Quintessential cottage garden planting |
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The informality of the cottage garden is a delight for someone who enjoys having an ecletic approach to gardening. Create a fantastic mix of shapes and forms with a scattering of sweetly scented summer shrubs like English lavenders, Helichrysum (Curry Plant), Philadelphus (Mock Orange) Honeysuckles, Jasmines, Everlasting Sweet Peas (Lathyrus) and Old Fashioned Roses.
Favourite perennials for mid summer are the striking Leucanthemum, formerly Chrysanthemum Maximum, which form large mound forming clumps with large white daisy like flowers reaching 3ft or so whilst Crocosmia Lucifer has spear shaped leaves with long stems of drooping scarlet flowers reaching 2-3ft high. Astibles with their feathery plumes of pink, white & red flowers set against attractive green foliage are ideal for semi shade positions and will spread rapidly forming clumps 14”-24” high. Other excellent spikey plants include Liatris, with pink bottle brush spikes of flowers growing 18”-24” high and the ever popular Red Hot Poker (Kniphophia) with erect sword like foliage and vibrant flower spikes growing 3-4ft high. Daisy like flowers from clump forming perennials like Heleniums, Rudbeckias and Echinaceas all create a masquerade of colour in mid summer and grow from 3-4ft high. Verbascum & Hollyhocks are the skyscrapers of the garden with a myriad of flowers produced randomly on tall slender stems in a variety of soft pallete colours, frequently reaching 4.5 to 5 ft high. Remember with cottage gardening there are no rules, anything goes! |
