Small Cottage Garden Design – How to Plan a Cottage Garden for YOUR Space the Permaculture Way

Ready to plan your cottage garden but don’t know where to start? In this video, I’m taking you through the complete planning process using permaculture observation principles – so you create a garden that works WITH your site instead of fighting it.
You’ll learn:
✅ How to properly observe and map your site (sun, shade, drainage)
✅ Creating an accurate to-scale base map
✅ Using permaculture zones to place plants strategically
✅ Planning functional pathways that create productive edges
✅ Calculating exactly how many plants you need
✅ Sketching your plant placement with layering and color
No fancy software needed – just graph paper, a pencil, and observation skills. By the end of this video, you’ll have a real plan you can implement!
This is Video 3 in my Cottage Garden Foundations series.
🎬 WATCH NEXT:
Video 1: The Permaculture Origins of Cottage Gardens (Parts 1 & 2)
Video 2: 5 Design Principles That Make Cottage Gardens Work

Welcome to Almost2Acres 🌿

Nestled in the heart of Zone 4 Minnesota, Almost2Acres is tended by me, Carol, who has loved the soil since the 1970’s when I saw “The Victory Garden” on PBS in North Dakota as a young teenager. Soon Dad was building garden beds and grow lights for a budding plant lover. I became a coffee drinking, Type A, bandana wearing garden hippie in Horticulture college while attaining a bachelors degree, learning about composting and organic gardening back when they were newer concepts. Since then I have been learning, growing, and sharing lots of plant starts as well as garden advice with my free-spirited creativity and messy tactics to those interested. Whether you’re a meticulous planner or a spontaneous planter, this channel offers a harmonious blend of both worlds.