What Every Cottage Garden Needs

I don’t know about you, but I just love the look of a cottage garden. There’s something about them that just look so magical, homey, and oh so timeless. If you’ve been inspired to create a cottage garden of your own, take a look at this list of cottage garden features. Yours will look incredible with any one of these additions! Let’s get started.

What Every Cottage Garden Needs

Fences And Gates

When I think of a cottage garden I picture white picket fences with gates swinging open to reveal gorgeous landscaping. And though your fence definitely doesn’t have to be a picketed OR white, I would suggest adding one to your cottage garden. You could even choose a variety that shows your landscaping off to passerby if privacy isn’t a concern.

Ornamental Edibles

Did you know that cottage gardens once had to be both decorative AND functional? I mean, why plant something if it isn’t going to feed the family, am I right? If you want to do something similar in your own yard, plant ornamental edibles throughout areas of your space. Things like ornamental kale, dill, chard, and mint can all be put to use throughout a cottage garden. These plants look AND taste great! Learn more here.

Hedges

Fill out empty corners and other spaces in your yard with a few floral hedges. Since everything in a cottage garden kind of “works together” to support the overall structure, these types of plants are great for the background. Pick gorgeous floral shrubs like lavender or lilacs. If you’d rather go for greenery, I recommend using boxwood and yew.

Pathways

Connect different aspects of your garden together with a series of winding pathways. Or, if you don’t have space, a simple walkway down to the grass or the flowerbeds would do just fine. If you are interested in paving your walkways, you can use this guide to help you pick out exactly what you want.

Finishing Touches

Finish things off with decorative touches such as a birdbath, a water fountain, a bench, or a patio table and chairs. You won’t ever want to leave your backyard after you turn it into a cottage garden, so you may as well have plenty of seating options!