Monday, March 22, 2010

Cottage Gardens

This is an old post from last year but I'm finding it inspiring again so thought I would share...

Now that the sun is finally shining I am loving being outside. Cottage gardens are so inspiring to me. I found these photos and info. from This Old House



*Unique Elegance*
Classic cottage gardens—like the houses that give them their name—tend to be compact, informal, and highly individualistic. Located close to the front or back door, traditional examples display a harmonious mix of annuals, perennials, roses, shrubs, vines—even vegetables—in neatly tended arrangements designed to delight, rather than impress.


*Follow The Brick Road*
Bricks laid in a diagonal herringbone pattern form a curving path dividing two wide borders. A hipped-roof birdhouse draws the eye upward.




*Structural Grace*

A classic rose-covered arbor and meticulously trimmed privet hedge provide architectural structure in a small yard overflowing with pink and purple flowering plants, including lush hydrangeas, old-fashioned garden phlox (foreground), and a wide window box filled with sun-loving annuals.





*Made For Shade*
Belgian block frames a shade-tolerant border composed of 'Anabelle' hydrangeas, hostas, and ferns.



*Summer Romance*
Under an arching weeping willow, a row of late-flowering pink and white rose of Sharon shrubs—planted closely together to create a privacy screen—gives this late-summer garden romantic appeal.




*Brilliant Border*


Favorite cottage-garden perennials—including black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia), pink-flowering sedum, and pale-blue delphinium—create a vibrant border around a carefully tended lawn.



*Green Peace*

Greenery—in plants and painted trim—evokes a sense of tranquility in a cedar-shingled cottage's low-maintenance, cobblestone courtyard.



*Casual Classic*

A Greek Revival dwelling gets a down-to-earth garden that takes the edge off its formality.




*Country Charm*

A favorite of butterflies, golden Rudbeckia grabs attention in a casual country garden punctuated by a compact Japanese maple, neatly trimmed boxwood, swordlike iris foliage, and a rose-covered arbor. Inorganic elements—from the stonework to the timeworn mailbox and lozenge-shaped window on the back door—add immeasurably to the simple yard's undeniable charms.




*Daring Hues*

A row of hydrangeas makes a bold impact in a narrow patch of land.




*My Blue Heaven*

Easily grown from seed, 'Heavenly Blue' morning glories twine about a white-picket fence, their heart-shaped foliage providing a visual metaphor of simplicity and contentment.




*Splashes Of Color*

Tall cottage classics like lemon-yellow daisies and fragrant white phlox stand out against the silvered shingles of a cedar-shake outbuilding.




*Uniformity Is Boring*

In the best cottage gardens, diversty reigns, with a wide range of roses, annuals, perennials, and shrubs sharing the limelight. Here, left to right, hostas, statuesque eupatorium, black-eyed Susans, snowy phlox, and eight-foot-tall hollyhocks (nearly gone to seed) harmonize in the yard of a rose-covered retreat.


*Enchanting Entry*

Billowing pink hibiscus blossoms greet visitors by the front door.




*Color Study*

Limiting the palette to two or three hues—in this case, pink, blue, and cream—keeps the mix harmonious.



Hope you enjoyed those beautiful photos. Have a blessed day!
Nora

8 comments:

  1. Nora what pretty gardens! I adore cottage gardens. I've tried to make mine have some of the elements... I think its a little too chaoticy (is that a word?) for my husband.

    It's hard to say which pic was my favorite. I love all the hydrangreas, but I would have to say - follow the brick road looks very nice.

    Maybe I can give you a little tour of my garden some time! Have a great evening. Mindy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful! You got my attention with the brick pathway.
    Hydrangeas are my absolute favorite. I just planted some light blue ones in my front yard along my porch :)
    Thank you for sharing such lovely photos.
    {How was build-a-bear?}

    ReplyDelete
  3. Did you take these pics or are these from a magazine? I think you have an eye for photography and gardens. To say that I enjoyed these pictures is an big understatement. I love how you posted so many...just like a garden tour.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sooo pretty! I love all the hydrangeas, I think they are my favorite!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nora, You should stop by sometime and see my front garden. its looking so good this year! I will be out there today. xo

    ReplyDelete
  6. YUM! Oh how lovely........I adore a sweet cottage garden and these were ever so pretty.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Blessings,
    Spencer

    ReplyDelete
  7. These are gorgeous. What I wouldn't give to have a cottage with a lovely garden!

    ReplyDelete
  8. These photos are gorgeous!! i want to vacation in a cottage! :)

    xoxo

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for taking the time to read and give feedback. Your comments brighten my days!