English Cottage Gardens Tips
Read these 25 English Cottage Gardens Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about English Garden tips and hundreds of other topics.
Indoor Morning Glories
It is possible to grow morning glories indoors, but unless there is a specific place for them to continue to grow and bloom, it is not highly recommended.
Morning glory vines thrive while not in direct sunlight and kept in cooler temperatures. Thriving morning glories will also grow in any direction they are able, so if the vine is allowed to, it will climb over any object it comes into contact to and can possibly become entangled.
Some people consider morning glories to be more of a weed than a flower because of their excessive growth and tendency to strangle any nearby plants. If you truly want to grow morning glories inside, it is best to give it a specific spot to grow in and an object such as a trellis or even a few poles to wind around. You can trim the vines that get out of control or manipulate the vine itself in directing it where to grow. But keep in mind, continuously winding vines around themselves will cause the plant to become very heavy and may break the trellis or other climbing object, so trimming may become mandatory.
Hostas:The Plantain Lilies.
In our fore-fathers time,Hostas were known as Funkias. Doesn't the old name suit them well?
Hostas grow best in cool shady areas with moist soil and look fantastic in containers.
All are grown primarily for their bold foliage, but the lilac or white flowers are also beautiful and in some varieties scented too.
Hostas are undemanding, requiring only reasonably fertile soil, some protection from slugs and snails and that they do not dry out in summer.
Mature clumps can be lifted in early spring and split up and replanted to increase your stock.
Below are some of the best varieties:
Hosta "August Moon" :Height 2'6" ,Large green foliage.
Hosta "Halcyon" :Height 2', Bluey gray foliage.
Hosta "Wide Brim" :Height 18" Green foliage with a broad irregular cream edge.
Hosta "Mediovariegata" :Height 2'6" Wavy foliage,cream edged green
Hosta Snowflakes :Height 18" Medium green thin foliage, white flowers.
Hosta "Francee" :Height 2' Green foliage with a thin white edge.
Hosta "June" :Height 2' Bright yellow edged green
Hosta "Frances Williams" :Height 2' Glaucus gray with a bright yellow edge.
Hosta "Patriot :Height 2' Green and white foliage giving a striped effect.
Hosta "Sum and Substance" : Height 2'6" Large pale yellow or lime green foliage
Taxus : The Yew As A Hedge.
Evergreen, conifer hedges have received bad press of late due to the horror stories of out of control xCupressocyparis leylandii, however there are some conifer hedges that are not so rampant that make excellent hedges.
a very typical English traditional hedging plant is the english Yew -Taxus baccata. Yews are long lived, slow growing,dense and of a wonderful very dark green color.Unlike most conifers,yew can be cut back to bare wood and will redily regenerate.
There are a few disadvantages it takes far longer to mature than faster growing conifer types and it is not a species to use where livestock can graze it as it is poisonous.
That said a mature Yew hedge makes a wonderful backdrop to colorful flower borders.
Preparation of the site:
Take out a trench and incorporate plenty of well rotted horse manure or garden compost and some bonemeal.
Plant a double, staggered line 18" apart for the thickest hedge. Use small, bare root plants in winter or spring.
Cut the young plants back by half after planting to ensure branching down to the base.Over the next few years, trim the sides only until the hedge reaches the desired height.
The Romantic Idea.
English cottage gardens originally were not manicured gardens of the rich, but functional gardens of the country people from the 17th century.
The people were poor and used the gardens to grow food to supplement their incomes, but would also have some flowers.
The romantic notion is of a thatched cottage with Roses and hollyhocks and many other plants in a slightly unruly looking style.
The modern perception is of a garden packed full of flowering herbaceous plants, herbs , shrubs, bulbs and roses and perhaps a few ornamental looking vegetables amongst the flowers.
Phlox 'David' 2002 Perennial Plant Of The Year
Phlox 'David' is the 2002 Perennial Plant Of The Year. It is known for it's great garden color and sweet fragrance. It typically blooms from July through September.
Old Fashioned Pinks
Old time pinks, those smaller relatives of the Carnations, were beautiful and many had a wonderful clove scent. They were once to be found in every cottage garden. They did have a couple of major faults in that the flowering period consisted of just one flush around midsummer and the blooms sometimes split.
They are still worth growing for the authentic touch.
Modern Pinks: Recommended Varieties
All grow 12-15” tall and flower intermittently from June till October.
