English Gardens

It’s a little hard to pin down the precise origins of the cottage garden. It seems, however, that they emerged out of the Elizabethan Era, and some claim it came from extra space provided by the population decline during the Plague outbreaks in 1300s England.

The garden type does have roots in the Yeoman cottagers who were the class immediately under the gentry of the 1300s. Most were usually given small plots along with their cottage or living quarters to grow herbs and food. So up until the 1800s most “cottage gardens” were, in fact, vegetable gardens.

These days what we call a cottage garden is typically full of what would be considered old-fashioned or heirloom flowers and plants, and it’s typical to find herbs and vegetables tucked in here and there. One main characteristic is abundance, variety, and what seems unorganized. But don’t let it fool you, it’s organized chaos and typically takes a few seasons to get that overflowing feel. Plantings are often in odd numbers of plants. Often they include pathways, garden structures like trellises, fencing, etc.