London Cottage Garden

Blogging about cottage garden style in a town garden

  • Subscribe to London Cottage Garden

    • Home
    • About
    • Contact

    Six on a Saturday: tips for not feeling overwhelmed by the cottage garden style


    July 28th, 2017 - Six on Saturday, small garden ideas, Summer gardening

    Share this post:

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Email

     

    Having the cottage garden style involves a lot of gardening.  Don’t imagine it doesn’t.  This year it seems more than ever.  I can often feel overwhelmed trying to keep on top of the jumble.

    Perennials can turn from glorious to spent in a matter of days.  So I am having some ideas about how to reduce the work.

    Brick paving in back garden

    When we paved the back garden I chose old stock bricks, the soft yellow bricks used for walls.  They’re not ideal for paving but I love them because they look so warm and inviting.  They are porous, so with shade and rain they get slimey and black.

    London Cottage garden style

    Paving before cleaning

    Here is it looking great after I’ve power washed it.

    Brick paving after I've power washed it

    Brick paving after I’ve power washed it

    Using my new T Racer Surface Cleaner (a round thing) on the Karcher power washer has made the job so much easier and so much less work. I wish I’d thought of it before.

     

    Nettles

    I quite like to have some nettles but the more I pull them the more there are.  I’m thinking of leaving them for the butterflies. If they start to spread even more then I will have to start pulling them out again.

    Nettle patch around the pond

    Uninvited nettle patch thriving around the pond

     

    Wild corner

    Here is the back corner, a big high tangle of honeysuckle, jasmine, clematis, pyracantha, and some casual planting at ground level.

    Six on a Saturday- tips for not feeling overwhelmed by the other garden style

    Tangle of climbers in the sunny corner

    Two years ago I hacked it right back which let in more light and gave me more planting space but of course it’s all grown back. I’m thinking now that I’ll just leave the corner to go wild.  For wildlife it’s great – just not sure how wild it could get. Hmmmm

     

    Let my neighbour have the blooms

    I’ve noticed that whatever I plant on my west-facing side of the fence immediately pops through to my neighbour’s east-facing side to get the morning sun.  I wondered where my honeysuckle, alpina clematis and Virginia creeper had gone.  Next door, that’s where.  I’ve got the stem and they’ve got a lovely display.  Coaxing shoots back to my side hasn’t worked – you just can’t beat what nature wants to do so I think I’ll just leave them to it.

     

    Monster wisteria

    Wisteria too big for the house now

    Wisteria too big for the house now

    I’ve decided that the wisteria on the front of the house has had its day – keeping it cut back is a twice yearly expensive job and it only flowers for about ten days.  It soaks us with rain by the front door, covers our windows and is heading up into our gutters and roof tiles.  Tree guys are coming to take it down to shoulder height in August.  I think I’ll be glad when the growth has gone.  It may start up again.  We shall see.

     

    Summer bedding

    Summer bedding plants.  So tempting aren’t they, but I’ve never had much success with them.  Maybe not enough sun for enough of the day or maybe I don’t get round to putting them in early enough.  Seriously thinking of not bothering next year. Pelargoniums just sit there; seeds of annuals never come up (I might as well sprinkle 5p pieces all round the garden).  I think I’ll just be grateful for the Welsh poppies that come up everywhere without me doing anything.

    This is a new idea.  I dropped pots of late summer flowering perennials into this big blue pot so we can enjoy the splash of colour until the flowers fade.  Then I will lift out the pots and plant them in the borders.

    Cottage garden flowers

    Crocosmias and lythrum still in their pots clustered into a big blue pot

    Having a garden is of course all about the task/hobby of gardening.  It’s an ongoing hopefully enjoyable process not an end product.  It’s a never ending changing scene not a display like a shop window.  That’s the joy of it BUT I really hope I have a bit less work to do in the garden next year.  We shall see……

     

     

     

    Share this post:

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Email

    11 comments on "Six on a Saturday: tips for not feeling overwhelmed by the cottage garden style"

    1. Jonathan Jones says:
      29th July 2017 at 9:31 am

      Nice,well done. I accidentally discovered the same idea of putting perennials in a pot then planting them out. Have some rudbeckia performing just that role now. Shame about the Listeria, I love mone, although it is not on the house,it’s fairly well behaved on a 6’trellis, although it is gradually invading other parts of the garden. Hooe to see you next week.

