Cape Town –- Living in a simple cottage garden surrounded by colourful flowers is an enduring fantasy.
The small gardens of agricultural labourers planted in Europe hundreds of years ago created the myth of the cottage garden.
Comprised of plantings on either side of a path leading to the front door of the cottage home, the garden was a mix of colourful local plants interspersed with some herbs and vegetables. Lawns were never a feature of cottage gardens.
With the movement to provide bees with food, cottage gardening is once again very fashionable. Being surrounded by a forest of colourful flowers is not only the ultimate fantasy of gardening, but is now also bee-friendly and butterfly-friendly.
Design considerations
The cottage garden is essentially an intimate garden style, ideal for small gardens and townhouses. To achieve the cottage look, keep the lawn size small or remove it. Make the surrounding borders large and plant hundreds of flowering plants.
It is possible to include many indigenous plants in a cottage garden; it is simply a matter of having in mind a clear picture of the end result. Examples are watsonia, nemesia, lobelia, Namaqualand daisies, lachenalia, agapanthus, pelargonium and scabiosa.
Plan a mixed border
To achieve the cottage garden style in mixed borders, aim for the following:
* Plant taller shrubs or standards at the back of the border, medium ones in the middle, and shorter ones at the front. However, include some low growing plants that send up tall flowers – such as foxgloves, iris and dwarf agapanthus – near the front to avoid too regimented a look.
* In small gardens with small borders select plants with a narrow upright growth for the back of the border or use standards. Another alternative is to plant climbers against the walls to achieve height without spread. For shaded walls, the evergreen star jasmine is ideal.
* Plant two-thirds to three-quarters permanent plants, leaving irregular gaps for seasonal bulbs and annuals. Ensure you have enough evergreen plants for winter interest.
* Choose plants with foliage in shades of green, blue-green, grey and variegated leaves. Avoid purple and maroon foliage, and too much yellow foliage.
* Plant perennials, annuals and bulbs in drifts, not in regular rows or patterns.
* To create interest place plants with contrasting foliage shape, foliage colour and leaf texture next to each other, for example, an iris with sword-shaped grey foliage next to a marguerite daisy with finely cut green foliage.
* Place plants with different shaped blooms next to each other. Flower shapes can be spire-like (foxgloves), flat (daisies) and round (dahlias and roses).
Choosing plants
* Roses are an integral part of a cottage garden. Plant them in borders, over archways and pergolas, against walls and in narrow borders. English or nostalgia roses as well as floribundas are more relaxed and informal than the hybrid teas.
* Climbers other than roses to consider are clematis, mandevilla, jasmine, Pandorea jasminoides, petrea, jasmine and wisteria.
* Shrubs with pretty flowers include marguerite daisy (Argyranthum cvs), brunfelsia, diascia, hebe, lavender, fuchsia, Indian hawthorn (Raphiolepis spp.) and spiraea.
* Perennials offer a multitude of choices. Consider alstroemeria, Japanese anemone, asters, Shasta daisy, gazania, arctotis, wall flower, Geranium incanum, day lilies, iris, nepeta, oxalis, rudbeckia, salvia, scabiosa, and verbascum.
* Annuals and bulbs provide the long-lasting colour that is part and parcel of a cottage garden. Choose what you like from the available range of seasonal seeds, seedlings and bulbs. Make a point of including tall annuals like hollyhocks, foxglove or verbascum.
Accessories
What best suits the cottage style?
* Paths of brick, cobblestones, gravel, slasto or sleepers, a pretty bird bath suits, as do informally shaped ponds.
* Pergolas and archways draped with climbers. Use wood for a rustic look, white “broekie lace” for a Victorian touch, or wrought iron. White trelliswork also works well.
* Containers are part and parcel of this style. Group them in random arrangements. Plain terracotta containers work well. Avoid modern geometric shapes.
* Benches are ideally made of wood in a rustic style or wrought iron in a traditional pattern.
Kay Montgomery, Saturday Star