9 Ideas For Creating Your Fairy Tale Cottagecore Garden

Cottagecore offers swoon-worthy florals, foliage, and fragrance in loose, informal displays. Evoking lovely and functional village and countryside gardens, contemporary cottage themes combine plant selection with pollinator services. With a bit of planning, the romantic style is within reach. Here, garden designer Katherine Rowe explores how to achieve the dreamy aesthetic.

The cottagecore garden with a large brick mansion features a charming mix of wildflowers, climbing roses, and rustic pathways, surrounded by lush greenery and cozy nooks for relaxation.

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Cottage gardens feel exuberant and spontaneous. Drawing on the revival of cottagecore style, these gardens imbue charm through classic flowering plants in loose arrangements. As informal designs, they celebrate wild beauty through a curated plant palette.

The overarching theme of cottagecore is floral abundance, softness, ease, and effortless connotations of the idyllic English countryside and village. With planning and viable plant selections, this is achievable. Additionally, you’ll create a haven for birds and pollinators.

Cottage gardens have historic and humble beginnings. From the 15th century, plants for sustenance and herbal medicine crowded small plots. They came into favor in the 19th century with the Victorian-era love of flowers. Over time, they’ve evolved into a romantic notion of escape, tranquility, and delighting in nature.

There is no need to overdesign—leave room for whimsy and nature to set the stage. A range of pastels and spring colors, with pops of bright colors and varying plant textures, add to the cottagecore garden style. 

Layer the Display

Close-up of a magnificent blooming garden with soft pink and white peonies, Nepeta with purple vertical inflorescences, vertical thuja, Lamb's-ear and others.
Create a vibrant depth with layered, textured plantings for harmony.

Firstly, it’s important to prioritize biodiverse plantings. Cottage gardens overflow with color and texture. Layered landscape plantings add variations in height and form. The layers are trees, shrubs, and lower-growers like perennials, groundcovers, and annuals. The style lets plants spill, trail, and fill areas along walkways, walls, and bed edges.

To create a standout planting arrangement, use plants with different growth habits, leaf textures, and foliage or bloom colors. Incorporate mixed borders for unstructured appeal.

Repeat groupings with varying forms, textures, and colors to add richness. Repetition helps to achieve abundance without becoming muddled. This simplicity streamlines the design to create harmony.

Height

View of a gorgeous sunny garden with dense, tall bushes of Azalea producing large, bright orange, yellow inflorescences, hostas, Radus and others.
Trees and shrubs create structure and vertical interest beautifully.

Secondly, let’s create structure for your romantic botanical escape. Trees and large shrubs are the bones of the garden, bringing the most structure and vertical interest. They anchor the composition and are the framework for adding smaller plantings.

In the informal display, trees are specimens and focal points. Shrubs add vertical “filler” and seasonal interest. Add evergreen plants for a year-round foundation among seasonal interests.

Even when not focused on tall growers, consider the plant scale. Incorporate high- and low-growing selections in the perennial border. Attention to detail is a virtue in small spaces that afford dwarf and miniature characteristics.

Texture

Colourful flower border with mixed plants such as Monarda, Salvia, Lavender, Lippia, Lythrum salicaria, purple Pansy in a garden flower bed.
Mix contrasting textures like silver and purple leaves for cohesion.

Plan for high textural contrast among foliage. Think silver leaves against deep purple, broadly lobed with fine and feathery, and thick and padded with narrow and lacy. Repeat plants to punctuate the space and to keep the look cohesive.

Play With Floriforous Color

The large Country Cottage is surrounded by a flowering garden including plants such as daisies, purple Petunias, white Slender Deutzia bushes, Canterbury bells, Red Tip Photinia and others.
Bring color with flowers in varying hues and textures.

If you want a more vibrant cottagecore garden vibe, use flowering plants to infuse color throughout the design. English countryside gardens are often in pastel shades with occasional bursts of bright hues. Whatever your color choice, there are no rules. From bright reds and yellows to cool whites and blues, the easygoing arrangements are yours to build and enjoy. 

Take note, bright, primary colors appear closer and may make a small area feel smaller. Soft shades recede and visually expand an area. Vibrant colors, like reds, oranges, and yellows, energize and activate a space. On the other hand, pastels and whites are serene and peaceful.

There’s a lot to color theory; color is the first thing to draw the human eye. Schemes are monochromatic (single-color shades), analogous (blended shades in the same color range), or complementary (opposite shades for contrast). Look to nature for inspiration or to your favorite colors.

For all-season appeal, include plants with color at varying times of year. Spring and summer abound with options; look to foliage color and late-season bloomers for fall interest and fruits, berries, and winter bloomers for cool-season color.

Bank on Old Garden Roses

The damask rose bush displays abundant, fragrant pink blooms with layered petals, set against dense, thorny green foliage.
Antique roses bring timeless beauty and sweet-smelling blooms to ornamental beds.

