Cottage garden shrubs can be used as beautiful borders, planting areas or even as decorative features for the landscape. Cottage gardens add a great and wide variety of flowering plants, which are used to simply delight in. Shrubs can be one of the key components that assist in building a more natural, relaxing environment while also offering creative design and structure.
The first step is in choosing which shrub types are right for your particular landscape. For example, most cottage gardens are designed with tall-growing plants such as Morning Glorys, Junipers and Spireas. These taller varieties can easily be distinguished from the trailing plants by their bushy leaves, tall roots and prickly shrub-like branches. As you select different plants for your cottage garden shrubs, be sure you consider the amount of sun and shade each plant will need. Some plants are more delicate than others and may require special care if you want to have long-lasting, healthy blooms.
Many plants are grown specifically for the blossoms they provide and cottage garden shrubs can be no exception, with a full range of pupils, holly, honeysuckle, lupine, purple coneflower, and witch hazel among the available varieties. Although some of these plants are sold in the winter when the leaves are falling off, you can harvest them as often as you like throughout the spring season. You can also choose to have some of these plants planted in the ground, directly above the shrubs you chose, or use them as accents in flower beds or even along a fence. Most of the holly, lupins and purple coneflores come in a blooming variety from early summer through late fall.
Other popular plants used in English cottage garden shrub designs are blue marigolds, begonias, sweet pea, byssus, calendula, and calendula. These shrubs don’t require pruning because they’re quite small, but some of them do need trimming due to their occasional tendency to grow too high. Begonias, for example, should only be trimmed once a year and the flowers only bloom for a short time each year. Planting anything in your garden that’s not native, or not familiar to your area, could prove to be harmful to your plants. For instance, bees are poisonous to many plants, so be careful about planting bee balm (also known as marigold) in your English cottage garden designs.
The two most popular types of flowering plants in English cottage garden shrub designs are lilacs and sweet peas. Both of these plants, though not related to each other, bloom at different times of the year. While Lilacs, also known as Sweet peas, are best planted from late spring through early summer; Sweet peas themselves come into full bloom in late winter and early spring. Planting these plants, along with other annuals such as tulips and lavender, in the same row can provide color for your garden throughout the year.
Watering is another essential part of planting your English cottage garden. It is very important to keep your plants watered at all times, especially since they won’t be able to support themselves if there is less moisture in the soil. Most plants won’t mind standing water for a few hours, but some may require more frequent watering throughout the growing season. If you plan on frequently water your plants, it’s a good idea to purchase a sprinkler that is sure to put much needed water into the soil.
Planting flowers is another aspect of cottage gardens that many people fail to take seriously. While flowers are definitely an important part of every design, they shouldn’t be the focal point of your entire lawn. Instead, plant shrubs, such as clematis, that are going to frame the flowers. These can be planted right up to the edge of the lawn or even between them. The depth of the flower beds will determine how much attention you’ll need to give them during the blooming season.
When it comes to planting, it’s best to use more than one species of shrub. This allows you to spread the species and their scents around your lawn. Also, choosing perennials rather than annuals makes your landscape a little more seasonal. Although they cannot be planted permanently, perennials make an attractive and versatile part of any English cottage garden design. Learn more today!
