In your opinion give us your ideas.

These days, labels are used more casually than in the past. For me, the Perennial Garden is a move away from planting annuals or bedding plants. Done with that. I plant a few heat and drought tolerant annuals in containers, but very few now ... for the ground, I choose a few annuals that are heavy re-seeders and self-sowers or are easy to harvest the seeds for the following year (such as Hyacinth Bean Vine). And I plant lots and lots of wildflowers, tall ornamental grasses as well as shrubs that are native to my locale. A prairie, a glade, a bog, a woodland (especially at its edge), a meadow, a rock garden ... can all be cultivated to be Perennial Gardens. Right now I'm focusing on perennial vegetables.

I think the "traditional" Cottage Garden is rarely planted these days. Today's cottage gardens are much more informal. No hard and fast rules. They used to help provide a family's sustenance, but now it doesn't seem most people I know with cottage gardens plant the "food" part of it. Maybe some herbs or so forth. I always think of England, of course, when I think of traditional cottage gardens. The American Cottage Garden is something different. At least in my mind.

Great thread question, spring ... thanks for asking it.

That is pretty much how I see A Cottage Garden , as a mix of Perennials,Herbs,Vegetables,Berries and Annuals.

Bob.
Perennials are a component of the Cottage Garden.

Can be a component. A Perennial Garden on its own can be entirely different from a Cottage Garden, depending on the setting and types of plants used. Perennial Gardens vary greatly ... Cottage Gardens seem all basically the same to me.

Cottage gardens are simply a 'style' of gardening.

Many Cottage Gardens have only perennials in them, for instance. The plants in them do not constitute the style nowadays.

They can be almost anything one can imagine...as they were back in the old Cottage Gardens in England, where the term originated.

Called "Cottage Gardens" simply because the gardens surrounded humble cottages. They were filled with many hand-me-down plants.

I have loved seeing the Cottage gardens (with real cottages) the times we've been in England. Sooo beautiful there ... and the real deal. Very different from what I've seen here.

Different opinions are good.

They make things interesting.

Whatever ya'll say.

Tee,
Do you have any pictures of the gardens in England. When you say different -- How are they different. Sorry I'm just a curious George.

I'm sorry, I don't have any on the computer. The last time I was there was almost 15 years ago. All the photos are in an album. That was back in the olden days.

England to me is in a state of perpetual green except for when it's wearing its winter white. The English really love their gardens, that's one thing I do know. Many of them (to me) are more structured. They have lots of fences (usually white and wooden) dividing areas (and keeping out the farm animals). To me their gardens are more sectioned, not entirely into blocks or square sections, but more structured is the best way I could describe it. Fruit trees, herbs, veggies, hives, etc. ... the flowers used more to fill in between the "working" areas. I guess "practical" might be the word I'm searching for. Meant to be self-sustaining for a family. This is just my impressions. I'm no expert.

Thanks! I'm getting it with that exlpanation.
I have a perennial garden. Very little to eat in there. Some times I call it, Oh, love that gotta have it garden!

Yep, I have that myself. Spur of the moment garden, miscellaneous garden, things I like or were on sale garden ... goes by many names. Hey, I'm flexible.

A Cottage Garden would be the opposite of a Formal Garden. Hand-me-down, plants, furniture,flowers,vegetable, just cram it all in there. Every thing is legal and acceptable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C...

virginiarose said:A Cottage Garden would be the opposite of a Formal Garden. Hand-me-down, plants, furniture,flowers,vegetable, just cram it all in there. Every thing is legal and acceptable.

Sounds like mine sort of. Guess by planting some sugar snap pea seedlings among the flowers yesterday, it is moving more toward real 'cottage' and less spur-of-the-moment throw-it-all-in-there mish-mash serendipity plantings?

It's all good, throw it in there!

Cottage gardens are like vegetable soup, just put in what ever you have and like, and everyone's is different.









some gardens in my area

Now there's one of the white fences the English are fond of. Nice shots, Cinda. Add whatever you want is just a garden.

I heard that the white Picket fence is the foundation for a cottage garden and I have some of the plastic fencing left over from a former project, just gotta figure where to put it. One of my plans is to plant some annuals in a rusty wheel barrel.

My picket is far from white anymore.
plan to paint it this spring , now to find the time