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Old 17-02-2012, 03:47 PM
allen73 allen73 is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: May 2011
Location: California
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Originally Posted by plantify.co.uk View Post
We’re having a debate in our office over the difference between ‘cottage garden’ and ‘informal garden’ styles. Would you say that these are two different names for the same style, or are there plants that are specifically ‘cottage garden’ plants – and if so, what defines a cottage garden plant?
The cottage garden is a distinct style of garden that uses an informal design, traditional materials, dense plantings, and a mixture of ornamental and edible plants. English in origin, the cottage garden depends on grace and charm rather than grandeur and formal structure.

Cottage Garden Plants - Selecting the Best

Most of the people who are engaged in cottage gardening try to place as many plants as possible in their garden. Choosing the right kind of plants is essential for developing a cottage garden. In fact, the cottage garden plants are well-known for their old-fashioned and authentic appeal. It is better to use the native varieties of plants for this purpose because they adapt well to the changing climate. Some of the cottage garden plants include annuals, perennials, small trees, shrubs, vines, herbs, and vegetables. A cottage garden should necessarily include flowers like mignonette, stocks, violets, pansies, etc. which belong to the category of annuals. The perennials include flowers like tulips, carnations, hollyhocks, daisies, monkshood, peonies, lilies, and the like.

Cottage Garden Design - Know it Better

There are no hard and fast rules in choosing a cottage garden design. Some of the tools to transform your garden into a wonderful one include wide imagination, creativity, and resourcefulness. For the purpose of designing, you can use a variety of plants as well as flowers that are available in different colors and sizes. This method would surely present a picturesque appeal to your cottage garden. In order to bring in a harmonious combination of colors, it is better to categorize the plants according to their variety. Also, the color, size, and placement of the plants should be balanced well. You can also use stone paths as well as a wooden fencing to give a traditional look to the garden.
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