A cottage garden seems a bit wild, romantic and dreamy. In addition to vegetables and fruit, flowers and herbs are also a central element in the farm garden. Below you will find beautiful ideas for designing your cottage garden.
How can I design a cottage garden?
To design a cottage garden, combine fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs, plan symmetrical beds and paths, surround the garden with a wooden fence and integrate natural decorative elements such as stone figures or vintage objects.
Making the right plant selection
The most important thing for cottage garden design is plant selection. Cottage gardens usually feature a variety of different fruits, vegetables and flowers. Colorful is the appropriate adjective for a cottage garden. We have put together a selection of the 20 most beautiful flowers for you here. Which fruit and vegetables you can grow in your farm garden depends primarily on the orientation. Almost everything thrives in the sun, from tomatoes to strawberries to zucchini. But what grows in a garden that only gets a few hours of sun?
Fruit
- Kiwi
- Gooseberry
- Wild raspberries
- currants
- Blackberry
Vegetables
- Rhubarb
- cress
- Salad
- Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts
- Spinach, chard
- Root vegetables (carrots, radishes, beets)
- Peas, beans
- Chives
Herbs
- Dill
- Sorrel
- Woodruff
- Wild garlic
- Mint
Designing paths and beds in the cottage garden
Typical for the cottage garden is the path cross, a symmetrical structure in which four paths run off from the middle in a cross shape. The beds are arranged symmetrically around it. If you pushed all the beds together, they would form a perfect square.
The paths are usually not paved, but covered with grass, gravel or bark mulch. The beds are either open or have natural borders like e.g. bordered with box bushes. A border with natural stones is also conceivable.
The nice extra: the fence around the farm garden
Wooden fences are almost an integral part of the cottage garden. Not only do they look attractive, they also serve a practical purpose, for example by excluding wild animals or cats. Natural picket fences or picket fences are particularly suitable for the cottage garden. You can easily build both of them yourself. You can find out how to do this here.
Introduce decorative elements
If you want to beautify your cottage garden even further, you can add decorative elements. The same applies here: the natural the better. Sculptures and figures made of stones, wood or roots, preferably without paint, give the garden a plus and fit into the rural scheme. Vintage elements such as an old bicycle or a rusted watering can can also add a romantic touch. A homemade scarecrow spices up the vegetable garden and keeps greedy birds away.