Florida Cottage Gardens - what plants and why?
So this time last year I posted that we were going to set up a butterfly garden, what I didn't know then was that Cathy didn't want the host plants around....So, now it's time for Plan B. We're definitely tired of the tropical look but my newbie interest in flowers is severely deficient. Keeping in mind that we are Zone 10 and rarely get frost what perennial flowering plants would be good for a Cottage garden look? Filtered shade and cooler in the front of the house all day long, sunny and hot in the back where the veggie garden is, which is on the south side of the house....Pictures would be helpful.
The front
The back
{{gwi:332797}}
Tom
Comments (55)
tomncath
13 years agoimagardener2
13 years agoRelated Professionals
Arlington Landscape Contractors · Barrington Landscape Contractors · Brandon Landscape Contractors · Columbine Landscape Contractors · Concord Landscape Contractors · Dixon Landscape Contractors · Edwardsville Landscape Contractors · Fridley Landscape Contractors · Hollywood Landscape Contractors · Shaker Heights Landscape Contractors · Crystal Lake Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Green Bay Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Haddonfield Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · St. Louis Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Overland Park Siding & Exteriorsimagardener2
13 years agosis3
13 years agogardengimp
13 years agodebbiep_gw
13 years agoannafl
13 years ago
Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
13 years agoloufloralcityz9
13 years agogardengimp
13 years agoLou, isn't that the truth? Over here, you take a day off and come back to find fat happy bugs and no plants!
Disclaimer! I'm still learning about gardening in shade and I have no money to speak of - if I had some more money - well - all sorts of things would happen, but first and foremost I would have continued to use those boulders you see in the background as garden edging.
This is a photo of our place today ... including all the WIP and less than photogenic things.
{{gwi:45511}}
Like Sis wrote, 'a strong structure of hardscaping' - think of the hardscaping like a frame to a work of art. I also like paths that guide you to something. If you walk out our front door; the paved sidewalk meanders then leads you across the drive into the grass pathway. One of these days I will be able to carry the boulder edging across to these new gardens.
This is what our place looked like shortly after we bought it and I had just painted the shutters and front entry green (previously they where brown). We were actually quite lucky in some ways, having our drain field replaced resulted in virtually the entire front trashed. What the drain field work didn't take out, the crew that came in after with topsoil finished for us. And I had a somewhat clean; but $$ poor slate to play with.
With more of a budget, another thing I would have done was invested in 2 or 3 specimen sized colorful perennial small trees/large bushes. These specimen sized visually appealing plantings would have helped to server as the 'bones' anchoring the gardens. At least one unique large croton. I have also used cordyline, variegated ginger and ornamental grass to provide year around color and anchors for the other plants that have seasonal color. Like so - but preferably without the winter damage and unfinished pathway :)
In this photo -
{{gwi:45510}}
the plants are:
Azeala
Camellia
Gardenia
Rose
Beautyberry
Croton
Buddleia
Cardboard palm
Pokeberry
Eggplant
Kale
Chard
Cabbage
Radish
Turnip
Kolhrabi
Lettuce
Onion
Society Garlic
Bulbine
Petunia
Johnny Jump ups
Zinnias
MarigoldsI am actually trying to get more "flower" color in this garden - it is too much shades of green for what I would like. Patience I have to remind myself! dang it - I don't want no patience - I want instant pretty flowers!
Anyway, I hope this gives you some things to think upon.
It will be fun watching your progress!
~dianne
KaraLynn
13 years agoMy front garden is a cottage garden with some tropical leanings. I will put just about anything and everything in the garden just to try it out and see what thrives and what can't take the the competition with the rest of the plants. So far some of the best plants that will probably also work for you have been the coreopsis, salvias, liatris, pink porterweed, lions tail, candleabra cassis, white butterfly ginger (this does fantastic in full sun by the pond), butterfly weed, red firespike, blackberry lily, st.benard lily, firecraker, rain lilies as edging, and crinums (the red leafed variety add nice color even when they're not in bloom). I also include a number of herbs in the garden such as tansy, fennel, mexican tarragon, african blue basil, and purple basil. You might try china roses. My mom has had great luck with them but they do get big. Her Mutabalis rose is currently going into full bloom and the flowers shift colors from yellow-orange to pink as they age. Some other plants I grow but I'm not sure if they will work for you are dianthus, stokes aster, and daylilies. Most of my pictures are from early last year before the garden completely filled out. Where I live most of my plants freeze back every winter.
{{gwi:199441}}
{{gwi:199437}}
{{gwi:199454}}
Some thisngs I use as anchors in my garden are glass totems, and iron headboard, large limestone rocks, and birdbaths.
Kara
saldut
13 years agojunglegal
13 years agotomncath
13 years agoCcstpete
13 years agojwahlton
13 years agogardencpa
13 years agoKaraLynn
13 years agotomncath
13 years agogardengimp
13 years agojespere
12 years agogardengimp
12 years agoMy childhood experiences of kitchen gardens/cottage gardens was in S. GA and N. FL. A garden of flowers, herbs and veggies. You don't need to finish your veggie garden, it can be your foundation for adding flowers and herbs.
Here are a few views of mine today. I just finished a mini rain garden to gather rain runoff before it hits the street.
And we finished the tomato trellis yesterday.
~dianne
annafl
12 years agochloe92us
12 years agochloe92us
12 years agoIn this pic, the cuban buttercup is in the front right---it's huge and gets NO supplemental water.
This is a cassia alata that I started from seed- a host plant for sulphur butterflies. At the base are vinca. These are planted in 100% unamended sand and do not get any supplemetal water (I'm really not kidding when I say this either!)
hester_2009
12 years agochloe92us
12 years agofl_southpaw
12 years agojaybird33324
12 years agotomncath
12 years agowildmutt
11 years agokeiki
11 years agotomncath
11 years agoI just stared in the back two weeks ago, lots of sun there and I'm still worried about the limited sun in the front. Bear in mind that the spaces I have to work with are VERY small and I don't want to make the same mistakes I did in the veggie garden letting the Mexican cosmos/petunias take over, after all, I need those spaces twice a year for tomatoes :-) :-(
Tom
keiki
11 years agowildmutt
11 years agotomncath
11 years agowildmutt
11 years agokeiki
11 years agotomncath
11 years agotomncath
11 years agoCarol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
11 years agoL_in_FL
11 years agotomncath
11 years agoannafl
11 years agotomncath
11 years agosis3
10 years agofranco33139ca
8 years agowritersblock (9b/10a)
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agogaryfla_gw
8 years ago
Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
8 years ago
gardencpa