London Cottage Garden

Blogging about cottage garden style in a town garden

  • Subscribe to London Cottage Garden

    • Home
    • About
    • Spring gardening
    • Summer gardening
    • Autumn gardening
    • Winter gardening
    • Tips/Inspiration

    Cottage garden planting – why am I dithering?


    July 31st, 2020 - cottage garden plants, Summer gardening

    Share this post:

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Email

    Bare patches in summer???

    I’m having such a problem planting up some areas of my garden this summer and I think I now know why. My style of cottage garden planting doesn’t lend itself to what the books and the  TV gardeners suggest you do. When they have a big bare patch they position new plants in their pots, stand back, move them around and then plant them all in one go don’t they?

    cottage garden planting

    My garden is so closely planted there’s an airy froth of wavy stuff with no soil showing and no gaps.  It’s not plants sitting next to each other, they’re all jammed next to each other like people at the front at Glastonbury. (I’ve never been).

    No one area has been planted from scratch.  When I see a gap the size of a saucer, I squeeze in a plant I have waiting, or lift and divide something or buy something. “Just room for one more I think – squeeze squeeze” is my planting method and that’s how I achieve the full frothy look.

    Clearing the ground as therapy

    A few weeks ago I cleared a few areas, pulling out sprawling and invading common geraniums and goodness I felt so much better when I’d done it. This left bare soil in so many places that the back garden looked quite empty and colourless.

    cottage garden planting

    Empty borders in July?

    How had it gone from lush fabulousness in May to brown patches in July?   The reason I don’t have blowsy roses and full summer colour is simply because I don’t plant those high summer plants so that’s no surprise.In a town garden I wouldn’t want plants that look stunning for a month but have not much going on the rest of the time.

    I buy dozens of plants mail order and at garden centres but I’m dithering so much I pop the new plants in spaces elsewhere because I can’t make a decision about the bare spaces.  So the crowded bits get more crowded and the bare spaces stay bare.

    Plants that sprawl and flop look great en masse but look silly on their own. They look like the first girl at a party standing in the middle of the room in her party frock. (Ooh uncomfortable memories).

    This Rozanne geranium needs to be surrounded by similar perennials to create the look I am always aiming for, of artless frothiness.

    cottage garden planting

    My version of artless frothiness

    You’d be amazed how many plants you need per square metre to make a garden look full.

    This is what I call full

    Mail order nurseries

    So I have decided to settle for a mixture of plants that look good right now and some that are doing nothing now but will settle in for next year.  Some perennials from ballyrobertgardens.com , lots more from bethchatto.co.uk and bluebellcottage.co.uk and some for next year from rosybee.com. 

    You can’t have everything in a small town garden so I need to keep my style in mind, stick to it and not get too envious of the fantastic displays in bigger gardens.  Luckily I don’t like dahlias – surely I’m not the only one!

    Share this post:

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Email

    4 comments on "Cottage garden planting – why am I dithering?"

    1. Annone says:
      31st July 2020 at 4:28 pm

      Perhaps you might look at the single open faced dahlias. They are gorgeous and so easy. And great for all pollinators too. I wouldn’t be without them.

      Reply
      1. Julie Quinn says:
        31st July 2020 at 4:44 pm

        That’s a lovely suggestion and I agree the simple ones are super – I admire them in others’ gardens. The price of having those would be major slug control which I’ve decided is one job I just don’t want so I’ve had to make that compromise. I don’t grow anything that slugs want to eat so I don’t have a problem with slugs. I just leave them to do their thing. Maybe one day I’ll take a risk. Thankyou for commenting, and I hope your garden is looking lovely this summer.

        Reply
    2. Helen Pope says:
      1st August 2020 at 6:13 pm

      I love your artless frothiness style – it is just like mine! I hate to see bare soil anywhere in my garden, and immediately cram something else in to fill up any gaps. Consequently some smaller things, helianthemums and “silver posie” thyme, have got a bit lost beneath bigger plants like alchemilla mollis and bergenia which insist on taking over my raised beds.

