Design my garden

[SarrissUK]

For structure, I'd suggest birch with white bark, and twisted willow - for the interest in the winter particularly.

Flowers..? I wouldn't have a clue really. I don't have many of them!

[Chestnut]

I always thought of a cottage garden as being a random mishmash of all kinds of plants, bunged in together with a few stepping stones between plants so you can move around safely. Edible, medicinal, functional, pretty, aromatic- with preference for those which serve multiple purposes as space is limited!

So, I would have low hawthorn hedge along the road to provide shelter (parts edible, pretty in spring)

Lots of herbs, but only stuff I would actually use. Sage, thyme, rosemary, chives, dill, coriander, mint, horseradish. Most pretty as well as edible.
Honeysuckle, night scented stock, lavender or valerian under the bedroom window.
Some perennials like rhubarb, perennial kale, miners lettuce, wild garlic - whichever you like and will use
Soft fruits like raspberries and/or currants (could double as hedging if you don’t need the very hardy shelterbelt of hawthorn). A few fruit trees like Apple, pear, plum.
Spring bulbs like snowdrops and crocuses along the path to show me the first sign of spring .
Hydrangea because it’s a descendent of the one my grandparents had in their garden (since 1940s), and lupins and cornflowers because I like them.
Edible flowers like violets and nasturtiums .
Washing line.
Then, a variety of annual veg crammed in every last gap, according to how much space you have left. Spuds, leeks, courgettes, beetroot etc.

If you have enough space, then chicken coop, pigsty, and hive can go on the list as well - but I would need to move house for that! There’s also a strong case for a garden bench, so you can stop and savour your garden from time to time

[SarrissUK]

I would actually relish the opportunity to actually have a go at designing your garden. Not with the intention for you to actually ending up using it, but for the creative opportunity. Any chance we can have the basic info of your new plot, location of the new build etc?

[farendwoman]

I always thought of a cottage garden as being a random mishmash of all kinds of plants, bunged in together with a few stepping stones between plants so you can move around safely. Edible, medicinal, functional, pretty, aromatic- with preference for those which serve multiple purposes as space is limited!

So, I would have low hawthorn hedge along the road to provide shelter (parts edible, pretty in spring)

Lots of herbs, but only stuff I would actually use. Sage, thyme, rosemary, chives, dill, coriander, mint, horseradish. Most pretty as well as edible.
Honeysuckle, night scented stock, lavender or valerian under the bedroom window.
Some perennials like rhubarb, perennial kale, miners lettuce, wild garlic - whichever you like and will use
Soft fruits like raspberries and/or currants (could double as hedging if you don’t need the very hardy shelterbelt of hawthorn). A few fruit trees like Apple, pear, plum.
Spring bulbs like snowdrops and crocuses along the path to show me the first sign of spring .
Hydrangea because it’s a descendent of the one my grandparents had in their garden (since 1940s), and lupins and cornflowers because I like them.
Edible flowers like violets and nasturtiums .
Washing line.
Then, a variety of annual veg crammed in every last gap, according to how much space you have left. Spuds, leeks, courgettes, beetroot etc.

If you have enough space, then chicken coop, pigsty, and hive can go on the list as well - but I would need to move house for that! There’s also a strong case for a garden bench, so you can stop and savour your garden from time to time

There should be a “love” button as well as a “like”.!
This would be my absolute dream of a garden Chestnut.

[Small pumpkin]

I always thought of a cottage garden as being a random mishmash of all kinds of plants, bunged in together with a few stepping stones between plants so you can move around safely. Edible, medicinal, functional, pretty, aromatic- with preference for those which serve multiple purposes as space is limited!

So, I would have low hawthorn hedge along the road to provide shelter (parts edible, pretty in spring)

Lots of herbs, but only stuff I would actually use. Sage, thyme, rosemary, chives, dill, coriander, mint, horseradish. Most pretty as well as edible.
Honeysuckle, night scented stock, lavender or valerian under the bedroom window.
Some perennials like rhubarb, perennial kale, miners lettuce, wild garlic - whichever you like and will use
Soft fruits like raspberries and/or currants (could double as hedging if you don’t need the very hardy shelterbelt of hawthorn). A few fruit trees like Apple, pear, plum.
Spring bulbs like snowdrops and crocuses along the path to show me the first sign of spring .
Hydrangea because it’s a descendent of the one my grandparents had in their garden (since 1940s), and lupins and cornflowers because I like them.
Edible flowers like violets and nasturtiums .
Washing line.
Then, a variety of annual veg crammed in every last gap, according to how much space you have left. Spuds, leeks, courgettes, beetroot etc.

If you have enough space, then chicken coop, pigsty, and hive can go on the list as well - but I would need to move house for that! There’s also a strong case for a garden bench, so you can stop and savour your garden from time to time

You've nailed it. That sounds perfect . What the title should actually say is design a very small corner of my garden . Most of the land will be taken up by polytunnels, sheds, veg garden, boat, tractor & trailer parking and a big space for the two thugs ( dogs ) to run round and play in. Because I don't want those hole digging plant trampling lunatics anywhere near the veggies or the tiny flowery bit .

