A cottage garden is less regarded for rules but rather lack of. It’s really a case of doing what you love and allowing the flowing and free nature of the plants and pathways to conjoin together without proper conformity. While formal gardens are the opposite and thrive in a controlled and more traditional environment with well-defined spaces and sections which don’t cross each other. But, a cottage garden is relaxed, fun, colorful and very beginner-friendly. And if formal gardens are for the connoisseur, what if both of them mixed together to make a botanical utopia? There’s advice at hand if you’re willing to cultivate your own corner of delightful floral formations and wondrous wandering paths.
Image credit - Sharon Mollerus
Growing the winter rose
Also known as the polar star, this flower is wide, bold, thick and extraordinarily beautiful. The polar star rose is one of the HyBrid Tea Rose varieties and has distinctive large double pure white petals. You don’t see this kind of rose often, and it’s because they only grow around a specific time of the year. However, if you section off a part of your garden, whether at a right angle or curving cul de sac, the right amount of care should see it blossom in no time. Normally, however, the rose flowers from the months of July to September and is quite resilient to the temperature change. The foliage is toothed, and a possesses a green sheen on the stem. Grown with love and care, it should tower at approximately 1 meter. Because the petals are thick bugs and pest like to harbor in the scented stigma, but a good spray from a company like Youngs Pest Control should take care of all your hard work.
Photo source - geography.org
Creating a wild meadow
The seed choice is where you will start your wild ride of untamed and mesmerizing floral abundance. If your grass is overgrown or you’re combining your flowers with the grass, make sure to trim it, so it doesn’t take the resources your seeds are going to need to grow. Yellow Rattle is a hemiparasite which will wrap its roots around the grass roots and extract the water and minerals from it, that it needs; a versatile choice. The plethora of wildflower mixes is almost too much to comprehend, but native flowers to your country are obviously at one with the climate so don’t try to go exotic.
When it comes to planting make sure you’ve prepped the soil beforehand with enriching food and minerals. The planting hole should be in the same shape and size as your selected seed, for example, if your seed is a diamond shape, form a rhombus mound of soil over it. The surrounding soil must be loose to allow the roots to spread easily and the water to penetrate deeper without pooling underneath the surface. Keep watering the flowerbed until you know the conditions are healthy enough where you can let the patch dry, upon which take the necessary precautions pertaining to bugs and slugs. Birds will go digging in the newly laid soil as it’s soft and they know a worm of insect may be underneath as a meal for them. However they will uproot the seed and destroy all your hard work, so keep an eye on your patch and if you see a bird, shoo them away.