8 Charming Cottage Gardens

8 Charming Cottage Gardens

By: John Riha

Cottage gardens are much more than sweet and sentimental; they’re natural ways to help trim water bills, lower maintenance costs, and boost the curb appeal of your property. Plus, they’re just plain fun! Want to know more? Check out our slideshow.

Calling All Birds (and Butterflies!)

 

Cottage gardeners invite wildlife into their yards with feeders and birdhouses for birds, and with plants that attract bees and butterflies. Backyard birds eat mosquitoes and other small pets; bees pollinate flowers and help renew plantings. Salvia and Penstemon attract hummingbirds; butterflies like Phlox and Echinacea.Credit: Janie Fortenberry, Southern Lagniappe Photography

Good Things in Small Spaces

A cottage garden is the perfect complement to a small home with limited yard space. The essential ingredients — a profusion of flowers, an unplanned look, even a whimsical bit of fencing — make this compact garden a cottage-y companion for this Craftsman-style bungalow.Credit: The Painted Garden

Crowded Pleaser

In the cottage garden, it’s hard to have too much of a good thing. Tightly packed plantings create a tumble of color and texture, and can take the place of a lot of lawn area, which helps reduce your watering bill.Credit: Rich Pomerantz Photography

Incredible Edibles

Including herbs and veggies is a tradition that goes back to the cottage gardens of the mid-1800s. Edible gardening requires constant care that most cottage gardeners are eager to give, plus you can trim costs from your annual food bill.Credit: Old Goat Farm

Walk This Way

Meandering pathways made of brick, stone, and gravel encourage a healthy stroll and are an essential part of the cottage garden experience. This simple gravel walkway is flanked by lots of native drought-resistant plants. Add outdoor lighting so you can enjoy walking in your garden in the evening.Credit: Diana Strawser / Voice in the Garden blog

A Garden for All Seasons

The cottage garden features ornamental trees and evergreen bushes that are fun to look at, even when capped with snow in the middle of winter. Flowering quince (Chaenomeles), Winterberry (Ilex), and other winter plants add dashes of color.Credit: Barbara Rogerson / Ramblings from an English Garden blog

Up Front Charms

With its freeform plantings and overgrown ivied walls, this pretty cottage has plenty of curb appeal. Cheery colorful flowers and a mossy stone fence make this front-facing cottage garden a warm invitation for visitors.Credit: Tedesco57/Flickr

No Fussy-Bussies Allowed

Cottage gardens aren’t perfect, which is good news for those of us who aren’t fussy. A little weathered wood and a few rustic touches only contribute to the overall charm. The essentials — healthy, colorful plants and trees, and an inviting entry — make this garden easy to enjoy.

Credit: An Enchanted Cottage blog

 

(from:www.houselogic.com)