Garden designer Tim Pilgrim has a winning formula for creating successful borders. Plus more useful tips from his contemporary take on cottage garden style, seen here at the charming Oak Cottage.
00:00 Why cottage garden style is so popular
00:17 Tim Pilgrim Garden Design: https://www.tpgardens.com.au/
00:27 What makes a contemporary cottage garden?
00:44 How to choose a colour palette for a cottage garden
01:19 How to choose plants
01:50 What is the ’70/30′ rule? Tour of key plants in the garden
05:04 Framing the cottage with plants
05:20 The impact of a mature oak tree on design
06:01 Tim’s favourite cottage garden plants
06:14 Photo of ‘Allium Purple Rain’ by Martina Gemmola
06:33 Landscaping a contemporary cottage garden
08:52 Choosing furniture for a contemporary cottage garden
09:59 How to update a cottage garden to make it more contemporary
10:21 How to attract wildlife to a cottage garden
10:56 Video on What is Cottage Garden Style And How to Achieve It: https://youtu.be/u0Me96RiM5c
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Cottage Garden style is one of the most perennially popular garden styles, and that’s partly because it’s easy and it doesn’t in fact have any rules, but it has lots of ideas. It’s Alexandra here from The Middle-Sized Garden YouTube channel and blog, and I’ve come to talk to
Garden designer Tim Pilgrim, whose interpretation of Cottage Garden Style with naturalistic planting is gaining him a reputation around the world. So Tim, tell me what you consider to be the main characteristics of a Cottage Garden. I think when you put contemporary in the front of Cottage
Garden, there kind of, there isn’t too many rules. A far as a planting, repetition is something worth considering, as well as a clearly defined colour palette. So what sort of a colour palette would you recommend, I mean what did you think when you started with this garden – how did you
Choose the color palette? Well, I always look at the colours of the house especially, and try and relate the planting back to that. But it’s also about the surroundings; so we had lots of green;
So I knew it was going to be shade, a tree; so there had to be a little bit of intensity, pop through the season. But we planted lots of grays to kind of soften it against – to contrast
It with the green of the Oak, and some softer pastels that kind of reflected the grays and straw colours of the bush behind it. So how did you decide to choose the plants? I like to choose
Things for the four seasons. So you think of how they look into decay – for looking at winter – how they contrast early in Spring, and then really looking at the seasonal highlights. So you know bulbs, and the layering and the emergence. So just making sure we’ve got the verticals, and the form,
And daisies and flatheads. So you’re contrasting the flatheads of daisies with upright things like salvias, things like that? Yeah, so I think that’s almost as important as you know colour. I’d say use 70% safe plants, and have a go at the other 30%. I think a good rule is the 70%. If you
Can plant them in blocks – so groups of three to seven on repeat – so if you’re planting a line down a path looking at drawing your eye down the picture, and if you’ve got that 70% covered, and you’re thinking about height and where it’s positioned in the garden,
The other 30% can be all experimental. They can be more sporadically placed, and in drifts, and you might get some really lovely surprises out of it. So looking at this group of plants here, what would you say are the safe plants and what were the ones that were experimental? The safe plants
Were certainly the centranthus ruber, and that was the salvia uliginosa, the bog sage. The poa was a really safe bet too. This part of the garden is where we transition from the cottage garden framed around the house, to a more naturalistic layout. I suppose bigger drifts and simpler planting. What
Are your safe plants here, and what are your experimental plants? Verbena is certainly a safe plant. And calamagrostis is generally a safe plant. And then this grouping here – safe choices and experiments? Safe choices was certainly the stachys – very reliable and boisterous plant,
That needs to be controlled. And I suppose the lepechinia was a bit unknown. I’ve grown the lepechinia – I think it’s lepechinia chinensis – in a lot of dry climates, but only did half
The size, so that was a very happy experimental win, the height we got out of that. So this is a sort of yellow and blue and gray palette, isn’t it? Sure. And so what would you say are the safe
Plants there? Erigeron is certainly a safe plant. It flowers for about nine months of the year, if not longer. The achillea was actually going for a different cultivar, but it wasn’t available, so this was I think it’s called pineapple mango, but it flowered really early, well it was late spring,
And it just held its colour perfectly. It’s kind of gone from a salmon to a butter yellow. So very happy experiment. But also the verbasum Southern Charm. I’d never used it, and I like to play around with biennials and some gentle self sowing in the Cottage Garden, and it came very small in
