London Cottage Garden

Blogging about cottage garden style in a town garden

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    I’m Julie Quinn and welcome to my gardening blog about a cottage garden in North London.

    My style is a jumbled close planting of shrubs and simple perennials with lots of bulbs, self seeders and herbs. I’m aiming for a chaotic abundance of colour, scent and movement.

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    The front garden in Spring

    And this is the back.

    And this is the back garden

    This blog is about how I work on creating this style of garden and what I love about it – what I plant and what I don’t – what has worked and what hasn’t and how we use the space.

    Previously

    We came in 1988 and the garden looked like this:

    garden-1980

    the beginning of my making a garden

    We were so lucky to inherit a magnolia and an apple tree in the back and a big cherry tree in the front.

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    front garden in 1988

    Sadly the cherry tree died many years ago and we took it out.

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    garden-1980-3

    We’ve had to put up a few new fences over the years but started out with this one.

    garden-1980-4

    I’d previously done nothing more than plant petunias in a window box in a first floor flat.

    For a few years we lived with the lawn, conifers, azaleas and rambling roses.

    Then in the 1990s I visited East Lambrook Manor in Somerset and fell in love with hardy geraniums, alchemilla and the wild unkempt look of a true cottage garden – I was hooked!

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    Mr Fox just outside the back door finishing up the Mr Fox just outside the back door finishing up the stray cat’s dinner. What a beautiful creature he is.
    Washed the table ready for Spring but careful not Washed the table ready for Spring but careful not to disturb the moss in pic 2. #londoncottagegarden
    Sitting with the door wide open for the first time Sitting with the door wide open for the first time this year. Sun shining. #londoncottagegarden
    Double early supermarket tulips now and 10 days ag Double early supermarket tulips now and 10 days ago.  Aren’t they fab.
    20 mins later. Is it the same one or another one? 20 mins later. Is it the same one or another one? I wish I knew.
    Foxy visits us every evening around 6/6.30. Lovely Foxy visits us every evening around 6/6.30. Lovely creature.
    Double early tulips, scented, in my favourite vase Double early tulips, scented, in my favourite vase. 1930s I think. Earlier? #londoncottagegarden #tulips #vintage
    Miss Popsie Poppit is on the shelf #tortiekitten Miss Popsie Poppit is on the shelf #tortiekitten  #tortiecat
    😳is this the end of my geranium tomentosum ?? H 😳is this the end of my geranium tomentosum ??
Help! #londoncottagegarden #geraniums
    Lovely pattern of snow on our brick path. #londonc Lovely pattern of snow on our brick path. #londoncottagegarden #frontgarden #brickpath
    Set up my table and chair today - ready for my mor Set up my table and chair today - ready for my morning coffee someday soon #londoncottagegarden #cottagegardenstyle #colourinthegarden
    Spot the blurry bee 🐝 on the winter honeysuckle Spot the blurry bee 🐝 on the winter honeysuckle- that’s why the shrub is so vital #bees #wintershrubs #londoncottagegarden
    Just cut back a pot of hakonechloa grass. New shoo Just cut back a pot of hakonechloa grass. New shoots will appear within 2/3 weeks. #grasses #japanesegrass
    Grasses with and now without snow on them. They ar Grasses with and now without snow on them. They aren’t affected at all #grasses #ornamentalgrasses
    Lovely snow. Lovely snow.
    Amazing light in the back garden today #londoncott Amazing light in the back garden today #londoncottagegarden #londongarden #wintersun
    Collecting local leaves for my compost again #leaf Collecting local leaves for my compost again #leafmould #londoncottagegarden #compost #lovelyleaves #organicmatter
    Into my pot of tulips it goes! Eat that and weep y Into my pot of tulips it goes! Eat that and weep you pesky squirrels! #londoncottagegarden #tulips #squirrels
    Garden looks golden today #londoncottagegarden #gr Garden looks golden today #londoncottagegarden #grasses #hakonechloa #japanesegrasses
    Tiny species tulip bulbs from @blomsbulbs perfect Tiny species tulip bulbs from @blomsbulbs perfect for a small pot #tulips #containergardening #cottagegarden
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