Strawberries and Cream: Creamy white with red flecks.
Laced Monarch: Deep pink edged and laced purple.
Gran's Favourite: Pale pink laced deep carmine.
Diane: Salmon red.
Doris: Pale salmon.
Haytor: White
Soil Conditions and Aspect.
Pinks do best in full sun and must have well drained, slightly alkaline soil. If your soil is heavy, it can be improved by adding sharp, river- washed sand or grit. Where soil is acidic add lime.
An Introduction.
Pinks are smaller relatives of the border carnation and have been derived from Dianthus plumarius. They form neat clumps of evergreen silvery-grey foliage and make very effective edging plants. The carnation shaped blooms are normally highly scented and make wonderful cut flowers.
Chamomile: Chamaemelum nobile.
Chamomile is a prostrate, perennial with finely cut deep green apple scented foliage and white daisy blooms.
Aspect and Soil Type: Full sun .Free draining soil.
Uses:
Chamomile tea releaves stress. As an aromatic lawn.
Good varieties:
For attractive blooms look for a double flowered type.
The variety "Treneage" is the non- flowering type to use for a chamomile lawn
Catmint: Nepeta.
Excellent grey foliage and spikes of blue flowers. Catmint looks wonderful planted at the front of the border, where it can spill over onto the lawn.
Cats adore this plant and can often be found sunbathing in the middle of it or even rolling all over it just for fun! This does not seem to harm the plant and the added advantage is that the local Tomcat will ignore all your other plants just to get to his favourite!
Aspect and Soil Type:
Full sun; Moisture retentive, but free draining soil.
Uses:
Flowers make a good ingredient for pot-pourri.
Good varieties:
Nepeta "Blue Wonder": Dark blue. 12" tall.
Nepeta grandiflora "Dawn to Dusk": Blooms are soft pink with a contrasting purple calyx. 3 ft tall.
Nepeta racemosa "Six Hills Giant": Amongst the largest at almost 3 ft tall. lavender-blue blooms.
Nepeta racemosa " Snowflake": A more compact type with small white blooms. 1 ft tall.
Old Fashioned Pinks: Recommended Varieties.
All grow 12-15” tall and flower June/July.
Mrs Sinkins: White
Dad's Favourite: White, edged and laced purple.
Ipswich Crimson: Deep red.
Excelsior: Carmine pink with a crimson eye.
Isolde: Pale pink laced purple.
Bergamot: Monarda didyma.
A very a attractive herbaceous perennial flowering plant. Showy whorls of hooded flowers and aromatic foliage. Plant near a path where the lemon scent will be released as you brush past.
Scent is said to resemble the Mediterranean Bergamot Orange.
Aspect and Soil Type:
Full sun / semi shade. Moisture retentive soil.
Uses:
Foliage is used in tea to releive nausea. Flowers and foliage can be used, sparingly as an addition to the salad bowl.
Good varieties:
Cambridge Scarlet: Bright red flowers. 3 ft tall.
Croftway Pink: Rose pink blooms. 3 ft tall.
Loddon Crown: Deep burgundy coloured flowers. 3 ft tall.
Schneewittchen: Pure white. 3 ft tall.
A Living Museum Or Modern Haven?
There is a lot to be said for authenticity in cottage gardening. The old varieties of plants had a refinement , simple beauty and often perfume lacking in their modern counterparts.
Many were however, lost to cultivation due partly to changes in taste , lack of robustness and being superseded by "superior" newer introductions.
A good case in point was the Paisley Pink of the 18th and 19th centuries. Old documents list dozens of varieties. Now in 2001 there is only one left:- "Paisley Gem".
If you are a "plantsperson", , hunting for these antique flowers is a passion and part of the joy of cottage gardening.
Another way of looking at the style is that not many people have a thatched English cottage, so perhaps authenticity is not that important.
A good compromise is to supplement the old with the modern .
Lemon Balm: Melissa offinales.
Lemon scented foliage and tiny yellow flowers that the bees find hard to resist. A perennial that grows to around 3 ft tall.
Aspect and Soil Type:
Full sun , free draining soil.
Uses:
Foliage will add flavour to fresh fruit salads and drinks.
Good varieties:
Melissa officinales "Variegata": Beautiful green and yellow variegation.18 inches tall.
Melissa officinales "All Gold": Excellent bright golden foliage. 2 ft tall.
