Must-Have Cottage Garden Flowers

June 30, 2021. In my head is a mental list of flowers that are a requirement in any garden I grow. They are beautiful flowers without the snobbiness of formality. When one walks into a garden, they are flowers you can instantly be friends with. They are flowers full of irresistible charm. When I look at this list I see a common theme of fullness- full of petals and full of blooms. One might also notice a lot of pink in my garden, something I am quite proud of. However, there are plenty of other pretty colors such as lavender, periwinkle, blue and white to go with. Today, I present to you a personal list of must-have cottage garden flowers to create that cozy storybook look in your own garden.

The following flowers made my personal list because of their beauty, hardiness, ease of care, shade tolerance, and bouquet worthiness. As a side note, my practical nature doesn’t have much use for annuals. It is with reluctance that I purchase any which isn’t often. Flowers that come back year and year and/or self-seed are the best bang for the buck and in my personal opinion, the most beautiful and all of these flowers fall in that category.

Must-Have Cottage Garden Flowers

Roses: Any proper cottage garden is going to have roses. In particular, I love the classic blooms of old fashioned heirloom roses. Currently, I am on a waitlist for my long-desired cabbage rose. When I do get one there will definitely be a post about it. There is just no more to be said about it. Roses don’t need to be spoken for; they say it all on their own.

Canterbury Bells: These are old fashioned beauties that make a statement. The name alone is enchanting and will appeal to any Anglophile. People love these when they see them in my garden and ask about them. Rarely do I see other gardens with these which is too bad given the utterly charming large bell flowers they have. The ones I have planted at Hidden Bluff aren’t even close to blooming yet, but below is a picture of the ones currently blooming at SomeTyme Place. You can read more about these gems in this post here.

Lilacs: Lilacs have the loveliest honey sweet scent and blooms. These flowers make beautiful bouquets and are edible. You can read more about that here.

Hydrangeas: I just can’t get enough of these! Because there are so many varieties of hydrangeas, I like to grow different ones. Hydrangeas are also a great foundation for the garden with their large bush quality that makes an excellent backdrop. The blue ones are perfect for 4th of July bouquets and the blush, cone-shaped ones in the fall make gorgeous dried bouquets. Additionally, hydrangeas are easy to dry.

Phlox: Phlox is on the list because it is simple, lovely, and spreads nicely on its own. I love plants that self-seed. It also comes in a number of varieties ranging from tall to ground cover. My garden has several different kinds of phlox.

Catmint: You can read all about why I love this lovely and hardy perennial right here. It is well-worth adding to the garden.

Lavender: Just like the rose, lavender is a permanent fixture in the cottage garden. Everyone loves it. It is wonderful dried. Enough said.

Peony: My word peony flowers are so gorgeous. These blooms are statement flowers and yet friendly to approach. Love love love- especially the pale pink. As a side note on this one, find a sun spot. This one is not so shade tolerant. It will put up with some, but the flower quality isn’t as good.

Ranculus: This is one of the newest in my garden, I have fallen in love with these peony/rose wannabes. They are a lovely addition in cut bouquets, and I love the variations in the blooms on the same plant. Some are ruffly like peonies and others have petals that resemble roses (see below).

Snap Dragons: Old fashioned lovelies that make beautiful bouquets such as this one here.

Foxgloves: These dramatic and old fashioned flowers are wonderful for adding depth to your garden with their tall blooms and bell-shaped flowers. My personal favorite is the blush pink variety. These last several weeks in the garden before needing to be clipped. Occasionally, I might get a second showing out of a plant after cutting it down. These also self-seed very freely which is handy if you are looking to cover a large area.

Have a beautiful week!