The most iconic feature of an English cottage garden is themixed border.
These are large beds planted with a mixture of annuals, perennials, ornamental grasses, and shrubs.
They’re a charming, organized chaos that can be tougher to pull off than they look.
Credit:Ed Gohlich
The property comprises more than 1000 acres of lush gardens in the Sussex countryside.
Plan the Color Scheme
Youre going for the illusion of a natural color scheme, Coward says.
Then choose plants that fall in your chosen color scheme.
Credit:Tria Giovan
Its a little bit controversial, but its fun.
Be adventurous, he says.
Layer Leaf Textures
Choose plants with different leaf textures.
Movement is very important to the look of a mixed border.
Texture in a plant is determined by its leaf size.
Plants with middle-sized leaves like irises, euphorbia, and azaleas add medium texture.
Mixing leaf textures gives your border more visual punch.
A good mix of textures will make your garden look good whether its blooming or not, Coward says.
Texture isnt an easy design concept to grasp or see.
If you dont see enough texture in that black-and-white photo, mix in some plants with more leaf sizes.
Dont be afraid to move plants around each season to tweak your design, he says.
They can beannuals or perennials.
Think zinnias, calendula, cosmos, coneflower, columbine, poppies, lupine, or asters.
That wild aspect is very, very beautiful and quite important because it brings irregularity to the garden.
It also means a little less work for you when the flowers plant themselves.
Woody material is so important, Coward says.
It gives you structure all through the year.
Even when nothing else is blooming, the shrubs and trees serve as the architecture of the garden.
Coward calls these shrubs, grasses, and trees anchor plants.
At Gravetye, he uses azaleas, roses,and heathers as anchor plants.
Without those plants, the borders would be really flat, he says.
This adds a lush look to your mixed borders, Coward says.
Tria Giovan
6.
Dont Weed, Edit
Consider leaving plants that come up on their ownplants somepeople might consider weeds.
Its your garden and your call.
Some call it weeding, I call it editing, Coward says.
Theres a fine line between a weed and wanted.
A weed is often just a plant in the wrong place.
Open yourself to the idea that every plant has its own beauty, Coward says.
Those surprise plants can add to the wild and random aesthetic thats essential to the classic mixed border.
If you have anew gardendon’t do anything for at least a year, Coward says.
Study the garden, see what the garden tells you, and learn what is already in the garden.
Once you know the planting space, you’re able to make better decisions about plant choices.
A garden is an ongoing project, so take your time getting it right.
Embrace plants and enjoy them, Coward says.
Do not be afraid to experiment and play with them.
Try things and react to them, Coward says.
If what you did or what you planted looks good, then you’ve learned something.
If the garden looks worse, then youve made a mistake and learned more.
A garden is a living thing that’s constantly changing.It changes with the season.
It changes with the weather.
It changes with the light.
