Cottage garden
is perfect for anyone
February 15,
2007
BY JANE
STEPHENS - VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
EDITED BY
CHARLA BORCHERS
According to
legend, cavewoman told caveman that he would have to walk upright, as she no
longer had time to patch the knees of his favorite pelt. She was occupied with
a new profession - cavewoman had discovered the "cottage garden."
A miracle had
occurred. She had found tiny sprouts growing from discarded seeds. These tiny
sprouts grew into the plants that she had never known she could grow. No longer
would she have to search for hours and travel miles for the herbs and veggies
that made her mammoth stew so good. Now she would tend to her garden right
outside her front door.
From these
humble beginnings, the cottage garden has remained a part of many cultures.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, trade flourished, not only between towns
and cities, but also between nations and continents. Strange and wonderful
plants came from around the
These gardens, called "kitchen gardens" on the estates, were planted around the estate workers' cottages, and, as their plots were small, every bit of space was used. Although most of the space was given to food plants, as the main function of these gardens was to supplement the family table, they also grew flowers to enhance the family home.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY
MARTHA SAWYERS/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
This 3-year-old cottage
garden, at the home of Victoria County Master Gardener,
Martha Sawyers, was designed to include a
meandering rock path through the
numerous flowers and vegetables.
GETTING
STARTED
To choose the
layout of your cottage garden, use your garden hose to experiment with
different sizes and shapes. For the most part, take a tip from Mother Nature
and do not use straight lines.
After you have
decided on the dimensions of your garden, put in your edging and any hardscape you have picked out for your design. I saw
gardens that had lined the walkways with plants and rocks - big rocks, little
rocks and stacked rocks. All were interspersed with benches, small fountains,
and even elves peeking from under the leaves.
Several of the
cottage gardens I visited also had vine-covered arbors and/or trellis archways
that added to the homey cottage look.
Soil
preparation, first plants
The next step
is your soil preparation. As you are hoping for a carefree garden, remember to
use plenty of mulch. The first plants will be what are referred to as the
backbone of your garden. For this step, pick plants of a medium height and
preferably an evergreen. Remember that your backbone also will be the backdrop
for your blooming plants so leave the leggy and spiny ones for another place.
Before deciding on backbone plants, visit other gardens and nurseries because
many plants that were too large now come in miniature.
Selecting
plants
We are
fortunate to live in the beautiful
The liriope is the most versatile plant of them all. It is used
as edging, as filler and to add fullness. When you first look at a cottage
garden it will appear to have that beautiful carelessly thrown together look.
Upon closer inspection, however, you'll see that's not so. All plants of like
color are grouped in clumps large enough so that each color is well defined.
All of the clumps are planted in odd numbers throughout the garden. There is
not a definite pattern to any of these gardens, but careful thought is given to
the plants for each section that created a flow throughout the garden.
For the
perennials and annuals, it did seem that the plumbago
and the various salvias tiptoed through the tulips and the daisies in many of
the gardens. Various bedding plants added the spring and summer color. The
herbs, such as rosemary, mint, sage and dill added aroma and texture.
Different
colors and types of lettuce grew in several of the gardens I viewed, and one
even had a small asparagus patch. The ferns I admired in one garden were
actually carrots scattered around. Truly, the scope of your imagination is the
only real perimeter needed for creating a cottage garden.
As your garden
has been created with a variety of plants, it will also attract a variety of
insects. A cottage garden lagniappe is that the good guys will control the bad
ones. You will have very little need for insecticides. The humble little
cottage garden may be as perfect a garden as you can create.
Please come
see
For a sampling
of plants to incorporate into your cottage garden, come see VEG! The Victoria
Educational Gardens (VEG), that wonderful place that was planned and planted by
Victoria County Master Gardeners, offers an array of finery from the plant
world. You can wander our paths and see the size and shape that your plants
will be when they are full-grown. You can see color and texture. You can see
plants you might not have ever seen before. You can see landscaping and hardscapes. You can see arbors and trellises. You can see
the lovely fountain that is the centerpiece of our garden and if you look
carefully you will see a fountain so small that you probably walked right by it
earlier. If you visit during the winter, you will see how your plants are able
to weather the cold.
Come visit in
the spring, summer and autumn and see a festival of color. Come for ideas or
just to peek into the secret garden or to show a ripe tomato to your children
or grandchildren. Sit on one of our benches and watch the butterflies. Or just
sit and listen to the quiet. When you do, I am sure you will agree with
cavewoman - that gardening is preferable to patching the knees of pelts.