Plants for Your Garden or Cottage Garden to Be Found in Nurseries or Your Favorite Garden Centre

A long time ago, during Elizabethan times, the working class in England had cottages and each one had a cottage garden. These were not tended for their beauty or entertainment value but plants were grown for their usefulness. Each corner of their little space was not wasted. These gardens were informal and had diverse kinds of plants and sometimes even animals in the garden. Gardeners still choose to have cottage gardens today with some variations from the traditional way.

No ground was wasted. There was less watering and weeding because the plants are planted very close to each other. Different plants grow side by side for different purposes. They're a mix of colors a painter would love. The scents were so fragrant. It has useful pathways and hedges or fences. These kinds of gardens don't appear to be planned or too formal but its artistic irregularity makes these gardens a joy. It's an old-fashioned country garden.

One obvious characteristic of the cottage garden is that it is functional. Each plant is beneficial for the family. That's why edible plants like vegetables are very common. Fruit-bearing trees can also be seen in some cottage gardens. Trees included pear and apple trees and these days, crabapple and hazel trees. People took care of animals such as chickens, pigs and even bees in the past and these days it's also coming back.

Herbs in this kind of garden were grown for medicinal purposes, for cooking and even for keeping away unwanted bugs. Some were used for cleaning the house and keeping themselves clean. Lavenders can be used to heal insect bites and soothe headaches. Sage is good for sore throats. These days thyme is used ease diarrhea and lack of appetite.

In the olden days, aside from their beauty, flowers were planted so as to make more use of the land and fill in the space. But nowadays it has become the main plants to use. Common flowers seen in these gardens are of course roses, violets and daisies. Roses come in different colors and species. Some are shrubs and some are climbing roses. The Damask rose is an example of a fragrant rose found in cottage gardens. Violets were used to keep out unwanted pests. When cooking, cottage homeowners used calendulas and primroses. Other flowers grown include pink carnations, brightly colored marigolds, simple yet beautiful daisies, tubular groups of foxgloves, and white little flowers of the lily-of-the-valley.

Climbing plants are also a mainstay in a cottage garden. In olden times the European honeysuckle and the Traveler's joy are found in cottage gardens. These days many Clematis species are quite common. They come in different shades of purple, blue, pink, red, and white.

Hedges functioned as fences and protected other plants from roaming animals. Two very useful hedges were the Hawthorn and the Elderberry. Hawthorn leaves are edible. Elderberry flowers were turned into lotions and ointments. Nowadays Lilacs with their pretty purple flowers and green Laurels also work as garden fences.

Just check out a garden centre and nearby nurseries in your area and ask about these plants. Make your garden beautiful and useful by having your own cottage garden.

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