Transform your garden into a picturesque haven of the cottagecore aesthetic with these 9 enchanting cottagecore garden plant ideas, ensuring a captivating and dream-like floral display.
Creating a Charming Cottagecore Flower Garden
Cottagecore gardens, inspired by rural life and carefree designs, offer a delightful escape from modern ideas. These gardens are characterized by an informal, natural look with plants growing in a relaxed, seemingly spontaneous abundance, creating a lush and picturesque rustic beauty [1][2][4].
At the heart of a cottagecore garden are plants that are both beautiful and useful, attracting pollinators while providing vibrant color, romantic yet striking texture, and prolific blooms. Hydrangeas, with their high impact and visual interest, are popular choices for cottagecore gardens. They come in types like Hydrangea macrophylla and H. paniculata [5].
Another favourite is the Echinacea, or the coneflower, which produces large numbers of blooms in midsummer until fall. These plants thrive in a wide range of growing conditions, including those that are dry or hot [6].
Sweet peas, prized for their delicate beauty and alluring fragrance, are another essential addition to a cottagecore garden. They grow best in cool conditions and are not edible [7]. You can find 'Sweet Dreams Mix' Sweet Pea seeds at Burpee.
Hollyhocks, the quintessential cottage garden flower, make excellent cottagecore plants. With large hibiscus-like flowers on statuesque stems, they add a touch of old-fashioned charm to the garden [8].
Old-fashioned breeds, shrub roses, and English types are also popular in cottagecore gardens, adding shape, color, and fragrance [9]. 'Blue Moon' hybrid tea rose and 'Candy Sunblaze' miniature rose are available at Heirloom Roses and Hirt's Gardens respectively, both on Walmart's platform.
For those seeking winter interest, Hellebore is a winter-based and spring-based beauty that provides color and joy from very early in the year, adding dramatic flourishes when other parts of the garden may be sleepy and quiet [10]. Proven Winners is a source for dreamy cottagecore-friendly foxgloves and a range of hellebores.
Foxgloves can be used to add both height and color to growing spaces, and their tall plants may require some support with stakes or frames [11]. 'Annebelle', 'Red Sensation', 'Little Lime Punch', and 'Endless Summer' are available at Fast Growing Trees.
Peonies, with their shades of white, pink, coral, or red, are long-term commitment plants, ideal for cottagecore beds with little maintenance [12]. 'Sarah Bernhardt', 'Bartzella' Itoh peony, and 'Festiva Maxima' peony are available at Nature Hills.
In smaller spaces, cottagecore gardens use layering techniques, mixing low ground covers, flowering perennials, vertical climbers like clematis and heirloom roses, and vintage-style decor to enhance the nostalgic and cozy feeling. Incorporating evergreens can add winter interest to the garden [3][5].
The term "cottagecore" refers to spaces inspired by biodiversity, emphasizing the importance of attracting pollinators and promoting a harmonious coexistence with nature [13]. The overall aesthetic evokes romanticized old-fashioned countryside charm, reminiscent of traditional English cottage gardens, making it inviting and easy to maintain for gardeners of all skill levels [1][2][4].
[1] The Spruce, "What Is a Cottage Garden?", https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-a-cottage-garden-2132783 [2] Garden Design, "What is a Cottage Garden?", https://www.gardendesign.com/garden-types/cottage-garden.html [3] The Guardian, "Cottagecore: the aesthetic that's making us all want to move to the countryside", https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/jul/03/cottagecore-aesthetic-making-us-all-want-move-countryside [4] Country Living, "What Is Cottagecore?", https://www.countryliving.com/uk/gardens/a33763445/cottagecore-garden-ideas/ [5] The New York Times, "Cottagecore and the Longing for a Simpler Life", https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/28/style/cottagecore-garden.html [6] The Spruce, "Echinacea: Growing, Care, and Varieties", https://www.thespruce.com/echinacea-growing-care-and-varieties-1402590 [7] The Spruce, "Sweet Peas: Growing, Care, and Varieties", https://www.thespruce.com/sweet-peas-growing-care-and-varieties-1402583 [8] The Spruce, "Hollyhock: Growing, Care, and Varieties", https://www.thespruce.com/hollyhock-growing-care-and-varieties-1402592 [9] The Spruce, "Roses: Growing, Care, and Varieties", https://www.thespruce.com/roses-growing-care-and-varieties-1402560 [10] The Spruce, "Hellebore: Growing, Care, and Varieties", https://www.thespruce.com/hellebore-growing-care-and-varieties-1402591 [11] The Spruce, "Foxgloves: Growing, Care, and Varieties", https://www.thespruce.com/foxgloves-growing-care-and-varieties-1402588 [12] The Spruce, "Peony: Growing, Care, and Varieties", https://www.thespruce.com/peony-growing-care-and-varieties-1402586 [13] The Guardian, "Cottagecore: the aesthetic that's making us all want to move to the countryside", https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/jul/03/cottagecore-aesthetic-making-us-all-want-move-countryside
A cottagecore lifestyle incorporates home-and-garden spaces that embody the charm of rural England, with a emphasis on practical yet beautiful gardens, such as home-and-garden spaces filled with cottagecore-friendly plants like hydrangeas, echinacea, sweet peas, hollyhocks, roses, hellebore, foxgloves, and peonies. Gardening practices often involve layering to make the most of smaller spaces, while promoting biodiversity and attracting pollinators.