Nothing says style and grace like antique roses. They bring beauty and romance in flower, fragrance, and history. They’ve charmed gardens for centuries and evoke cottagecore in their opulent, ruffly blooms and handsome foliage.

Amazingly, old garden roses were introduced before 1867 when the first hybrid tea rose entered the market. Gardeners prize old heirloom roses for their robust blooms, superior fragrance, attractive forms, and adaptability. Damask, gallica, alba, centifolia, and moss are the main heirloom distinctions,

Old garden rose hybrids led to the cultivation of modern roses and remain relevant today. Hardy, vigorous, and disease-resistant, historic varieties originated in wild roses. Pair old garden roses with hydrangeas for a spectacular summer display. They’ll grow perfectly with companion plants like catmint, salvia, and hardy geraniums.

Best Cottagecore Garden Roses

Rosa ‘Great Maiden’s Blush’ is a historic alba rose with blush pink blooms and an exceptional pure rose fragrance. The rich flowers are lush globes full of petals. Even when the rose isn’t in flower, attractive gray-blue foliage is pretty among other green shades in border beds. Its heritage dates to the 15th century.

Rosa ‘Madame Ernest Calvat’ is a decadent heirloom with silvery pink blooms and a classic rose fragrance. The luscious flowers carry notes of raspberry in their cupped and nodding forms. ‘Madame Ernest Calvat’ is of Bourbon rose lineage, a type of heirloom roses bred for repeat flowering, vigorous growth, and high fragrance. Long, arching canes and a bushy habit make ‘Madame’ a graceful specimen shrub or short climbing rose.

‘Reine des Violettes’ is a stunning hybrid perpetual old garden rose with lilac purple, fully double blooms. Large, cupped flowers hold over 60 petals and open flat as quartered rosettes. The violet blooms beautifully contrast with gray-green foliage.

‘Reine des Violettes’ features unique hues of purple (fading to deep violet, as near blue as roses get), in flower size at four to five inches, and its supreme scent. Its exceptional aroma drifts through the garden or fills a room in the vase.

Feature Perennials

Flowering bushes of hydrangeas with white conical panicles, and hostas with large heart-shaped leaves of green color with variegated white edges and ribbed veins.
Perennials create vibrant, dynamic gardens with lasting color and texture.

In many ways, perennials are the essence of the cottage garden. Whatever the scale of your space, perennials fill it with swaths of color, texture, and movement. The classic small English gardens rely on perennials for a tapestry of multi-season interest and long-lasting beauty.

The vibrant flowers and foliage of perennials add color and contrast. Incorporate native plants for a bloom show with low maintenance needs. Moreover, they enrich the site with ecosystem benefits for butterflies, bees, birds, and other wildlife through nectar and seed production, as host plants, and as shelter.

Divide perennials over time to expand the collection. If you have the room, let them reseed. Eventually, as your garden matures, cultivate the star performers and weed out unwanted volunteers to maintain a bounty of blooms. 

Include ornamental grasses for added dimension and movement to the landscape. Keep them intact through the winter to enjoy their unique forms, plumes, and seed heads as seasonal interest.

Accent with annuals

View of the garden with stone steps and path surrounded by flowering gardens including Hibiscus, Frankoa, Monarda didyma, Orange stonecrop and more.
Annuals add vibrant flair and energy, enhancing garden focal points.

While trees, shrubs, and perennials unify the scheme year-round, annual plantings accent with flair. They embellish the bones of the garden, energize the space, and draw the eye to focal areas.

There are lots of scrumptious seasonal options for a complete fairy tale scheme. Look to petunias, zinnia, impatiens, sweetpeas, bellflower, snapdragons, and violas for sweet touches.

Incorporate blooming annuals in containers, hanging baskets, and window boxes in cottage arrangements. While boosting aesthetics with their all-season color, annual plants also serve pollinators like butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

Add Herbs and Vegetables

Close-up of a blooming flowerbed with colorful zinnias, white spider flowers, asters and others.
Blending flowers with herbs and vegetables creates both beauty and function.

Although cottagecore gardens often focus on flowers, edibles are equally important. These informal plantings historically combined flowers and culinary plants to blend beauty and function. They intersperse herbs and vegetables among flowering perennials and annuals. Selections like lavender, rosemary, nasturtium, sage, catmint, and bee balm bridge ornamental and edible themes.

Notably, home chefs may draw inspiration from the potager, a French-inspired kitchen garden where vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers grow together. It’s the romantic cottage style with a more food-producing focus. Artfully arranged beds paired with beneficial companion plants create aesthetically pleasing and diverse gardens. Simultaneously, they attract beneficial insects and promote healthy plants. 

In keeping with the loose style, incorporate climbing vines and rustic elements like trellises and gates.

Use Curved Lines

Brick path lined with lavender bushes and Salvia sclarea.
Curved lines add natural flow and mystery to garden paths.

