There’s something undeniably charming about a cottage garden. The wild growing blooms, flowering shrubs and storybook potting sheds feel a world away from the pared-back and practical suburban Australian backyards that so many of us grew up with.
If you’re thinking about turning your outdoor space into a cottage-style garden, selecting the right plants is key. Cottage gardens typically feature old-fashioned flowering plants such as poppies, daisies and sweet peas which, luckily, will still thrive in many Australian climates. If you have the space, vegetable patches, herb gardens, chicken coops and potting sheds are also lovely additions to these gardens.
Cottage garden plants
- Roses
- Lavender
- Daisies
- Delphinium
- Poppies
- Pansies
- Snapdragon
- Sweet peas
- Calendula
- Flannel flower
- Hydrangea
- Larkspur
- Hollyhocks
With the right cottage garden plants, you can just as easily create a beautiful garden in a small courtyard as you can with a big block of land — and these 14 cottage gardens show us how.
14 inspiring cottage gardens
The luxury of time allowed this sprawling garden to become practically perfect.
This garden makeover saw a new cubby house created with romantic plantings to complement its pretty palette.
An ever-changing palette of flowers and foliage invites one to dive deeper into this cottage garden.
An overgrown garden found a new lease on life with a formal layout of ‘garden rooms’ that maximise views of the vineyards beyond.
Take a tour of this English-style country garden bursting with blooms.
Set in a picture-perfect spot, this garden’s rustic outdoor area makes even the chilliest of nights a toasty treat.
Rambling roses and rustic arbours set the scene at this beautiful country house in Victoria.
Wildflower meadows and water features complement this charming property.
Faced with an empty nest, two avid green thumbs made the move to a remote country property to create the garden of their dreams.
Secluded walkways and secret spaces define this gorgeous garden.
(Photography: Abbie Melle)
Time, patience and a passion for overseas gardens inspire a magnificent Southern Highlands patch that has grown in tandem with its owners.
The restoration of this historic Hobart garden ensures it matches the home in spirit and style.
A row of dilapidated cottages has become the most idyllic space for a designer to live and work.
A tranquil outdoor haven that brims with colour and romance.
This article originally appeared on Home Beautiful and is republished here with permission.