      Reply
      1. Julie Quinn says:
        2nd August 2020 at 8:13 am

        thankyou so much Helen, I love that word cram. That’s just what we do isn’t it but as you say, some things never get going and just give up the ghost. I find so many little 9cm pot shaped plants that had never put out any roots but that’s worth it to have not a centimetre of bare soil showing. Just bought “The Modern Cottage Garden” book and it’s the best book I’ve ever read on our type of garden. You might like to have a look.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    + 33 = 34

    London Cottage Garden
  • Subscribe to London Cottage Garden


  • Popular Posts

    Real flowers and artificial flowers – both fabulous

    I've recently discovered some online artificial flowers from Alex James that I think are beautiful and look wonderful either on their own or mixed with…


    How to introduce a new colour in a cottage garden

    A new colour in early Spring Here's a way to introduce a new colour in a cottage garden in early Spring. Plants can't always provide…


    How to use colour in the cottage garden style

    How to have colour in the cottage garden style town garden without it being too much work for one person to manage.  Well I would…


    Daffodils in a small garden – tips on how to grow them.

    If you have a small garden like a town garden and want to grow daffodils, here are my tips on how best to do it,…


    front gardens cottage gardening town garden

    Gardening begins at 40 – I’m 67 now

    Gardening? one big yawn I had no interest in gardening even though my grandmother was a farmer's wife and my mother loved her big shrubby…




    londoncottagegarden

    Splitting a hardy geranium from pic 1 to 2. So ea Splitting a hardy geranium from pic 1 to 2.  So easy.  Now is the time to do it #londoncottagegarden #hardygeraniums #cottagegarden
    Little posy from the garden picked for a friend. I Little posy from the garden picked for a friend. It may not last long but it’s lovely anyway. #londoncottagegarden #springflowers
    Good morning beautiful lady #foxes #londoncottageg Good morning beautiful lady #foxes #londoncottagegarden
    Tottering-by-gently, my first rose to come out. Ju Tottering-by-gently, my first rose to come out. Just how I feel today. #londoncottagegarden #davidaustinroses
    A new blog about the beautiful garden at Dedham Ha A new blog about the beautiful garden at Dedham Hall Hotel - see link in bio #londoncottagegarden #cottaegarden #hotel
    Mariette tulip after the rain - still looking love Mariette tulip after the rain - still looking lovely #londoncottagegarden #tulips #springbulbs
    Some tulips fall open and others curl up in the ra Some tulips fall open and others curl up in the rain. Unknown pale tulip and lily flowered Mariette.
    Up for World Dawn Chorus day. Coat on. Pot of tea. Up for World Dawn Chorus day. Coat on. Pot of tea.  Just wonderful. #dawnchorus #londoncottagegarden #citygarden #birdsong
    Ballerina in the middle of two Brown Sugar. Shows Ballerina in the middle of two Brown Sugar. Shows the difference. I prefer Ballerina - brighter and clearer #tulips #londoncottagegarden #springbulbs #orangetulips
    My tulips sit with the eggs and tangerines #tulips My tulips sit with the eggs and tangerines #tulips #vintagevase #londoncottagegarden
    Same variety but different colours - no idea what Same variety but different colours - no idea what variety. Don’t recall ordering anything this colour! #tulips #londoncottagegarden #vintagevase #springbulbs
    Amongst my Ballerina tulips someone is wearing a p Amongst my Ballerina tulips someone is wearing a pink tutu!
    First pic in the garden, second in a vase. What a First pic in the garden, second in a vase. What a difference! #tulips #londoncottagegarden #springbulbs
    Dordogne tulip I think, in an antique vase. Grown Dordogne tulip I think, in an antique vase. Grown in a pot and I can pick two or three for a vase. #tulips #londoncottagegarden #vintagevase #springbulbs
    A parrot tulip called Amazing Parrot, lasting a fe A parrot tulip called Amazing Parrot, lasting a few days in a vase.  It wouldn’t last long in a windy garden. Fun but I won’t be buying parrot tulips any more - just not enough value from them - too fleeting. #londoncottagegarden #tulips
    Breakfast queue waiting patiently #feralcat #foxy Breakfast queue waiting patiently #feralcat #foxy #urbanfox #londoncottagegarden
    Glad that the fox I treated for mange with liquid Glad that the fox I treated for mange with liquid from the vet seems healthy and not worse so 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞
    Re-dug the pond. Took from Saturday morning to Sun Re-dug the pond. Took from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon. Gosh I really got on with it! #londoncottagegarden #wildlifepond #gardenpond #newts
    Operation revamp pond. Exciting. Will give it a lo Operation revamp pond. Exciting. Will give it a lot of thought this time #londoncottagegarden #wildlifepond
    Morning everyone Morning everyone
    Load More… Follow on Instagram

    UK Gardening Blogs

    © 2022 London Cottage Garden - The London Cottage Garden Blog

    Website Design www.beamtwenty3.co.uk

    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.