How to create a English Country Cottage garden

The English countryside is world famous for its idyllic, pastoral charm. 

Think rolling green hills, fields of wildflowers and chocolate box stone villages, it's hard to find a place more picturesque!

Naturally, many people want to replicate this look in their own homes and gardens and the English country cottage garden is one of the most popular and timeless styles of landscaping. 

If you would like to replicate this look in your own outdoor space, we have gathered together some handy tips and tricks to help achieve your cottage garden dream. 

 

 

Design Features:

The best thing about English Cottage Gardens is that this style can work in small yards, average sized outdoor spaces or large back gardens. No matter what sized space you are working with, this style can work for you! 

Your first step is to size up your garden and decide on your design features.

Visualise your favourite country cottage gardens and check out what you have saved on Pinterest. Is there a running theme to the outdoor spaces you are drawn to? 

Common design features in English Country Cottage gardens are gravelled pathways, usually pea gravel or Cotswold stone, as these types of gravel offer a neutral base for your garden.  Stepping stones will add a whimsical touch to your garden and can be used instead of a path or alongside, choose a neutral stone or wood effect stepping stones for a country feel. 

How is your garden secured? Brick and Stone Wall or Wooden fencing are best for securing your garden and gaining the country cottage feel you are aiming for. If the brick or stone is in good condition, keep this its natural colour. If the Brick or stone is in poor quality visually, consider painting it a beige, white or sage green colour for a neutral toned backdrop to your garden.

If you have instead opted for wooden fencing, this needs to be stained or painted to maintain quality and stop damp from rainwater penetrating the wood. Consider natural oak stains to accentuate the rustic, country feel. If you would prefer to paint your fence a colour, opt for either sage green or forest green for your wood, as this will blend in visually with any plants or trees.

Do you have any paved areas or a patio in your outdoor space? Consider utilising this for outdoor seating, such as a dining table set, a bistro set or a bench. Alternatively, you could use your patio space for a garden shed, a potting table or a greenhouse. To highlight the country cottage feel, opt for a Georgian Tall Wall Greenhouse, as these have a charming vintage design as well as making excellent storage for your plants. 

Do you love the sound of running water? Consider adding some type of water feature to your garden to maximise whimsy and can help provide wildlife, such as birds, frogs and insects with a water source!

There is a wide variety of water features available, for people who prefer a more rustic country look, opt for a ready made tub pond or make your own stone trough pond!

If you have some empty wall space in your garden, either on your building walls, or the walls around your garden, try a solar powered wall mounted water feature for a more opulent, vintage feel. 

Alternatively, for a more traditional style option, you could choose a freestanding water feature, ideal for placing on patios, stone circles or in borders. 

Design Feature Summary List:

• English Cottage Gardens can work in small, medium or large spaces

• Look at your saved Pinterest inspiration to realise what designs you are drawn to

• This style of garden often features pathways

• Pea gravel or Cotswold stone are common gravel to use

• Stepping stones in a neutral stone or wood effect are often featured

• Brick and Stone walls work best with this style of outdoor space

• Only paint Brick or Stone walls in neutral colours if you can't keep them natural

• Wooden fences should be stained with a natural oak affect finish or a neutral colour

• Consider using paved or patio areas for outdoor seating 

• Paved areas could also be used for a garden shed, potting bench or greenhouse

• Choose for a Georgian Tall Wall Greenhouse for this style of garden

• Water features are a quick way to add whimsy and are great for nature

• Tub or trough ponds are ideal for a rustic country look

• Wall mounted or freestanding water features are ideal for more vintage style spaces
  
  
  

Furniture and Decor:

Once you have decided on your design features, it's time to choose your furniture and decor, and where you will place these pieces in your garden. 

Furniture and decor can make or break an English Country Cottage style garden, as the wrong furniture and decor can completely miss this style’s vibe. 

For this style, your furniture and decor should ideally be made out of metal or wood. Choose metal furniture for an elegant, vintage look and wood for a more rustic feel. However, combining the two would lend your space the eclectic feel English Country cottage gardens are known and loved for. 

Furniture: 

So what type of garden furniture should you choose?

All good garden spaces trying to replicate this style should include a seating area, and even in very small spaces you can easily fit some kind of seating to achieve your desired look. 

