A Minnesota Cottage Garden

When I think of a Cottage Garden I think of romance, pastel colors, informal, a garden that changes color throughout the spring and summer seasons.  Places where I can have a glass of wine, read a book, watch the butterflies and let the world go away.

Your Cottage Garden does not have to take over your whole yard, just start out with a small section, but I assure you after you see the beauty of what you make you will be expanding it.

Informal

Cottage gardens don't look designed. In fact, they're usually exuberant, free-flowering, and sometimes even unrestrained. To get the informal look, avoid planting in straight lines or defined patterns. Let plants cascade over paths and weave through each other. It adds to their charm. And grow self-seeding plants that pop up in unexpected places.  I always tell people to just start planting and when you 

Using Curving Pathways

Create soft meandering pathways instead of those that follow a straight, structured line. Many paving materials work in cottage gardens, including wood chips, stone, old bricks, and flagstone.

Grow Old-Fashioned Flowers

Cottage gardens aren't about new varieties. They're usually filled with the same traditional favorites your grandmother would have grown. Some popular examples include peony, cosmos, foxglove, snapdragon, pansy, bachelor's button, columbine, bleeding heart, and hollyhock.

Most cottage gardens have a romantic feel. Part of that feel comes from the flowers. Look for blooms in soft pastel shades. Also look for plants packed with petals, such as peonies and old roses. As an added bonus, many of these varieties are also wonderfully fragrant.

Look for Materials with Character

Cottage gardens often include structures made from natural or well-worn materials. Weathered wood fences, arbors, and gates are right at home among a collection of cottage plants.

Make your cottage garden into an outdoor living space by adding comfy furniture. Avoid anything contemporary. Instead look for Adirondack, wicker, or painted metal shell back chairs. The furniture doesn't have to match: Part of the charm is how informal it is. An eclectic mix fits right in. 

I find it very funny that people spend allot of money at specialty stores when all you have to do is hit a few garage sales to find the same things at a much lower price.