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Cottage gardens are filled with romance and charm and bring a smile to anyone’s face. Billy Carroll from Pike Nurseries explains what a cottage garden is and shares some plants we can use to start one today. A cottage garden is designed for functionality, rather than formality, and has loads of charm! It consist of several key features such as curving lines & pathways, dense plantings & lots of flowers, all colors, fragrant plants, a mix of ornamental and edible plants and finally fun architectural features (such as an arbor, fountain, or statuary). Carrol suggest using a variety of plants that will make your garden stand out. Carrol says “start with edibles herbs, they are not just for cooking!” You can grow them in your flower beds, use them as accents in container gardens, and even plant them as ground cover or grass alternatives. Lavender, creeping thyme, cat mint, Russian sage/salvia, blueberry bushes, raspberry vines are perfect for this time of year.
Don’t forget your annuals and perennials. These plants make a beautiful choice. Carrol suggest, getting perennials such as Dianthus. Columbine striking flowers, is another outstanding choice because they attract hummingbirds, also they are great for shade. Daisies (shasta) are easy and cheerful flowers.
If height is what you desire the Garden phlox is a tall grower, and Clematis is a stunning flowers on a vine which is perfect for a mailbox or porch column. Ultimately, a cottage garden is meant to delight and appeal to your own personal taste, so throw out the design rules and have fun creating your own unique Cottage Garden! Carrol says "play with shrubs." Roses are the low-maintenance easy-care options. Hydrangeas will add also mopheads for spring blooms and panicles for summer. Finally the butterfly bush which kind of look like lilacs, but are easier to grow will attract butterflies and add to the beauty of your garden. As always Carrol says our experts in our stores are standing by to help you with any project and don't forget you can visit pike nursery.com