Cottage gardens were first developed when there was a realization that adding certain flowers to vegetable plots would attract bees which pollinate crops. What evolved were deep borders, a pathway, perfumed herbs and rich flowers and maybe the odd rustic bench tucked away.

You can re-create the chocolate box cottage garden look for your garden by adding informal gravel path edging and maybe an archway of willow or lavender. Add many mixtures of flowering shrubs and perennials and coloured bulbs and flowers, the sheer mixture of plants will attract bees and butterflies.

Planting

It is usual to see cottage garden plants growing closely together as if it were a random thing without any aesthetic plan.

It takes good planning to create an entirely natural looking garden and it involves using all your space by squeezing the right plants into the right corners of your garden. Planting plants that cover the ground such as honeysuckle and climbing clematis are always the best idea.

Full of details, cottage gardens provide further interest if they have edged pathways which are complemented by a row either side of plants. Forsythia is a good plant to use for this as are Box Balls and Lavender. If you can train your ivy to fall over your pathway as an archway this can look stunning.

Where there are hedges and ever green plants in your garden, cut holes or patterns in them so the onlooker can see through them to the garden space and flowers beyond the bushes.