The contrast with a neat herbaceous border couldn't be more stark. Instead of rigid color schemes, cottage gardens boast a medley of colors.
These gardens often embrace self-seeding plants like foxgloves and aquilegias that pop up spontaneously, adding to the disheveled charm.
Traditional cottage gardens had a practical bent, combining livestock, vegetables, fruit, and flowers, largely for medicinal or edible purposes. Today, while many focus on ornamental flowers, there's still room to incorporate edibles if you fancy a more versatile garden.
So, here are some key players in the cottage garden cast:
Aquilegia
Known as granny's bonnets, Aquilegias don't shy away from the spotlight. With their bonnet-shaped, two-tone flowers and long, graceful spurs, they fill the early summer gap left by the last of the spring bulbs and the first of the summer roses.
Hardy Geraniums
These hardy blossoms come in a rainbow of colors and thrive in both sun and shade. Chop them back after the initial batch of flowers to enjoy a second, equally stunning display.
Pinks
Blessed with pretty flowers that exude a strong clove scent, pinks (Dianthus spp.) are must-haves for any cottage garden. Many varieties bear a clove scent and bloom in a variety of colors, making fantastic front-of-border or container plants for the sun.
Phlox
With their pretty, predominantly pastel flowers and sweet, honey-like fragrance, phlox is a fan favorite. Ideal for the center of a border, these beauties thrive in rich, moist soil in light shade and attract various pollinators.
Delphiniums
Delphiniums tower the back of the border in shades of blue, pink, or white. Be sure to stake these giants before they become unmanageable, and protect them from slugs at the beginning of the season. They make excellent cut flowers.
Lupins
Similar to delphiniums, lupins offer a wide range of colors and an eye-catching contrast with roses. Watch out for slugs, and deadhead to encourage another round of flowers. Plant in full sun, in well-drained, moist soil.
Honeysuckle
This perennial vine boasts a fragrant, tubular flower display from July to September and grows particularly well along fences or trellises. For a romantic touch, grow it up an arch or pergola.
Campanula
These bell-shaped flowers, typically blue but sometimes white, provide a long blooming season and cater to bees and other pollinators. They're often used under shrub roses in cottage garden designs.
Lavender
This compact, evergreen shrub brings not only purple blooms but also a calming scent to any garden, including cottage ones. English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, is the most common variety.
Hollyhocks
These tall biennials emit a classic English cottage garden vibe, with towering spires of large flowers from summer to early autumn. Plant them in clusters at the back of a sunny border and enjoy the show.
Peonies
Peonies introduce ample flowers in various colors to borders in late spring and early summer. Grow these in rich soil in a sunny spot for a bountiful display.
Roses
Roses run the gamut, from climbers and ramblers to shrubs. Known for their lax habit, fragrant flowers, and adaptability to a cottage garden's informal style, they're ideal for cascading along fences, draping over pergolas, or dotting the garden border.
More ideas for your cottage garden:
- Alliums
- Tulips
- Daffodils
- Clematis
- Sweet William
- Musk Mallow
- Asters (Michaelmas daisies)
Now that you know the drill, embrace the anarchy and create your unique cottage garden haven!
Incorporate home-and-garden elements such as Aquilegia, Hardy Geraniums, Pinks, Phlox, Delphiniums, Lupins, Honeysuckle, Campanula, Lavender, Hollyhocks, Peonies, and Roses, along with additional options like Alliums, Tulips, Daffodils, Clematis, Sweet William, Musk Mallow, and Asters, to fashion a lively, disorderly yet charming cottage-inspired garden that fits seamlessly into your lifestyle, embodying a successful blend of practicality and allure.
Experiment with self-seeding plants, like foxgloves and aquilegias, to add spontaneity and ensure your garden remains an evolving, enchanting space, mirroring the spirit of cottage gardens.
