cottage gardeningcottages & gardens There’s no doubt when comes to cottage gardening and the avid cottage gardener enthusiast experiences a thrill when exploring a perfectly tended, formally arranged garden where every flower, every leaf, is exactly, perfectly, precisely planned and placed. These spectacular displays delight even those of us who aren’t avid garden enthusiasts.
But many of us will tell you that we have the most fun when is comes to cottage garden plan. A Cottage garden is relaxed, informal, fun. There are no intricate layouts or designs that must be meticulously maintained. No formal symmetry or balance that must be kept at all times. Instead, it means just planting something, anything, where you want it just because you want it there. It means you may plant one, two, three, or 48 of the same plant, but only because you want to. Not because you must adhere to the principles of scale or symmetry. Another really fun thing about cottages is that anything goes. It’s just not right to say you have a cottage vegetable garden, or a cottage herb garden. A cottage garden has both, with flowers, fruits, and lush foliage all interplanted in profusion and abundance. With a cottage garden, it’s perfectly acceptable to adorn a sunny spot with a few cottage garden plans like tomato plants surrounded by daisies and chives growing in front of a backdrop of climbing roses. There’s no reason you can’t add some poppies and mint and a watermelon plant or two, either. One delightful aspect of cottage gardening is the unexpected and whimsical objects that are likely to find a home amidst the abundance of foliage. Yard art is right at home here. The yard art in your cottage garden might be a mirrored garden ball, a footpath of concrete toadstools, or a seating area made from old, antique tractor seats. You might have lawn furniture brightly painted in a color that matches the irises. Or in many colors to match all the irises. And the geraniums and the okra, too. While that very formal showcase garden may feature a statue of Roman gods and Greek fountains, your cottage garden is more likely to include a gargoyle spewing water from his smiling lips, playful cherubs, or a flock of pink plastic flamingos enjoying a cool spot under a shade tree. One really nice thing about cottage gardening is that the wild array of cottage plants nestled comfortably together, not formally aligned like soldiers on parade, is easier to maintain. One measly weed popping up in that formal garden will throw everything out of whack but it won’t destroy the look and feel of your cottage garden. You’ll want to pull it, of course. Eventually. Some of the very best examples of cottage gardens never need mowing, either. That’s because the space is jam-packed with things much more interesting than miles and miles of time-consuming, water-guzzling lawn grass. And cottage gardening usually means you have a place to relax and enjoy viewing the results of your outdoor labors. And that spot designated for relaxing often includes a hammock. What a way to spend the day enjoying your garden. And think about this – have you ever seen a hammock in one of those ultra-formal, precisely kept, snooty gardens? Nope. Not likely. Ever.
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