      Reply
      1. Julie Quinn says:
        29th July 2017 at 9:51 am

        Thankyou Jon, I’ve been blogging about every three weeks up to now so if I do every week it will be a much shorter piece but I will definitely do something for next week – it’s a lovely sunny day here in London this morning – I’m off into the garden. Thanks so much for your patience and your encouragement. Julie

        Reply
      2. Julie Quinn says:
        29th July 2017 at 2:14 pm

        I think the wisteria will come again but be more manageable. It has become an oppressive monster. Best wishes, Julie

        Reply
    2. John Kingdon says:
      29th July 2017 at 10:33 am

      What a six! Yep, a border which looks like a natural jumble of cottage-style is very hard work. Here, in a variation of your pot theme, I’ve sunk some cheap plastic pots into the ground. Then I grow things in other cheap plastic pots (all the same size) which I drop into the ones in the ground to flower, then remove and put out of the way while replacing with other pots which are then flowering. Works particularly well with showy seasonal things like lilies and plants which might be invasive if left in the ground, like Persicaria.

      Reply
      1. Julie Quinn says:
        29th July 2017 at 2:11 pm

        Thanks so much for the reply John. That sounds interesting. Do you keep the pots watered or just let them get on with it? It sounds like a great idea for things that look fab for a while but boring the other 11 months of the year. I will definitely think about doing that. Julie

        Reply
    3. Jim Stephens says:
      29th July 2017 at 3:00 pm

      I dare not let my other half see those brick pavers, I’d never hear the last of it. I read an article back along about growing wisteria as free standing standards, supported by a post. It made sense at the time. Love your garden, must have a read through your earlier posts.

      Reply
      1. Julie Quinn says:
        29th July 2017 at 3:09 pm

        Paving? Why, would they want some? It really is a thing of beauty although rather impractical! But I don’t care – I love it and look out on it every day. Got rid of the lawn years ago. Thanks you for your interest and encouragement. Best wishes, Julie (London Cottage Garden)

        Reply
    4. Alexandra Campbell says:
      30th July 2017 at 7:19 pm

      Lovely bricks!

      Reply
      1. Julie Quinn says:
        30th July 2017 at 9:37 pm

        Yes they are lovely aren’t they. A devil to keep looking their best!

        Reply
    5. chris says:
      1st August 2017 at 11:39 pm

      Hi Julie, i have just discovered your website via rosybee and i must say, what an enjoyable read.shame about the wisteria but maybe something like a jasmine might be a bit less invasive and flower for longer?
      i have just started a blog over at thefrogbitblog.com if you care to have a look. not all just going to be about flowers and gardening, but at this time of year its obvioulsy the hot topic?

      Have you tried purple toadflax? i had some grow wild in my inner city yard a few years back and when i moved out to the countryside i made sure i took some with me(its here anyway but there’s now lots in my garden). The bees absolutley love it, and its got a very long flowering season.
      anyway, ive now subscribed, keep up the good work (and good word)

      Reply
      1. Julie Quinn says:
        2nd August 2017 at 5:51 am

        thank you so much Chris. It’s so encouraging when we all share through each other’s blogs and websites. I am happy to see you have subscribed. I will look at yours too. Once the monster wisteria has gone and we can see out of our windows again, the trachelospermum struggling underneath it will romp up the house and be spectacular I’m sure. I shall report. best wishes, Julie

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

    1 + 3 =

    London Cottage Garden
  • Subscribe to London Cottage Garden


  • Popular Posts

    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

    Sixty seven on Saturday February 2nd 2019

    It's my 67th birthday today and here is a very short story of my gardening life through six decades. [caption id="attachment_1756" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Mum and…


    Tulips, daffodils and forget-me-nots

    “Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance……

    everybody thinks it's true" - Paul Simon 2007 We gardeners think about and work towards the future - we are assuming a future. We are…


    Ideas from an Adam Frost Garden School Masterclass

    After attending Adam Frost's September Masterclass,  I wrote in a previous post about his ideas for thinking about designing and using your garden space. Adam’s…




    londoncottagegarden

    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
    Load More… Follow on Instagram

    UK Gardening Blogs

    © 2021 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.