Adding a small garden and a little landscaping around the exterior of your cottage can help emphasize the natural beauty of the surroundings. However, when planting there you may face certain challenges that you don’t experience with your at-home gardens.
“Gardeners outside of the city have to tackle varied degrees of sunlight exposure, wildlife, temperature fluctuations and more,” says Peter Cantley, gardening expert for the President’s Choice brand. “Cottages are designed for downtime, so why not make your garden one that is easy to create and maintain?”
Here are a few of Peter’s top tips to help guide you to a beautiful yet manageable cottage garden:
Plant selection is everything – Focus on low-maintenance plants and flowers that are less reliant on your care. Perennials may go for weeks without being tended to, so try to work with plants that are easy to care for, hassle-free and tolerant of drought. For example, a pretty plant called the PC Hemerocallis Holiday Song is a great option with large, velvety blooms and loads of buds for high-voltage flower power. Plus its orange and scarlet colouring is a perfect complement to any summer sunset.
Make sure to mulch – Help preserve moisture and cut down on weeds by covering the soil in your flower beds with a thick layer of mulch (two to four inches). After all, who wants to spend time watering and weeding at the cottage when you could be relaxing?
Raised beds – Any issues with limited space or poor soil conditions can be solved with a raised bed garden. Raised beds allow you to take control and fill your bed with good, well-drained soils. Outline yours with wood or layered stone for an added design touch to match the exterior of your cottage.
Containers are your friends – Create a variety of styles, colours and sizes of different containers to decorate your deck, entrances, or even your dock. Have fun with different textures and styles. Mix and match ceramic, fibreglass, clay and wood to create an outdoor space that reflects your own personal style. Play around and get creative. The possibilities are endless. Just make sure that the planters you choose have a large enough soil volume to keep plants hydrated between waterings.
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