Hollyhock, shasta daisy, black eyed susan.

Oh. my peonies, Siberian iris, self sowing things that pop up like cleome, nicotiana, cosmos, lilies, columbine. Roses, phlox. I will stop!

Hostas, ferns, Bleeding hearts, Lily of the Valley...

Sunny Side: Roses, Phlox, Black Eyed Susans and Climbers....

Shady Side: Ferns, Columbine, Geraniums & Lady`s Mantle....

Ok today its larkspur cosmos snapdragons and sunflowers....lol.

Roses, Columbine, Iris, Hollyhock, Rosemary, Lambs ears, Mint, Clematis, Sage, Hosta, Phlox, Morning Glory, Hardy Geraniums.......Trellis, paths, pillars, bench and a bit of stone somewhere. Layers and layers. More more more! Ooops got a little lost there, lol.

When I think cottage, foxgloves, canterbury bells, hollyhocks, roses, delphiniums, pinks, lavender and sweet peas are the first flowers that come to mind.

Annette

Yes.

Three more, peonies nasturtiums and larkspur.

Window boxs, hardscape and a climbing rose.

As well as what's already been mentioned: Jacob's Ladder, lilacs, peony poppies, pink/red yarrow, monkshood, fleabane, forget-me-not, herbs (parsley, rosemary, chives, sage, oregano, etc.), Walker's Low catmint, speedwells, dianthus, perennial blue flax.

Infrastructure - no straight lines and pretty garden decor.

Thanks for the thread, I'm making a list!

The plant that meant cottage garden more than any other in our grandmas' gardens was hollyhocks. Still true.

And my personal choice is for a kitty cat sleeping on a step or patroling the paths.

All of the above! And my Mom just cut the first sweet peas today. I plant them every year for her. I also just got some perennial sweet peas to try. Hope they work!

We in southern California sometimes have to "cottage up" with substitutes for some of your favorites. For shade, bleeding hearts and lily of the valley just don't prosper in our heat. Even hostas and heucheras struggle, which is why God invented impatiens and coleus, I think. Delphiniums are short-lived here, but to me they are one of the backbones of the spring garden, along with foxgloves, giving way to cleomes as we head into summer. Gaillardias just keep blooming all summer long. Scabiosas, in particular scabiosa fama, are essential. Shasta daisies, of course, especially Ice Star. And tall bearded irises, even though they're here and gone in a heartbeat. Any shade of blue is preferable.

Kay

PS: And yes, one more vote of support for a cat-in-residence.

The last two years i have used coleus and really liked the way it looks, so many pretty ones out there.

My cottage plants are still in progress and agree with these posts. I do, however, like the chickens in my garden even though they sometimes get a little scratch-happy. I've had very little damage, though, and haven't seen any 6-legged pests.

Cats are also great not just because they're cute, but they sure do help with the moles and voles.

My garden won't really be cottage until I've gotten my herb beds in.

Also, I love my stone walkways and wooden arbor. The previous owner made the arbor out of saplings, very primitive and beautiful, and an ice storm this year finally did it in. Time to cut some more saplings.

Top of the list would have to be hollyhocks.

Shrub roses! With lilacs, peonies, lavender, bee balm, columbine, stock, alyssum, cosmos, daisies, pansies, butterfly bushes and coneflowers. Definitely a little seating area to enjoy the garden, with one chair for me and one for kitty :)

Oh, and lots of clematis to climb the arches and arbors!

Lantana, bee balm, lavender, African blue basil (new in our garden this year), yarrow, columbine, morning glory, and balloon flower.

No roses or hollyhock because of Japanese Beetles. No luck with foxgloves. Cottage gardens aren't about any certain plants, they're about a relaxed, comfortable style.

mao

To me it's more of the full informal spilling over look with towering flower stalks & mounding fillers. Fragrant plants of any type are the icing on the cake. Bumblebees, butterflies, birds, birdbath, chair & table nearby to sit & enjoy...

I don't have full sun cottage beds, so experimenting with what I can get to bloom & grow well in my part shade, modified Mediterranean climate (wet win/dry sum). If it can take some shade I'll try it!

Spikes of dame's rocket, Filipendula rubra, foxglove, columbine, nepeta, daylily, Siberian iris, ornamental grasses, Astilbe, ferns (mostly natives of lady & evergreen sword) Asiatic & Oriental lilies, ...

Mounds of foliage with flower spikes of bellflower, hardy geraniums, 'London Pride' saxifraga foliage, hosta, viola, flowering shrubs (including natives), Shasta Daisy, lungwort, heuchera, corydalis lutea, Celandine poppy, forget me not, hardy fuchsia,...

Spillers: ajuga, golden creeping jenny, lamium, climbing plants like sweet peas & clematis, ...

I have golden hops, ornamental kiwi, & silvervein creeper still in the large pots in their location deciding if the lighting is enough to keep them happy & will be planting them out soon.

maturity. If it doesn't look established and "old", it is just a bed of plants.

Veggies mixed in. A working cottage garden is the most beautiful way to get your greens.

all of the above and most of all the happy reseeders that result in an every changing garden full of wonderment and plenty of places to sit down and enjoy

hollyhocks are my all time favorite cottage garden flower but sadly I am having to eliminate from my garden due to rust - it is horrendous :( ....

Lynne

Ditto to what's written, plus an old, weathered rocking chair on the front porch. Today after working in the garden in the heat, I sat down, rocked a bit and looked at everything. That's what gardening's all about right there.

I had one of those soft apricot poppys show up today, didnt even know she was there...sigh

Ahhhhh, grandkids playing in the sprinkler. What a nice addition.

sanitycheck - you mean like this :)

granddaughter and grand nieces on Easter Day

Now thats what im talking about, lol. They are precious Lynne.

Lynne: You have Perfection!!! Pic really do say a 1000 words! (Love the fencing too, that screams cottage garden to me!)

Adorable!! I especially like the gate that looks as though it's never been closed, as if to say, "Welcome...please step in and enjoy the flowers."

....good friends and bird houses and feeders. Oh and a place to sit and rest and enjoy it all. Is it any wonder our gardens are so full?
gramma jan

A cat walking slowly down the garden paths, and taking care of chipmunks, squirrels and rabbits.

Love all your posts and I concur wholeheartedly!

Deanna,
My hens not only eat bugs, they also eat small rodents and snakes too. And their eggs are selling well - gives me a little spending money to buy more plants! :P
They do scratch out the mulch a bit, but all I have to do is push it back with my foot. They are Walking Fertilizers too.
~Annie

I agree with hollyhocks, and I wish I knew what happened to mine...they disappeared. I suspect DH thought they were weeds at some point and did away with them.

Also roses and delphiniums are must-haves.

A white picket fence is nice too. :)

These posts are wonderful....

Yes to it all! Especially the snoozing cats and picket fences. I'm building my own stone wall with the most gorgeous chunks of grey stone. Benches are nice. I love long, leggy plants. By force of will, I manage to keep foxglove going.

Also, might I add, a greenhouse? I have a hobby house made of heavy plastic, and I'm saving for the real thing...

I must admit im spoiled with a small greenhouse. Todays faves are cosmos!

I agree with all of you. The more plants the better. A few more would be nigella, agastache,verbena bonsariensis and the alyssum that re-seeds along my walkway. Have to also agreen to the kitty. My two are always hiding somewhere. I have had the same problem with rust on the holly hocks. Try again in another spot. It has worked for me.
Marlene