Cottage gardens are known for their relaxed, charming style that feels both timeless and inviting. If you love the idea of a garden filled with textures, colors, and a touch of old-world beauty, this style might be perfect for your outdoor space.
You can create a cozy, vibrant garden by choosing plants that offer a mix of height, color, and fragrance, giving your garden character and plenty of visual interest. Whether you’re starting fresh or adding to your existing garden, the right selection of plants can bring that classic cottage garden feel to life.
Sweet Peas
You’ll love adding sweet peas to your cottage garden for their delicate, fragrant blooms. They come in soft pastel colors that trail gracefully on trellises or fences.
Sweet peas bring a gentle, old-fashioned charm to your space. They’re also easy to grow and attract pollinators, making your garden lively and inviting.
Roses
Roses are a classic choice for your cottage garden. They bring a timeless beauty and a soft, romantic feel.
You can choose climbing varieties to add height or bush types for dense, colorful blooms. Their sweet fragrance makes your garden inviting and enjoyable, perfect for relaxing or entertaining guests.
Lavender
You’ll love adding lavender to your cottage garden for its lovely purple flowers and soothing scent. It’s a hardy perennial that attracts bees and butterflies, bringing life to your outdoor space.
Lavender is easy to grow and works well alongside roses, foxgloves, and other classic cottage plants. Its silver-green foliage adds a soft contrast to brighter blooms.
Foxgloves
Foxgloves add charming, tall spires to your cottage garden. They thrive best in spots with partial shade but can tolerate some sun.
Their tubular flowers attract pollinators like bees, adding life to your garden. Plant them with other perennials for varied height and texture. Foxgloves bring a classic, old-world feel that’s easy to grow and enjoy.
Hollyhocks
You’ll love adding hollyhocks to your garden for their tall, colorful spikes. Their ruffled blooms create that classic cottage garden look you want.
They pair well with other tall plants like foxgloves, helping you build layers of old-world charm. Hollyhocks grow as biennials or short-lived perennials, making them a lovely seasonal feature.
Pansies
You’ll find pansies add a cheerful touch to any cottage garden. Their bright, smiling faces come in many colors, bringing joy and charm to your outdoor space.
Pansies thrive in cool weather, so plant them early in the season for the best blooms. If you want them to last longer, give them some shade in the heat.
Hydrangeas
You’ll love how hydrangeas add classic charm to your cottage garden. Their large, globe-shaped blooms come in soft pastels and vibrant shades, perfect for creating a peaceful atmosphere.
Hydrangeas thrive in many settings, handling both sun and shade well. Plant them in rows or clusters to enhance your garden’s color and texture.
Delphiniums
You’ll love adding delphiniums to your cottage garden for their tall, elegant spikes of flowers. They come in shades of blue, purple, and sometimes pink or white, giving your garden a classic touch.
These plants are easy to grow and work well as a backdrop, adding height and color. They bring a bit of old-world charm with minimal effort from you.
Bee Balm
Bee balm is a bright, easy-care perennial that adds charming color to your garden. Its tubular flowers come in red, pink, and purple, attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
You’ll enjoy its fragrant leaves and the lively pollinators it brings. Bee balm fits perfectly in cottage-style borders, offering a touch of wild beauty all summer long.
Aquilegia (Columbine)
You’ll love Aquilegia for its delicate, bell-shaped flowers that bring a soft, old-world feel to your garden. It thrives in part shade with well-draining soil, making it easy to care for.
Plant it among other cottage garden favorites for a charming, informal look. Plus, hummingbirds often visit, adding life to your space.
English Daisies
English daisies are classic cottage garden favorites with small, cheerful blooms. You’ll find them brightening your garden with white or pink petals and yellow centers.
They thrive in cool, moist conditions and work well as ground cover or border plants. You can easily incorporate them for a touch of old-world charm.
Butterfly Bush
The butterfly bush is a great addition to your cottage garden if you want to attract butterflies and other pollinators. It produces long spikes of colorful flowers that bloom throughout the summer.
This shrub is easy to grow and adds a natural, lively touch to your outdoor space. You can trim it back each year to keep it healthy and encourage more blooms.
Marigolds
You’ll find marigolds bring bright, cheerful color to your cottage garden. Their vibrant oranges and yellows create a warm, welcoming feel.
These flowers are easy to grow and thrive in full sun, making them perfect for beginners. Marigolds also help keep pests away, which is a bonus for your other plants. Their simple beauty fits nicely with cottage garden charm.
Phlox
Phlox is a classic choice for your cottage garden. It offers clusters of star-shaped blooms that brighten up summer days.
You can find phlox in a range of colors, making it easy to match your garden’s style. Plus, many varieties have a pleasant scent to enjoy while you garden.
Sweet William
Sweet William adds a burst of color to your garden with its bright pink, red, and white blooms. It thrives best in full sun and well-drained, rich soil.
This biennial plant is easy to grow and brings a sweet clove-like scent to your outdoor space. It’s perfect for borders, beds, or cottage-style gardens.
Buttercup
Buttercups add a bright splash of yellow that can instantly lift your cottage garden. You’ll find their simple, glossy petals charming and cheerful throughout spring and early summer.
They’re easy to grow and do well in full sun or partial shade. Plant them near pathways or mixed with other wildflowers for a natural, old-world feel.
Lupins
You’ll find lupins add vibrant color and height to your cottage garden. These plants thrive in many conditions and bring a natural, relaxed look with their tall flower spikes.
Their leaves have a unique shape that adds texture and interest. Lupins fit perfectly if you want a touch of old-world charm without too much fuss.
Catmint
Catmint is a hardy perennial that fits well in any cottage garden. You’ll appreciate its pretty lavender-blue flowers and the fact it blooms twice a season.
It’s low-maintenance and can tolerate most soil types once established. Plus, catmint attracts bees and helps keep slugs away, making it both charming and practical for your garden.
Calendula
You’ll love calendula for its bright yellow and orange petals that add a cheerful glow to your garden. It’s easy to grow and attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Calendula also has a long history of being used for healing, making it both beautiful and practical in any cottage garden.
Anise Hyssop
You’ll love how anise hyssop adds height and color to your garden’s back border. It thrives in full sun but can handle some shade.
This plant attracts bees, butterflies, and small birds, bringing lively activity to your garden. Its fragrant leaves make it a great addition to herb gardens too.
Canterbury Bells
You’ll love Canterbury Bells for their charming bell-shaped flowers that add a soft, old-fashioned touch to your garden. They grow in sturdy clumps, reaching about 20 to 26 inches tall, perfect for cottage borders.
These plants bring a gentle splash of color and fit well with other classic cottage garden favorites. Growing them is straightforward, making your garden feel like a storybook setting.
Hardy Geraniums
You’ll find hardy geraniums are great for filling gaps in your cottage garden. They offer a range of colors and can spread nicely without becoming invasive.
These plants are easy to care for and thrive in many conditions. Their blooms add a soft, charming touch to your garden throughout the growing season.