Mail order pots, but it started in mid-spring and it just keeps repeating and repeating, and it’s got such a lovely antiquey pink colour to it. Yes, it’s lovely that one. So this grouping here, tell me about this grouping here. This is a very safe planting, but very classic. These were some of the
First plants I picked as kind of the backbone through the garden. The only one happy mistake would be that we got a stachys byzantina that’s a slightly different cultivar to the rest, but it’s on its own, and it’s standing up really well. The experiment in this neighboring planting is
The alchemilla mollis. I know it’s very common in the UK but not here, and I’d grown it once before, or tried to, and without much luck. But it really paid off this time. Talk to me about how you
Decided to frame the door and the path leading up to it. We decided to frame the cottage – because it was really the original part that we’re standing in front of – is very symmetrical, very classically early 19th century. We’ve planted roses, climbing roses, and they’ve nearly reached
The top in the first season. We very simply planted a buxus hedge on the deck, and an erigeron border in front of that. How did having such an amazing mature tree impact your design? Well,
We were kind of stuck with it, but it was an amazing asset to have. It just provides so much protection and cover, and little microclimates around the garden. So it allowed us to – there’s an exposed site that was more dictated to, more of a dry garden planting. There’s a full shade
Part of the garden, which is you know more of a woodland kind of style planting. And then there’s almost a second palette that is part shade to one that is full sun. So it was good, but it’s certainly provides a lot of mulch. What are your sort of favourite cottage garden plants
That you’ve chosen here? I think one of the heroes of spring, which I haven’t used a lot of before, and I don’t know why, was the alliums. We had allium purple rain that was sporadically kind of
Staggered through the planting in big drifts. And that was kind of the hero of the garden in spring, but also the, like I say, the hardworking you know we’ve got stachys in here, and big repeats, gray foliage repeats through the plan. But things like erigeron and centranthus – really simple but
Effective. And what about in terms of landscaping, and where do you think landscaping belongs in a cottage garden theme? We’ve got rooms here, but they’re a bit more informal. The cottage isn’t actually symmetrical to the gate, and that was really important – that it stayed offset – so
We had we’ve got curved paths everywhere, but we framed it in other ways. So the planting itself kind of frames the cottage. We mounted some of the garden beds to give a bit more height at the back,
And lower at the front, so that we got a really nice kind of convex shape – on entry is what you’re kind of greeted with, although the path isn’t straight, the planting kind of wraps around the entry. So you do used different levels of planting – because the border we’re in front of
At the moment has been slightly raised – did you raise that? Yeah, so there was a natural mound here. We probably accentuated it a little bit. And there was a certain amount of site cutting that went on, just to make sure the main levels stayed the same. And instead of removing that fill,
We kind of exaggerated those mounds and mounded up where we thought it was appropriate to, I suppose, get a little bit more height in the planting. But also it gave us you know a fraction more real estate, which meant more room for plants. And this lovely border edging here,
Which is made of wood, you put that in did you? I didn’t landscape. That was the brilliant work of Grant Smitten. He did all of this as per my hand drawing, but he’s a real master and I kind
Of let him have at it. And he asked me questions along the way, but I can’t take credit for the handiwork – just the thought to put it in. In terms of choosing materials for a cottage garden, what would you recommend, particularly if you want quite a contemporary feel? Well,
I think even traditional cottage style gardens – so back even kind of looking at the arts and craft style garden – they were kind of handmade and very natural. And I think contemporary gardens can have the same kind of materials. I didn’t want to complicate it too much. I felt that red bricks
Worked really well for the era of the house, and we kept it simple with corten steel – that kind of disappears really. A very simple sand path that is easy to rake when we’ve got lots of deciduous trees. And just brought in some more timbers with furniture as well as the retaining
Wall. And so if you’re choosing furniture for a contemporary cottage garden, what would you suggest that people try? So there are different angles. I like anything cane. I think that’s quite traditional in a cottage garden. I think it’s got to be relaxed. It can’t be too forced
And rigid. Nice warm timbers. We’ve got a big dining table over in the alfresco, with some cane chairs and bench seats. Yeah, just nothing too contemporary and sharp. Would you say that there are any mistakes that people could make if they are trying to do a contemporary cottage garden.
