Cottage Garden Design Ideas - Planning The Beds

Each bed in the cottage garden should have a theme or a common feature. Some of the beds may be timed so that all, or the majority of, the plants burst into flower at the same time.  The garden will consist of a series of 'time-capsules' to be activated by the natural calendar during the months of the year. Other beds may consist of plants which have something in common - a bed made up of just plants with variegated leaves can give the most startling effect during those parts of the flowering season when there is fewer colours, but when the weather will still encourage us to enjoy our gardens.

Other beds may be given over to growing those subjects which will attract wildlife. One or more beds can be used to grow perfumed plants, whose influence will permeate the whole garden and provide that heady scent that makes you aware that you are in a cottage before you have even seen a single plant. One bed may include the herbs. The cottage garden is a total concept - the various components that are so often found in other gardens are all there, but the beds act as a sort of natural 'filing cabinet', a set of self-contained units which collectively form the totally balanced garden.  

When planting the beds initially you must be aware of the balances - the balance of color, and the balance of form, which is concerned with the mass of the bed. The bed must have a gradation of height from back to front, but the form should change such that in the plane across the bed there is a gradual narrowing of the mass of greenery and flowers from the front to the back. Irrespective of what small, unobtrusive, yet nevertheless interesting, plants may be included in any collection; it must be possible to absorb the whole visual image just by looking at the bed. There is a panoramic view that is essentially a cottage garden. 

Where a hedge is included, this will have to be taken into account when planning the beds. To retain the greatest interest, never plant the same varieties in more than one bed. Each bed should be a self-contained creation of different plants, with no repetition in adjoining displays. More than one plant of the same variety may be included in a bed, but always go for an effect of grouping. Never plant more than one example of the same variety singly dispersed throughout the bed; instead, bring them together to achieve a dramatic impact, allowing the plants to make a statement. With small groups, include an odd number and plant in a triangular pattern with the apex to the front. 

Ornaments

The cottage garden will allow for the use of ornaments, but they must be used sparingly. For example, two pots, one either side of the door like statues at the gates of a city, can be used to house plants which need to be taken inside during the winter. The centre-piece should have timelessness about it - a bird bath made of cement or a bird table holds their attraction, but for a really 'old-world' effect it is hard to beat one of the traditional pieces of cottage garden furniture, the sundial. One of these can be readily obtained from some of the larger garden centers. Only a very small number of cottage gardens actually possessed beehives, but if you can get hold of one of the old WBC hives from a country market or the classified column of the local paper, paint it and restore it. Even without the bees, it will create the illusion of a rural idyll. 

Secret Gardens

The concept of a secret garden appeals to the child in all of us, and nowhere is it easier to produce the effect than in the cottage garden. You need do no more than extend the two beds which are furthest away from the house in a symmetrical manner, so that only the smallest part will be visible from the main window. The roles which such an area may perform are infinite - it can be a wildlife area, a vegetable garden, a fruit garden, a service area (containing green­house, potting shed and compost heap), or play area. More clearly defined secret gardens may be formed by growing a hedge and situating a gate in the middle of it. 

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