Heady scents, voluptuous flowers and a dash of whimsy; this style is all about romance. Thought to be an act of rebellion against the rigid, formal French gardens of the 17th century, the “jardin anglais” or English cottage garden has become a firm favourite amongst gardeners all over the world.
No matter what size or shape garden you have you can create this garden style by following these steps.
Design and Landscaping
Abundant planting that spills over narrow pathways, masses of colour and scented flowers. Framed by hedging, simple lawn shapes softened by a profusion of plants.
• Informal colourful perennial planting, scented climbers, Roses, topiary, wildflowers
• Fluid planting with a mixture of heights
• Outbuildings, sheds, summerhouses
• Pergolas, walkways
• Traditional stone & brickwork
• Ponds, fountains
• Formal hedges
• Seating areas, Benches
• Planters, pots
• Vegetable patches and herb gardens
Which plants to use
Think romantic – planting should be carefree and not too restricted. Mix colourful planting and formal with wildflowers to attract pollinators. Consider scent when choosing your plants. Add late summer flowering shrubs such as Hydrangeas and English Roses to fill larger gaps. Hydrangeas look particularly stunning grown in groups at the back of a mixed border or as an informal hedge. Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ and Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ are perfect for larger gardens.
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- Hydrangea macrophylla
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- Lavender
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- Honeysuckle
Scented climbers
• Honeysuckle
• Wisteria
• Roses – Grow repeat flowering climbing roses up trellis or along a fence for continuous blooms and to soften the boundary.
With regular dead-heading these will take you well into autumn leaving you to sit back and enjoy
Seasonal fillers to attract wildlife and soften paths.
• Lavender
• English Roses
• Salvia
• Nepeta
• Penstemon and Echinacea
• Alchemilla mollis
• Heuchera
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- Trachelospermum jasmonides
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- Hydrangea macrophylla
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- Echinacea purpurea
Fruit Trees (create a mini orchard)
• Apples
• Pear
• Cherries
• Plums
Topiary and Hedging
• Yew hedging, balls and cones
• Box hedging, balls, cones and spirals
• Mini bay trees with twisted stems
• Bay cones
Things to avoid
• Contemporary landscaping and features
• Mediterranean and exotic planting
• Clean straight lines – pathways and borders
• Blocks of colour
This is how we do it:
Creative Landscape were asked to create an outdoor living space to meet the needs of family life and a dog with traditional cottage style planting in keeping with the surroundings <find out more>