[Small pumpkin]

I would actually relish the opportunity to actually have a go at designing your garden. Not with the intention for you to actually ending up using it, but for the creative opportunity. Any chance we can have the basic info of your new plot, location of the new build etc?

I'll take you up on that offer , that's exactly what I wanted, to steal someone else's ideas and hard work, thank you .
give me a while I'll see if I can knock up a rough plan for you. (maybe tomorrow, off to the bright lights of Oban today).

[Small pumpkin]

Does the flower seed circle appeal to you? Looking at last years share out most would suit a cottage garden design https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...cel_98165.html

If you are including budleia then also consider lilac, tree mallow (like barnsley) and winter honeysuckle.

Biennials/ short lived perennials such as honesty, foxglove, canterbury bells, teasels, sweet rocket.

Then to add to your bulbs - alliums. Lots and lots of alliums.

I would go Peruvian lilies/ astromeria instead of oriental lilies as the flowers are smaller (not so centre of attention), don't suffer lily beetle and more productive IMO. Don't know how they fare in a pot though.

Edit: Scarlets rose campion grows well from seed I have half a bed filled with them looking forward to them flowering this year.

Some excellent suggestions. Thanks
Sorry no seed circles this year. I'm really hoping not to have the time. And my flower seed saving is very limited. Sweet pea, lupins, nasturtiums, pansies & violas and poppies. Everyone will have them already and there's a very high chance they've crossed.

[Nicos]

Not had a chance to read back, but initial thoughts....
Voles?
Lots of them?
We have zillions-which keeps Hibou (our cat) more than happy to be in charge of pest control.
Thing is, they utterly adore bulbs in the ground. One thing I know for sure they leave alone is daff bulbs.
Might be worth getting a few sacks of different varieties once you are in the midst of creating the garden? (Not from seed I know, but you'll get flowers for a couple of months with those)

Voles kept eating clematis roots too....might be worth researching what they don't particularly enjoy eating?
Hellebores seem to do ok and give winter colour , but again....not sure if you are willing to grow from seed?

Slugs go for my lupins and hollyhocks, but some survive.
Larkspurs is a great annual grown from seed too.
Also oxeye Daisy and foxgloves also do well in our 'field' of a garden...as do buddleia
English marigold and Californian poppies and aquilegia also do well.

I know my climate is different but we do get very cold and wet winters and those plants I have mentioned do survive.

[Nicos]

How exposed is the area?...high winds?
We planted Himalayan birch ( white bark) then discovered they have very shallow roots and easily blow over (yup...we have a field of a garden exposed to the full blast of the dominant SW winds )
I was more concerned about pests and colour and height and never thought about root depth

[Small pumpkin]

How exposed is the area?...high winds?
We planted Himalayan birch ( white bark) then discovered they have very shallow roots and easily blow over (yup...we have a field of a garden exposed to the full blast of the dominant SW winds )
I was more concerned about pests and colour and height and never thought about root depth

If it happens only 3 doors up from here so yes very windy.
Voles, got loads of them. What they don't eat they use for bedding!
More than happy to buy bulbs or tubers of things, just don't want to buy plants if I can grow them myself.

[1Bee]

Our front garden used to be a cottage garden style planting (before the combined efforts of neglect in favour of the allotment and a new roof decimated it). I read Geoff Hamilton's cottage garden book cover to cover and then dipped in many times again.

In our situation (morning sun, poor, gravelly soil and too much rain) these are the things that did best and were a delight:-

Lady's mantle
Aquilegia - I LOVE these and they self seed and hybridise so beautifully
Iris - not a bearded one, but a lovely pale blue, smaller version... can't find which one, sorry.
Lilac
Honeysuckle
Verbascum
Rose/clematis combo. I paired maiden's blush with a mid-purple clematis.
Rosemary
Sage
Catmint


If I was doing it again, I wouldn't be without lady's mantle and aquilegia.

[1Bee]

Oh, the things I got wrong were:-

Keeping trying lupins, hostas and delphiniums - the snails were always going to win.
Failing to appreciate the need for there to be some white/bright in the colour scheme.
Not having enough autumn colour - I never could get the rudbekias/echinaceas to stick around.

[Nicos]

I've just had a wander around my gardens to see if there was anything obvious I forgot to mention...and yes!...there most certainly is!

....Honesty!
We have both white and blue/purple and the white ones went bananas last year -I have hundreds of seedlings

Easy enough to sprinkle seeds and stand back and wait. Brill foliage too

[Small pumpkin]

Honesty is another one I've struggled with. But I really like it Grown it last two years. Never got to the flowering stage.
Deer really like it. The bu@@er always get in once a season (that won't be a problem in the new place ). Seeds didn't germinate this year. From the Same packet to be fair.

[veggiechicken]

How about...............https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...bed_84610.html