For small spaces, the best option would be a bistro set or a small set of a table and chairs, such as this Ornate Metal White Round Garden Table & Set of 2 Ornate Garden Chairs. 

These metal framed furniture sets have a vintage inspired design, neutral finish and are hardwearing for placing outdoors. This stunning set is also available in Sage Green. 

A simple yet stylish furniture option that can fit in any outdoor space are garden benches. Benches can be positioned in a variety of places. On patios, against walls or fences, on lawns, or in between garden beds for a more quaint look. 

Opt for a colourful bench, like this Pink Vintage Metal Garden Bench or this Antique Sage Green Garden Bench for a pop of colour in your outdoor space. For those wanting a more neutral , vintage look, this White Metal Ornate Distressed Garden Bench would be your ideal option. And for those looking for something a little more unique, this Grey Metal Butterfly Garden Bench would make an eye catching addition to any garden. 

Benches are an easy and space saving way to include seating in your garden! 

The most spectacular statement garden furniture for an English Country cottage garden is the arbour bench! Not only do arbour benches provide seating, they are excellent support for climbing plants, such as roses, honeysuckle or clematis, plants commonly featured in this style of garden. For lovers of floral designs and whimsical shapes, this Extra Large Rustic White Metal Love Heart Bench would make a stunning choice for any garden or patio area. For those who would prefer a more traditional style arbour this Extra Large Rustic Metal Arched Garden Bench would be ideal and due to its green finish would look fabulous against walls or fencing. 

Decor:

Adding decor is a way for you to accessorize your garden and add character to your space.  For English country cottage style spaces, there are several staple pieces you should make sure you include!

Garden Mirrors are a simple yet effective country inspired addition and ideal for making a garden appear larger. Garden mirrors can be mounted on the exterior walls of your home or your garden walls, they can also be propped up against a fence or tree.

To achieve the English cottage style with your garden mirror, a window mirror is the perfect choice! There are a variety of window mirror designs, such as this Distressed Green Shutter Style Garden Wall Mounted Mirror that has a shutter window inspired design, mimicking classic cottage style windows. For a more simple, neutral option, this Large Matte White Window Mirror could be wall mounted or propped up and has a Georgian window inspired design. For those who prefer a more dramatic look, this Extra Large Rustic Arched Window Mirror is the perfect pick, and would add a touch of vintage charm to your outdoor space. 

A simple way to add a little cottage charm to your outdoor area is with quirky planter pots and plant storage! English Country Cottage gardens often feature a large mix of planters and plant stands! Using a mix of pots and planters will help you achieve the eclectic look these gardens are known for! So what types of planters and pots could you use?

Raised beds, made from wood or metal, are a popular choice, especially for those trying their hand at a vegetable garden or wildflower patch! Include obelisks, such as these rustic Willow Obelisks, to help support your vegetables or plants. 

Plant pots are perfect for creating the chaotic charm of an English country cottage garden. Many plants and flowers do best in terracotta pots, as this is a breathable and natural material. If you want to add some pops of colour to your garden, you can choose glazed options, such as these Glazed Green Giant Egg Pots. Stone and metal planter pots are also a popular choice for these styles of garden, like this Small Rustic Grey Metal Bucket Planter Pot or these Stone designs.

For a more quirky country style planter, this Antique Cream Shovel Style Metal Hanging Planter Pot is a beautiful wall mountable option. This is also available in grey. 

Choose a variety of pots in different sizes, shapes and materials to achieve the country cottage look. 

For those who have a lot of small plant pots and wish to create a feature out of their flowers, a plant theatre, like this Sage Green Metal Three Tier Plant Theatre Stand  is a stylish, vintage inspired option that would look great in an English country cottage garden. This plant theatre is also available in White, Pink and Black . 

Furniture and Decor Summary List:

• Choose garden furniture made of metal or wood

• Combined metal and wood for an eclectic cottage garden look

• Small spaces should opt for bistro sets of small sets of table and chairs

• Benches can be placed anywhere and are a great seating option

• Arbour benches are visually stunning and great for climbing plants

• Adding mirrors to a garden can make it appear larger

• Window mirrors are a great design choice for cottage gardens

• Mirrors can be wall mounted or propped up for a country vibe

• Raised beds made of wood or metal are perfect for vegetables or wildflowers

• Use a mix of planter pots in different materials, sizes and shapes

• Use glazed terracotta pots for a pop of colour

• Terracotta pots are ideal for a country look

• Quirky hanging planters will add some cottage charm

• Plant theatres are beautiful yet practical plant display and storage 
  

Flowers and Plants:

Now you have designed your garden features and chosen your furniture and decor, it's time to get planting!

