I hear this term all over the place, lately. Is this one of those things that's been done forever, then millennials come up with a name for it and think they invented it?

It's been a term for a long time, has nothing to do with millenials. To me, cottage gardening is kind of an eclectic mish-mash of exploding colors. I'm sure those who embrace this style will chime in.

I think of Cottage Gardening as being at the whim of the gardener, as opposed to formal gardening , where the plants are set out according to some pattern or plan.

Welcome! Here, Rubi, is an example of my cottage garden. Sometimes a visual helps. It is a life-long collection of perennial plants, with some annuals planted mostly in pots.

CarolineScott said:I think of Cottage Gardening as being at the whim of the gardener, as opposed to formal gardening , where the plants are set out according to some pattern or plan.

Give the gal a cigar, she hit the nail on the head.

yes but I always think of a cottage garden as having food plants scattered in with flowers., or having the 'kitchen' garden up close to the house while the pretties are planted more out a ways.

I don't think cottage garden is the same as kitchen garden, but who knows, I just garden. I think of cottage as more informal garden, a bit of dense planting, some annuals and some perennials. That's my garden. I throw my seeds out there, whatever grows is my garden, cottage or not.

It dates back, to over half a Millenium, actually. For instance, if you owned a castle, & the "tenant" was especially favored by you, & then all the "tax" that may have been expected in payment, may have been simply a rose flower, either to the castle property owner, or possibly the King or Queen.. So, in other words, you wanted them to keep a garden & have it appear presentable, with a "cottage garden"., because it was on property you owned & may have had to pay any taxes on it, either monetarily, or when favored, in the form of just a rose blossom, then you'd have expected them to grow at least that & probably other flowers, just to keep up appearance of households, located on your property...

You may try researching St. Michaelmas Day, to have a better understanding. Though, I'm inclined to think that it goes back in time, to when the French, had their Norman conquest & those that followed the King, were shown favoritism, by having the second part of the Domesday book finished, some years after the first, for taxation purposes.
Along with the French, came forth some of their flowers, with them, too.

The term Cottage Garden is definitely not anything new. I am finding it used in books going back at least into the 1700s. I like to think of it as imitating nature...

"Those who look at sea or sky or wood see beauty that no art can
show ; but among the things made by man nothing is prettier than
an English cottage garden, and they often teach lessons that 'great '
gardeners should learn"
~William Robinson, 1883

The term "messuage" was what I was attempting to recall, when property was conveyed, in legal documents, such as in a Will, as the nearby outbuilings were held, for renting out to families, on the main land holding, around about 1350.
While in the British Dialect, the older term used in the spoken word, may have been "cote", as the prefix & "age" as the suffix, ( such as with; parsonage, or peerage) & goes back in time, possibly to Old English, about 1050...eventually becoming what is commonly known, as a cottage, in our modern language, in use & understanding of the term.
Or, possibly coincidently derived from cotagium, due to the typical practice of writing in Latin, for those fortunate enough, to become educated, that long ago.

I would just about have to agree with Caroline Scott, on the definition. Formal gardens may have clipped boxwoods & that sort of a "backbone", or framework, to plant within.
While cottage gardening in my mind, includes perennials mixed with a variety of annuals, maybe some unusual herbs, biennials, roses, Iris, Lily & the like, with some forethought, as to planting lower growing plants mainly nearest the borders edges, if near a path, with some occasional plants dotted here & there, to stand out & may also be located near the edge, so as to be admired up close, to stand out or be enjoyed for their particular fragrance.. You might try looking at some landscaping images here, or in Google, or magazines, to get ideas.
Some indispensable ones may include bulbs, like tulips, crocus, daffodils, hyacinths & others such as Alliums. Some.Myosotis, Pansies, Iceland & annual poppies, Foxglove, Eryngium, Canterbury Bells, Iberis, Alyssum saxatile, Dianthus, etc... & the list can be extensive,too & may include vines, as in Clematis & morning glory.
I'm not so sure, it would have some extremely modern looking hybrids, if it is to look more like that of a typical turn of the century cottage garden style.
Unless they don't differ too much in appearances, from many species, or older cultivars. But I suppose you make of it, what works best for your climate, zone, soil conditions & light exposure, etc & plant accordingly...
It would almost be like a formal straight border, that is on either side of a lawn to walk down the middle, but instead, winds around the house, informally laid out, except, so as not to appear "planned.". As mentioned above, more natural looking, although created & purposely planted that way, without looking as if it were...

I'm a new member so I'm late to the game replying here but the idea of Cottage Gardening is one of my absolute favorite things. To me, its creating a serene place that takes you back to a simpler time.

For me its things like garden paths, coneflowers, roses, daisies, lilacs, phlox, hydrangeas, birdbaths, garden art, and on from there.

Welcome @abby_b
You'll love it here.
My foxglove just starting to open.

Oh Kathy- so lovely! The foxglove reminds me of Mackinac Island...

Oh yes, the Mackinaw Island gardens and hanging planters are all planted/tended by the on-island greenhouse nursery (want a great summer job?). They offer greenhouse tours & classes, too. I've taken advantage of every tour & class (as a travel agent escorting tourists) while I'm on the island. What a place to get ideas.

Completely agree! Mackinac Island is the ultimate cottage garden inspiration💙

I learned about Cottage Gardens from watching HGTV back in the early 2000's when they used to have a bunch of gardening shows.

The kings owned all the land and they had serfs working for them. The serfs lived in cottages and they had little fences around their cottages. Inside the fenced area they could grow whatever they wanted, so they grew vegetables, herbs, flowers, and medicinal plants. Back then you couldn't go to the pharmacy for a tummy ache.

I bet they had every square inch of that plot planted and I also bet they worked in it at the end of every day.

There are no straight lines in nature and therefore I don't have straight lines in my garden beds. The curves in a garden bed are like Trompe l'oeil. They fetch you along in the garden to see what lies ahead.

I've actually been working on a blog post about what a cottage garden is and how to create one. Someone in this thread said that they do not follow a specific pattern, and I agree. I also agree with Slocala that they generally have curves. I don't know whether I have one big cottage garden or several. All of the ones in my "back yard" are in my, um, back yard. When I bought the house it was a jumble of weeds and untended perennials. There was a rickety fence that bisected the yard, and I kept it, making it the dividing line between what I call the "lower garden" and the "secret garden." The image here shows art of the secret garden.
It is supposed to look like everything just happily happened, but the truth, of course, is that this is all carefully tended. When it's not too hot. Or when I'm not distracted. Or lazy. You get my drift.

Cottage gardens became popular in Victorian England. But, as noted, they have ancient origins. Early cottage gardens were very practical and contained vegetables and herbs. Cottagers may have gained their small plots and cottages during the Black Death. The cottage garden was more about growing fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants than aesthetics. But eventually, as times became less dire, flowers were planted in among the more "serviceable" plantings.