Cottage gardens have been popular in the UK since Tudor times when they were introduced to grow fruit, vegetables, herbs and plants for healing. Even today, many gardeners, especially those based out in the country, still strive to create the idyllic cottage garden with colourful fragrant blooms and delicious home grown fruit and vegetables, to add that extra flavour to family meals. If you feel inspired to recreate the beauty and practicality of the traditional English garden, from timber fencing to trellising, patio furniture, garden sheds and wooden sleepers, Suffolk based Nelson Potter sell all the products to create the perfect outdoor space.
This type of garden has been in the spotlight in recent years, which is partly attributed to popular TV shows such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage series. However, the cottage garden has long had an appeal and there are a number of famous gardens in the UK, including the picture postcard grounds at Anne Hathaway’s childhood home in Shottery, near Stratford-upon-Avon. Hathaway went on to marry Britain’s most famous playwright, William Shakespeare in 1582, and the farmhouse is subsequently a huge tourist attraction with immaculately maintained, award-winning grounds.
While you may not have the time to create something quite so elaborate for your own grounds; with a bit of green fingered care, imagination, and the right tools and equipment – such as decorative fencing, trellising, attractive cottage gates and pretty wooden garden seating – you can give your own outdoors a makeover. And, if you keep up the good work, you can enjoy the fruits of your labour long into the future.
Cottage gardens conjure up all sorts of wonderful images: think rose covered archways and gateways, garden seating in secret corners, fragrant herb gardens, fruit trees and colourful blooms in season. You don’t have to have large grounds to create this; even the smallest gardens can be transformed into something truly stunning and creative. This blogspot is designed to give you ideas on some of the things you may need to create the ideal cottage garden.
Cottage Garden Ideas – click here to get started!
Seating – All cottage gardens should have some form of seating, so at the very least you can sit back and admire your handiwork. From love seats to benches, arm chairs, picnic tables and patio sets, we have a wide range of wooden garden furniture available that would suit a traditional English garden. If there is a particular tree you love in your garden and you want to make a feature of it, we also sell tree seats that can accommodate smaller plants of 500 mm in diameter.
Shed – If your garden is large enough, it is handy to have a shed so that all your tools are kept in one place. A wooden garden shed blends beautifully in a cottage garden; however, it is important to choose one that is lockable to help keep your tools and machinery secure. The size of the shed is also worth taking into consideration; look for one that is in keeping with the size of your garden. Smaller sheds are less obtrusive so they look better in smaller grounds; the larger the garden, the bigger your shed can be.
Sleepers – If you want a beautiful flower garden, vegetable patch or herb garden, you might want to think about investing in sleepers to mark out these designated areas. And no cottage garden should be without trellising for those all important climbing plants such as roses, sweet peas, or clematis. If you have a sloped garden, sleepers can also be used to create steps – only your imagination is the limit!
Archways – Ornamental archways with climbing roses are very much a feature of a cottage garden. Create a stunning walkway in the garden or site your archway above a gate or entrance to your home. Nelson Potter sell arches and arbours in all sorts of eye-catching designs to create the perfect outdoor area.
Fencing – The type of fencing you choose for your garden is very much part of the overall effect and, instead of traditional fencing, you may want to choose ornamental or decorative fencing, either with or without trellis on top. Picket fencing is another option for a cottage garden and you can use it to mark out a particular section (an herb garden for instance, or a nature area), or you could install it at the front of your property to give your home an attractive country feel. For traditional, ornamental and decorative fencing, we have pretty wooden garden gates to match. A driveway gate may also be a consideration if you have lots of land leading up to the front of your property, and these look fantastic in a country location.
About Nelson Potter
If you are designing a cottage garden, Nelson Potter is a one stop shop for all your garden needs. We have all you need to create stunning features for your outdoor space, including arches and arbours, wooden garden furniture, benches, picnic tables, patio furniture, sleepers, fences, trellis, sheds and wooden garages.
Cottage Garden Ideas – click here to get started!