Too many different plants can be too confusing. Also not looking at this staggering of emergent plants coming through. I think it’s important to think about it through the seasons, and not to put all your eggs in one basket. Because it doesn’t have to be. If you plan for example spring bulbs
Followed by early spring perennials, there’s a group there, and followed by some emergence coming through for the summer show. And then you’re addressing form and contrast in you know seed heads and leaf and autumn colour. I think you can’t go too wrong. How would you say that
A cottage garden can become more contemporary? I think grasses is a really good way to bring it into the now. Traditionally they weren’t really a plant that was used in the Victorian era. It gives a really relaxed feel to the planting, gives a lot of movement. It also brings in different wildlife.
Speaking of wildlife, how do you build wildlife into a cottage garden. Into a cottage garden, I think you have to look at leaving the garden stand into decay, into winter, so creating habitat and diversity in your planting as well. That’s where the grass with different flower forms,
And you know shrubs, perennials, bulbs, really looking at the whole picture and supporting the biodiversity that you have in your area. Of course if you want to adapt a style, it’s always a good idea to know what the original was like in the first place. So don’t miss this video
About what is cottage garden style and how to achieve it. And thank you for watching. Goodbye!
38 Comments
Thank you Alexanda!!! gosh your skin is so beautiful (share tips) ha
Thank you for this tour. Love Tim’s garden but also so good to do in-depth talk about plantings.
One glance and I knew Alexandra wasn't in England! Beautiful garden that goes so well with the house. Great hearing his ideas. These videos with cottage, English, and other traditional style gardens that use drought tolerant plants are so helpful for those of us in dry, hot climates who still love the look. You always ask very complete questions; you're a pro! 🙂 Here in S. California we've had crazy rain, and the weeds are going nuts. But my red nasturtiums are blooming, and the freesias are just opening. Annuals/bulbs that come up each year with little to no help are great for motivation while waiting for other plants to do their thing.
6:27 Is he referring to "erigeron," as in fleabane?
So what does a person do if they've already planted one here, one there, one……?
I basically put in one of whatever while all pertaining to the 3 colors I wanted.
Beautiful ❤
I noticed the wind playing with the plants. How relaxing to watch. That is a feel I would love in my garden.
Nice to hear a kiwi accent.
Ive chosen most of the plants in my garden but i like to use contrasting colours like dwarf apricot knipfofias with dark indigo and pastel blue delphiniums. I also tried to grow achillia mollis but it was a fail. I might try again using the cold stratification.
I also want to grow astrantias….no luck with seed yet.
Beautiful flowers!!!
Love your colour pallet. Ive got lilac and white yarrow that has reflowered all summer.
Do you want me to listen to the guy or read all the text? I can't do both at once.
What is the light blue flowering plant that is sprawling in back of where you are sitting in the video? Is it a salvia?
Inspirational…. 💐
Wonderful garden and a very handsome gardener/ owner! ;-).
I particularly enjoyed the incredible hand drawn plan for the garden. An artistry of its own and unspeakably beautiful!! Thank you.
A very well put together design!
And you asked all the right questions Alexandra !
Beautiful cottage garden, very relaxing!
Txu. Very interesting.
Very inviting garden.
So beautiful
I just don’t understand how weeds don’t take over. 😭
Excellent advice, the 70/30 balance is key.
Finally someone explains gardening I can understand.
Are tulips really that tough?
Gardening is harder than it looks!
Great video!
I tried pinching back my plants but they looked so sad.
I second that comment, the 70/30 rule allows plants to really stand out.
Great tip about balance!
Any advice?
Excellent breakdown of the 70/30 rule.
Next year will be better.
More weeding needed I guess!
My wife tells me the same thing but I never listen.
That 70/30 rule is genius, I never thought of that!
Great tip about the 70/30 rule!
I personally like a garden with lots of different plants.
Verbascum southern charm is hardy to at least -30C.
This color palette is amazing, so soothing.
If I only could limit myself to a few colors and a reasonable number of plants… But I want them all!
Beautiful garden, thank you for the plant details 🌟