English country cottage gardening is all about colour and chaos! 

Perennials are your best choice for a lower effort garden space, as these flowers will come back and bloom every year!

Choose different heights of plants, for a layered and texture look to your garden and ensure you allow space in between plants for them to grow.  

Go for plants that bloom at different times, so your garden will always have some colour throughout spring and summer. To ensure your garden doesn't look lifeless during the autumn and winter months, evergreen plants and trees are a great option that will ensure you have some greenery year round. 

So, what are the classic English Cottage Garden plants? 

Roses

Roses are synonymous with English gardens and for a good reason! They are classic, elegant and available in a wide variety of types, including Old Garden Roses, Wild Roses and Modern Roses. Roses can come as shrubs, bushes, trees, climbers or ramblers and there are multiple types of roses that fit into these plant definitions.  To recreate a true English Country cottage garden, choose a mixture of different types of roses, but if you are going to invest in just one type, a climber or rambler would be the best choice! Quick to grow, with a large amount of coverage, these plants will add a wild sea of colour to any wall, fence, obelisk or arbour! Plant your roses in the ground or in large pots (55cm+) for maximum growth and longevity. David Austin are world renowned for their roses and have a huge collection to choose from!

Lavender

Lavender is another classic English cottage garden plant, fragrant, hardy and always beautiful every year! There are multiple species of lavender, with the most popular types being French Lavender and English lavender! Both of these types of lavender feature heavily in this style of garden and look lovely in pots or in borders. Lavender is a hardy perennial plant that prefers dry soil and will suffer from overwatering, making it ideal for those who would prefer lower effort plants. 

Foxgloves

Foxgloves, or Digitalis, are native to the UK and are a classic wildflower, often found growing naturally in woodlands and hedgerows. They are often featured in cottage gardens as these flowers will self seed in any space they can find and can happily grow in shady places. Foxgloves are tall plants, featuring multiple bell-like flowers and come in a wide array of colours, with often several colours featuring within one plant. They are a magnet for bees and insects. 

Salvia

Another plant loved by wildlife is Slavia! Salvia is a tall upright plant, known for its long stems and small, richly coloured flowers. The most commonly seen colour of salvia is purple, but this stunning plant can also come in a variety of pinks, blues, reds, yellows and whites! Salvia can grow large and bush-like and it requires at least 6-8 hours of full sun. It is ideal for placing in pots, or in borders as it will grow to take up a large space. 

Hollyhocks

Hollyhocks are tall stemmed flowers, featuring a variety of blooms on a single stem. Available in a selection of colours, including pink, cream, purple, apricot, red and yellow, these plants can grow in incredible inhospitable ground conditions and are often found growing in cracks in the pavement or at the base of walls. Hollyhocks are a cottage garden favourite, due to their multiple flowers and delicate crinkle petalled blooms. 

These are some of the most popular and common flowers featured in an English country cottage style garden, however there a wide range of plants you can include to get your desired look such as Cosmos, Delphiniums, Daisies, Nepeta, Peonies, Geraniums and sweet peas as well as many others! 

Flowers and Plants Summary List:

• English country cottage gardens are all about colour and chaos

• This look can be achieved with borders or in pots

• Perennials are the low effort and bloom every year

• Choose plants of different heights for a layered look

• Allow space in between plants for growth

• Ensure you read up on what your chosen plants need when it comes to water and sun

• Choose plants that bloom at different times for constant colour

• Opt for evergreen plants for colour in winter months

• Roses are a classic choice, with climbers and ramblers being the most popular 

• Choose lavender for a low effort hardy plant

• Foxgloves are ideal for attracting bees

• Salvia is another plant loved by wildlife 

• Hollyhocks can grow anywhere 

• There are more cottage styles plants to choose from

Now you know how to create your own English country cottage garden! 

We hope this handy guide helps you achieve your garden dreams and would love to see your progress! If you have any further questions, please leave us a comment as we would love to help!

Shop Garden Items: