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How to get the British Cottage Garden look

91K views · May 15, 2026 · Howto & Style

The Middle-Sized Garden

257K subscribers

Comments · 152

@TheMiddlesizedGarden · 4 months ago · pinned
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@joycestempa5647 · 4 months ago (edited)
You ain’t wrong there sister, a cottage garden is A LOT of work!  I’ve maintained one for well over 30 years and it’s still not where I dream of it being.  THE most critical part of a cottage garden is its structure.  You have to start with hedging, fencing, arbors, arches, paving, paths and statuary or “features”.  That takes years to layout and get it established before I recommend layering in the flower.  Roses go in first, then lay out your bulbs, then your “thrillers”, then “fillers”, then your “spillers”….. then lastly pots, finally tuck in ornamentation of your choice.  It’s NOT haphazard, it’s extremely planned out to look natural and it is CONSTANT hard, backbreaking work, 10-12 months a year but if you truly love it, not one ounce feels like effort, it feels like joy!!<br><br>A cottage garden fills a hole in your heart that only your soul remembers from a higher time & place.
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@enatp6448 · 4 months ago
Yes seating in your garden is a bit of a double edged sword  - as you gaze out to your garden in an attempt to relax, the deadheading and alterations demand your attention.
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@cambbrown6205 · 4 months ago
What a joy a cottage garden is
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@wendycutts9734 · 4 months ago
How lovely. Alexandra, you gave us a few precious moments of calm and pleasure. Both of you soft-voiced and the birds singing in the background. Absolute heaven, thank you❤
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@Laurenprice-h9p · 4 months ago
I laughed about the discussion about seats. I had a lovely group of gardeners visiting our gardens and someone  asked why there where lots of little seating areas, my answer was because I realize many  of our visitors are older and appreciate being able to sit and enjoy the view and listen to the birds in garden .
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@gardenflowersfails · 4 months ago
Cottage gardens: "They might look informal & relaxed, but the people looking after them aren't necessarily relaxed..." 🙌 truth!! 😅
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@kiki-s9b8p · 4 months ago
Balancing serendipity with structure is a lot like painting.
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@ivyandroses25 · 4 months ago
This channel is one of the best. Always inspiring and informative.💚💚💚
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@VioletPlum-12 · 4 months ago
I had my grandmother and country farm women from my childhood when I started from scratch on property I bought 20 years ago. I finally succeeded in accomplishing the feel and aesthetics from my memories. One can feel history among our creations and connections to our ancestors. It’s really surprising the effect it has when you have succeeded in your project.💚
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@JennyWright-i6h · 3 months ago
How fabulous to hear the birds so many thanks to whoever recorded this
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@jenni4claire · 3 months ago
Cottage gardening  is the Folk music of gardening
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