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pat_tea

Planning my cottage garden

pat_tea
12 years ago

Hi, it has been a very long time since I have posted on the CG forum. I was a regular a few years back. I have moved and will be putting my CG in next Spring but I am taking advantage of the fall sales and buying plants now.

Please share with me your "wouldn't do with out" CG plant.

Thanks, and I will be seeing a lot of you all soon.

Patti

Comments (29)

  • thinman
    12 years ago

    Welcome back, Patti. For me the plant would probably be old-fashioned single-flowered hollyhocks. I also like Rudbeckia hirta Indian Summer a lot for its big long-blooming and bright flowers. If my CG area was in full sun I'm sure I would have to have a climbing rose in there somewhere too.

    I'll bet you're having a lot of fun planning everything.

    ThinMan

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    12 years ago

    Welcome back Patti, here's a few more foxgloves and canterbury bells, old fashioned roses, pinks with their spicy fragrance.

    Snapdragons, hollyhocks and sweet peas are at the top of my annuals list.

    Honeysuckle is a must have vine for me I have several.

    Annette

  • pat_tea
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Hi Thinman. . . I remember you from a few years back. And thank both of you for responding. . . I am going to winter sow snaps and hollyhocks and sweetpeas. I already have the seeds for those. foxgloves and canterbury bells go on the list. Do you have a favorite rose aftermidnight? And Thinman I will have to look up the Indian Summer Rudbekia. The gardens will be in full sun, front of house. We are in zone 6b, 500'. Thanks for your help and good to be back. We are still in a bit of a mud pit up here in the Pacific North West hills but I am beginning to see light at the end of this very long tunnel.

  • organic_kitten
    12 years ago

    You can probably grow lupines and larkspur and delphiniums in your area. And don't forget little diantaus and zinnias.

    kay

  • pat_tea
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Oh yes, Kitten, a friend from my garden club gave me lupin seeds from her garden. They will be winter sown. Delphiniums, oh yumm! Must have. Any ideas on bones for the cottage garden, evergreens and such????

  • adriennemb2
    12 years ago

    Violas, bellflowers, catmint, ascelpsias and Joe Pye weed. Hydrangeas. Columnar cedars. Mops mugo pine. A cat hidden under the foliage by a bird bath.

  • ogrose_tx
    12 years ago

    I'm totally jealous, just can't grow a lot of this stuff! Have fun, hope you enjoy!

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    12 years ago

    ogrose, the type of plants one can grow will differ depending on where one lives. Cottage gardening is more a style then the plants one grows, at least that's the way I look at it. I'd love to be able to grow some of the beauties that are grown down south, but alas they are a no can do for me :(.

    Patti, David Austin roses are the ones I'm drawn to, Constance Spry is climbing on the back of our house, Abraham Darby and Graham Thomas are close by, The Mayor of Casterbridge climbs on the side of our house, Glamis Castle, Asha Sheriff and Gertrude Jekyll are three more DA's I have.
    The only other roses I have are The Fairy in another part of the garden, Albertine scrabbling over our woodshed and an old cabbage type rose yet to be identified it was here when we moved here in 65, two possibles Paul Ricault or Mme.Isaac Perrier.

    Annette

  • natalie4b
    12 years ago

    In addition to mentioned above, I would say Cosmos - lots of it. Verbena Bonariensis - airy and tall, reseeds easily.
    Welcome back, Patti!

  • lavender_lass
    12 years ago

    Oh, you can grow so many roses, in your climate! My favorites are climbing and shrub roses, clematis, honeysuckle, butterfly bushes, coneflowers, daisies, cosmos, peonies, hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, stock, columbine, pansies, petunias (in pots) star jasmine (which we have to bring inside in the winter) lavender, catmint, bee balm, sweet woodruff, dill, sage and pineapple mint. The herbs add a lot of fragrance to the roses and make the garden smell amazing :)

  • silvergirl426_gw
    12 years ago

    I'm in zone 5 -- hard hit by the Halloween snowstorm. Notwithstanding, I believe there is a saying that phlox are the backbone of the summer garden, and for me they are. So beautiful late. Roses -- I love the David Austins too, but I grow lots of others too -- New Dawn is so floriferous and gorgeous when its canes are loaded with those incredibly delicate pink flowers. I can't grow hollyhock becuase of the rust, but mallow are blowsy and fetching. And look great with cosmos, another favorite. I love baptisia. Oh stop me, the list is endless!
    lucia

  • docmom_gw
    12 years ago

    Pat,
    There is a seed swap going on over at the wintersowing forum. Today is the last day for sign ups, but everyone is having a great time filling each other's wishes. I'm sure you could get a lot of ideas and seeds from all of our seed collections.

    Martha

  • auntyara
    12 years ago

    I love shrubs. They add height and winter interest. I like the twiggy look.
    my favs are bridal wreath spirea, red prince weigelia and rose of sharons.
    I'm redoing a garden too, and flowering shrubs are definitely a must have for me :)

  • pat_tea
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks everyone. . . pictures would be welcome. Docmom, I'm on my way over to the winter sowing forum to check out the exchange. . . I don't have anything to share this year "darn", but thanks for the heads up.

  • docmom_gw
    12 years ago

    Pat,
    In addition to the exchange, Bakemom does a newbie seed project every year. We oldtimers donate extra seed and she packs it up and sends out care packages to anyone who will send her a SASBE (self addressed stamped bubble envelope). I know, for a fact, that this year she is getting a LOT of wonderful donations. I haven't noticed very many newbies posting yet, so I bet she'd be happy to send you something to plant, or to use as trade material.