Soft, curved lines lend an organic feel to naturalized arrangements. A sweeping curve lets us meander naturally through a garden area, whether visually or physically. Gentle lines occur along bed edges, hardscapes, and winding paths. Strong, straight lines are typically associated with more formal and contemporary styles.

No matter your garden scale, a little curve is excellent for informal themes. While small spaces may seem difficult to morph, don’t worry if existing lines are unchangeable. The cottage look arises from loose, flowy, rambling plant forms that naturally soften any edges.

Whenever space allows, use curves to add an element of mystery as to what’s around the bend. Mystery and wonder in the garden are important in inviting exploration, surprise, and delight. Use curved bed lines and pathways for informal circulation to conceal what lies ahead. Let plants trail and overflow along the walk.

Create Areas of Enclosure

Landscaped courtyard garden with orange paving slabs, white and orange stone fences, various potted plants in decorative and hanging pots, and table and chairs for relaxing in the garden.
Enclosed gardens create intimate spaces for relaxation and discovery.

A sense of enclosure creates a distinct space that relates to other garden areas but is a unique garden spot or room. Along with winding paths, enclosure helps develop a sense of intimacy and inspires wonder in the garden. 

Undeniably, an enclosed garden is like a jewel box in the landscape. It can be as simple as a little bistro seating area, a patio screened with mixed plantings, or a quiet bench. The whole garden may be enclosed, with fences or beds separating it from the surrounding elements like streets and neighboring yards. It doesn’t have to be extensive; a courtyard, balcony, or small front plot highlights a sense of enclosure.

Enclosed gardens incorporate a variety of materials to create borders. Plant forms, structures, and implied boundaries create an enclosed secret space. Trees and hedges screen a space. Walls and gates physically enclose a space, and low-planted borders implicate a separation of space. Additionally, a picket fence—even a partial panel—offers a visual distinction.

Vertical structures let the theme reach new heights. Rustic, natural structures like wood fences and arbors bring a fitting vertical element for climbing vines and roses. Iron gates, trellises, and obelisks are structural accessories to enhance surrounding interest without being overly formal.

Employ Natural Materials

View of a large brick mansion with white tall windows, a wooden door, a white decorative fence, and trimmed bushes.
Use natural materials like stone and wood for harmony.

Draw from natural materials—local when possible—like native stone and rocks for region-specific references. Materials befitting the site contribute to the natural feel of the space.

For hardscaped paths and patios, choose stone, slate, and brick that blend with the surroundings. You can also repeat materials from your home. Wood for raised beds and fences is a fitting option.

In addition to hardscape materials like stone pavers, decomposed granite between pavers or on its own makes an excellent permeable material for walkways and goes with the style.

Delight In Fragrance

Close-up of blooming lush soft pink double peonies with lush green foliage, and flowering catmint bushes with vertical purple inflorescences.
Fragrant flowers enhance the garden, inviting sensory delight.

Fragrance in the garden engages the senses, adding a further dimension to the sights and sounds of colorful plants, exciting textures, and buzzing pollinators. Flowers with high fragrance immerse us in a space and enhance our connection with nature.

Fragrance becomes part of how we experience a garden. With cottagecore gardens using ample blooms, there’s no shortage of fragrant selections. Many flowers are most aromatic in the early evening to attract specific pollinators—perfect for sitting back, relaxing, and breathing in the garden’s rewards.

Whether intensely sweet or with a hint of perfume, cottage garden flowers and foliage are set up to exude aroma. Lavender, gardenia, peonies, phlox, daphne, tea olive, and roses are just a few of many.

Favorite Plant Selections

A view of an old house with white bricks and a sloping brown roof, surrounded by trimmed bushes, ferns, hydrangeas, zinnias, pink dahlias, and other plants.
Indulge in diverse plants, letting them naturally sprawl and trail.

With so many suitable cottage garden plants to mound, sprawl, and trail, we’re lucky that this style lets us indulge in a wide array. Curating and planning plant selections benefit the design, especially when pairing plants with the same cultural requirements. The informal theme’s beauty is letting plants follow their natural form, free of heavy manicuring.

Here are a few selections to achieve the cottagecore garden aesthetic in fairy tale fashion.

Trees

Common Name Scientific Name
Fig Ficus carica
Fringe Tree Chionanthus spp.
Serviceberry Amelanchier spp.
Silverbell Halesia carolina

Shrubs

Common Name Scientific Name
Boxwood Buxus spp.
Camellia Camellia spp.
Climbing roses Rosa spp.
Hydrangea Hydrangea spp.
Winter daphne Daphne odora

Perennials

Common Name Scientific Name
Coral Bells Heuchera spp.
Delphinium Delphinium spp.
Foxgloves Digitalis spp.
Lady’s Mantle Alchemilla mollis
Peonies Paeonia spp.
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