These days, one isn’t required (or encouraged) to have large lush lawns of water-hungry Kentucky Bluegrass in their gardens, but instead substitute a more sustainable and, shall we say, suitable native and xeric grass for a less manicured (and less maintenance), beautifully wilder look.
This defines the cottage garden. Beloved by many for their spectacular garden blooms and lush orchestration of colors, textures, plant variation (including ornamental and native plants), cottage gardens embody a distinct informal design using more traditional materials and dense plantings.
Flowers common to these old-English-inspired gardens are typically great performers in our high altitude, four-season climate. They include easy to grow perennial favorites like Shasta daisies, roses, columbine, lavender, phlox, hollyhocks, Rudbeckia, lupine, asters, and chrysanthemum.
The flowers of cottage gardens are only part of the picture. No proper garden of this style would be complete without meandering pathways, ponds or small water features (usually with a bridge or romantic arbor), sculptures or statues, and borders of color planted en masse with a natural look and feel.
Outdoor Craftsmen has designed gardens of gorgeousness in the cottage garden style for clients who live in the heart of the city as well as on acreage. Sometimes we employ ‘artful chaos’ in mixing up plants, trees, shrubs, and flowers appropriate to our climate, with great effect. We wouldn’t think of snubbing workhorse succulents and cacti for a cottage garden if we thought it was perfect for the character and personality of the land, the owner, and the requirements of each.
At Outdoor Craftsmen, we are not limited by one design style or another but instead remain inspired and passionate about fulfilling a vision for our clients who know just how they want to use their great outdoors (however large or small), and how they want to feel when in them.