    Martha

  • pat_tea
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks again Docmom. I'll look her up.

  • rosefolly
    12 years ago

    My can't-do-without is old fashioned roses. Not the modern cutting roses but the carefree, fragrant old ones that our great-grandmothers grew.

    Next on my list are lilacs, peonies, and fragrant lilies. I like hollyhocks and foxgloves for spiky form; delphiniums, too, but they are more work since they like a rich soil.

    Then lots and lots of spring bulbs and something for the fall. Salvias do especially well here and are pretty much carefree in my climate, as are mums which will winter over.

  • rosefolly
    12 years ago

    And what would a cottage garden be without a couple of fruit trees? Apples if you like them; there are disease resistant ones. And maybe a few blueberries, very pretty as well as productive. A small bed of your favorite herbs by the kitchen door is something you'll be grateful for every time you cook. I'm more a gardener for beauty than a gardener for food, but it is possible to do both happily. Old cottage gardens were practical as well as pretty and fragrant.

    Rosefolly

  • pat_tea
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks Rosefolly. I have been compiling a file of pictures of all the plants you all are suggesting and it looks like my problem is going to be narrowing it all down to which hydrangeas, peony, roses, lilacs, etc. to use. So many to choose from. Monrovea has a really good shopping tool where you can search their site by zone, style, light needs, size, etc. I'm having so much fun designing and now I have to figure out how I can afford myself. LOL. This will most likely be my forever garden so I want good bones. Gaden bones can break the bank.

  • freezengirl
    12 years ago

    Smiling at your breaking the bank comment...so true! Wintersowing is an excellent way of stretching those dollars and I highly recommend starting cuttings from shrubs. A good book on propogation is an excellent investment for any gardener. It is suprising how easy a lot of shrubs are to propogate and bulbs too, especially if you know you are going to be staying with your garden for a long time. I will warn you though, it gets to be very addictive!

  • pat_tea
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Freezengirl, thank you for your kind words in both of my posts. I have a gardening friend who is really good at doing cuttings. She is teaching me. My problem is I am more than a bit impatient and to be honest at 63 I don't want to wait 10 years for things to grow. The benefit is though I can plant things that grow 100 feet in 30 years and it will be someone elses problem. All is relative I guess. I see you are from Alaska. I picture you snuggled near a fire with something hot to drink browsing GW.

  • freezengirl
    12 years ago

    Alas no fire! I actually came back online (been a member for years) because I am so distressed at the thought of leaving Alaska for a time and going back to Minnesota. I am afraid that all the hard work I have done on my gardens in Alaska will go right back to wild and crazy. I keep telling my husband I am getting to old to appreciate the creation of my vision without having some of the enjoyement of it when they are coming into there own.

  • seashoregardener11
    12 years ago

    I use a lot of heathers and lavenders in my cottage gardens - they both give a nice year-round 'anchor' to garden beds and I love having four season colour from the heathers...

  • pat_tea
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks seahorsegardener. Favorite heathers???

  • cziga
    12 years ago

    I use roses as bones in the garden (with our winters, I can't even open the gates in wintertime, so winter enjoyment isn't high up on my list). I also use Bridal Wreath Spirea and have added a couple Weigelas (Wine and Roses - dark foliage, pink flowers in Spring), an Azalea and 2 Ninebarks. Also a pear tree.

    I love Clematis planted with Roses, to me that looks very cottagey. I agree with all flower suggestions, I love the delphiniums, lupines, phlox and hollyhocks the most probably. I also plant lots of Sunflowers each year - fall colour, good for birds, and there are so many different ones that you can get a real variety.

    I tried Heather and Lavender actually. Lavenders struggle in our winters but will probably do fine for you. Heathers, I have always had trouble with, and I'm not sure why. They were some of the first plants I bought, like 6 years ago. Most have died, some are still alive but haven't grown AT ALL in all those years. I know they need a bit of an acidic soil, which makes them hard to place in a cottage garden I think, unless you have a grouping of flowers that all has the same requirements. I don't want to hijack the thread at all, but heathers can be so beautiful, how would one grow them successfully in a cottage garden?

  • ogrose_tx
    12 years ago

    aftermidnight, it is amazing to me the stuff that we can both grow in our totally different climates, especially the David Austins! I have Abraham Darby, Wife of Bath, Jude the Obscure, and Golden Celebration in the Dallas, TX area. It's amazing that they make every effort to bloom in our hot hot summer weather!

    I grew up in Montana and surely do appreciate the natural beauty you have notwithstanding putting up with the weather, have to admit, it's "God's country"!!

  • seashoregardener11
    12 years ago

    Hi Pat tea: some of my favorite heathers that do well in the PNW are: of the Ericas, I love the form and colours of Kramer's Red and John Pook: and from Calluna vulgaris, I like the seasonal transition of foliage colour of Allegretto, the flowers and foliage of Alice Knight, and the flowers and foliage of Firefly. All seem to be very hardy and robust in growth. Have fun with your planning!

  • koszta_kid
    12 years ago

    I was going to add Kiss Me Over Garden Gate. Can be invasive. Birds like to help plant seeds. But easy to pull what you don't want.

  • FlowerLady6
    12 years ago

    Patti ~ I just came back in here today after some time away. So glad to see you in here after a hiatus, and look forward to seeing your new cottage garden.

    Have a lovely Christmas and a wonderful 2012.

    FlowerLady

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