Hi GPODers!
Certain countries automatically bring specific design styles to mind. Japan conjures visions of verdant plantings and naturalistic water features, while fragrant plants spilling from terra-cotta containers in a patio garden remind us of courtyards in Spain and Italy. The same can be said for England’s iconic cottage gardens. When someone says “English garden,” it’s hard not to imagine what that looks like. Of course, even when a garden utilizes plants or style elements that are signature to cottage designs, the execution is always unique to each individual landscape. The garden of Peter Shaw in County Durham in Northeast England is an excellent example. While there are definitely elements of that classic cottage style present, retaining walls keep all the plantings a bit more tamed and tidier, and the plants selected make for a much more modern palette.
A sloped garden introduces tons of new obstacles and challenges, but it does have one benefit: the ease of building lush layers with a little less thought and strategy required for selecting and siting plants. Peter has the option to plant something smaller in the back of the bed—like hydrangeas that are much more compact than the larger specimens on lower tiers—that would not be possible in a flat landscape.
These retaining walls also provide more visible opportunities for garden art, which is sprinkled unsparingly throughout Peter’s beds. You will also see wonderful container plantings scattered throughout the garden, a great use of every inch of available space for more plants and personality.
Cottage gardens are all about color through lots of diverse and vibrant blooms, and Peter’s garden features just about every color imaginable. However, he doesn’t just rely on flowers for this beautiful palette of hues; he also utilizes foliage for even more amazing plant-pairing possibilities, like the pink Japanese maple situated between hydrangeas and phlox.
Flower-filled but with plenty of room left for more creativity and fun: Some gardeners are traditionalists, embracing the “rules” of gardening and looking to achieve something very specific. But the benefit of a cottage-style garden is the opportunity to experiment. The “rules” in this style are much less hard and fast, allowing the gardener to interpret them in a way that matches their personal style and garden layout.
Finally, there’s a sweet little seating area surrounded by even more containers of fabulous foliage and flowers.
Thank you so much for sharing your gorgeous designs with us, Peter! You’ve clearly made an iconic and beloved design style completely your own, injecting tons of personality and creativity into your space.
Are there traditional garden styles that you try to emulate in your garden? From a Zen Japanese garden to wild, naturalistic plantings, what atmosphere are you cultivating in your landscape? Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
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Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
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