My Favorite Cottage Garden Flowers
If you’re looking to add a touch of cottage charm to your garden, growing cottage garden flowers is the way to go!
These beautiful blooms come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and are perfect for adding interest to any landscape.
In this blog post, not only will I share the favorites that I grow but I will share my tips and tricks for successfully growing cottage garden flowers!
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Just so you know, I will incorporate links throughout this article on how to grow some of these beautiful cottage garden flowers in more detail.
Today we will talk about…
- Why grow cottage garden flowers
- Discuss an overview of how to grow these lovely blooms
- Cottage flower varieties (a quick list of some of my favorites)
- Basic Tips for lots of blooms
Why cottage garden flowers?
Because they are beautiful, many are easy to grow and cottage garden flowers add color and life to any garden.
To be perfectly upfront, what grows more easily for me may be more challenging for you because of your growing environment. Even if you are in the same garden zone as I am.
I have a video you can view all about Garden Zones and what you need to know about them.
But don’t despair, ask local nurseries or neighboring garden enthusiasts who can point you in the right direction. Their experience can be invaluable.
Another benefit of growing cottage flowers in your garden is many are native and attract bees and other pollinators, which is great for the environment.
All the best tips
Plant a Bee-Friendly Garden
Bees and other pollinators need our gardens to be places they can rest, nest, feed and flourish. See how you can be sure your cottage garden is bee friendly!
Cottage flower colors range from soft pastels to flamboyantly bright and cheerful.
You can plant your cottage garden according to the mood you wish to create.
Ever thought of growing a Moonlight Garden?
Daisies
Daisies are a super easy cottage flower to grow. See how easy!
Foxgloves
Foxgloves re-seed easily in my cottage garden for spring blooms!
Garden Phlox
A must-have for the late-season cottage garden. Many colors!
Basics for growing cottage garden flowers
1. Choose the right location.
Cottage garden flowers may need full sun or partial shade or even full shade. There are so many choices that fit just about any growing condition.
So be sure to read up on the plants and flowers you choose to see what conditions they thrive in.
Providing the proper conditions makes it so much easier for you and the plants.
A happy plant is a healthy plant. Healthy plants can better fight off pests and diseases on their own.
2. Prepare the soil
Many cottage garden flowers need well-drained, fertile soil. Add compost or manure to the soil before planting.
Now I am going to throw another caveat in here. Some cottage flowers actually will do better in poor soil. Nasturtiums and Cosmos are a couple of them.
Again my best advice is to learn about the needs of whatever cottage plants you choose before going to the work of preparing your soil.
Make growing easier
Regenerate Your Soil!
If you’re new to gardening, you might think that the key to a thriving garden is to fertilize, fertilize, fertilize. Just stop, Regenerate the Soil instead!
3. Water regularly
Most cottage garden flowers need about an inch of water per week.
We don’t get summer rain so I have set up drip irrigation. But I also try and plant drought-tolerant varieties that need less water once established.
4. Fertilize cottage garden flowers monthly.
Use an organic balanced fertilizer or compost tea.
Note: I don’t always use extra fertilizer since I add compost to my beds each year. Compost acts as a slow-release feed that continues to do the job through the summer.
garden tips
Create Compost Easily!
Don’t get caught up in all the complicated instructions for making compost. I make it easy and you get rich, beautiful compost when you are done.
The cottage plants and flowers that I have in containers do get fed more often as the nutrients leach out during watering.
Note that some flowers prefer poor soil, make sure to read up on each flower before placing in your garden.
Some of my favorite Cottage garden flowers are:
- Shasta Daisies
- Black Eyed Susans
- Delphiniums
- Garden Phlox
- Roses
- Hollyhocks
- Hardy Geraniums
- Monarda aka Bee Balm
- Iris
- Foxgloves
- Cosmos
- Sweet Peas
- Nicotiana
- Echinacea Coneflower
- Verbena Bonirensis
- Butterfly Bush (check locally, it is banned in some states)
- Peonies
- Hydrangeas
- Daffodils
- Catmint (Nepeta)
- Gaillardia aka Blanket Flower
- Sea Holly
- Petunias
- Zonal Geraniums aka Pelargoniums
- Clematis
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Basic Tips for lots of blooms
Deadhead the spent blooms of your cottage garden flowers regularly. Mulch well to help suppress weeds.
easy garden tips
How to Deadhead for More Blooms!
This quick and easy trick will keep your beautiful flowers blooming longer.
Cottage gardens can be planted thickly, which also helps mitigate weeds.
Many cottage garden plants will reseed thus saving you money and time in succeeding years.
Merely edit out the seedlings you don’t wish to keep, you can pot them up to give away, move them to other sections of your garden, or toss them in the compost heap.
Many cottage garden plants have a set blooming time so be sure to plant for continuous blooms!
When your, Daffodils or Iris are done blooming then the roses, hardy geraniums, daisies and more will begin to bloom.
With these tips, you will be well on your way to growing beautiful cottage garden flowers!
Cottage flowers and plants are a great addition to any yard because they are beautiful and easy to grow. With these tips, you will be able to grow a cottage garden that is sure to bring you joy!
What is your favorite cottage flower to grow?
Do you have any tips for growing cottage garden flowers? Share them with me over on my Facebook or Instagram page.
Happy Gardening!