Herbs As Ornamental Plants.
Medicinal plants and herbs have been grown since time immemorial. Nowadays,many of the plants are highly decorative and would earn themselves a place in the garden on looks alone.
Planting need not be confined to the kitchen or herb garden as many herbs can look good as part of the mixed border, in patio containers, the cottage garden, rock garden and herbaceous border.
Modern Perpetual Flowering Pinks
Old-fashioned pinks were crossed with perpetual flowering Carnations to produce the modern perpetual flowering, (or Allwoodii) pinks. The major advantage of this type is that the flowering period extends from late spring to autumn.
April Showers, May Flowers
Flowers, trees and shrubs need at least one inch of water per week. If nature does not provide this, then you need to suppliment this. Rainfall meters are available at most stores and are quite inexpensive.
The Rose Hedge.
There are many suitable types of roses for this purpose.
Tall Hedges :6ft plus.
Plant in a single line, 2.5ft-3ft apart. Some good sorts are;
Rosa rugosa "Scabrosa" : Large magenta single blooms followed by large tomato shaped hips.
Rosa "Chinatown" Yellow fading to cream.
Rosa "Queen Elizabeth" rose pink.
Rosa "Canary Bird" Single , yellow blooms and ferny foliage.
Rosa "Mountbatten" Yellow.
Rosa "Joseph's Coat" : Multi coloured.
Medium Hedge: up to 5ft. Plant two lines, staggered at 18 inches between plants and rows.
Rosa "Iceberg": White.
Rosa "Pink Parfait".: Pale pink.
Rosa "Marjory Fair": Deep pink/white eye single.
Rosa "Ballerina":Appleblossom pink/white eye single.
Rosa "Alexander" : Bright vermillion orange
Rosa "Rob Roy": Deep Red.
Rosa "Southampton" : Apricot.
How to plant.
Fork some bonemeal or slow release fertiliser into the top 3” of soil. At this stage you can add grit and/or lime should your soil type require them.
Carefully knock the plants out of their pots and place them on the soil surface at around 9-12” apart.
Take out the planting holes with a trowel, just deep enough to over the rootball. Replace the soil and firm in lightly with your fists. Water in well.
Perennials : The Definition.
A perennial plant is one that lives for many years, rather than dying in one or two years time.
That is a very simplified version that can be further broken down into:
Woody Perennial : E.G. Trees and shrubs.
Herbaceous perennial : A plant which dies down completely over winter and re- grows in the spring. E.G. Lupins.
Bulbous Perennial : Plants that die down , often in summer, store food in their bulbs and re-grow E.G. Tulips
Tender/ Half Hardy Perennial : A perennial that is not winter hardy and must be protected from frost, by bringing indoors. E.G. Pelargoniums.
Confused? Just remember that when perennial is mentioned, the plant has the ability to grow for many years.
Chives: Allium shoenoprasum.
A beautiful perennial edging plant aswell as a multi- purpose culinary herb. Tufts of grassy foliage with a mild onion flavour and lilac flowers. It is often recommended that the blooms be removed to prolong the season of use. If, like me, you cannot bear to do this, enjoy the flowers and use some as a garnish or as a colourful addition to the salad bowl.
Aspect and Soil Type:
Full sun; Moisture retentive, but free draining soil.
Uses:
Add the leaves to salads, pizzas soups or simply add to a cheese sandwich!
Good varieties:
Allium shoenoprasum "Forescate" : Deep rosy mauve blooms. 1 ft tall.
Mix And Match.
A mixed border is just that,one that has some shrubs,a few climbers ,roses annuals and bulbs all growing together.
Many modern gardens are small and it just is not possible to have seperate beds and borders for annuals , perennials shrubs and roses.
The answer is plant mixed borders.
The big advantage is that you can plan to have something of interest for each month of the year. The effect is a natural informal easycare garden.
When to Plant.
Pinks are best planted during spring, however summer planted pinks bought in bloom also establish quickly.
When choosing plants always look for the bushiest as these will give more flowers. Avoid any that are wilting, have yellowing basal leaves and inspect for greenfly infestations.
Cottage Gardens For The 21st Century.
The English Cottage Garden style is very much in vogue. Although it looks fantastic with a period thatched cottage as a backdrop, it can easily be adapted for the most modern style of house.
The plants and how they are planted are the most important features
| Guru Spotlight |
| Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D. |
