Cottage-style gardens are some of the most fruitful for both gardeners and garden owners because their perennial beauty draws in pollinators like bees and butterflies and provides refuge and food for a wide variety of wildlife. So, choose the right species is essential if you want your garden to be interesting throughout the year. Our top picks for a charming cottage garden border.

1. Geraniums

   Geraniums are a safe pick if you need a groundcover or a plant to edge a border. They are available in a wide variety of shades, but pinks, blues, and whites are particularly common. Once they begin blooming, it’s very difficult to stop them from producing a dome-shaped, multicoloured swath along the border.

   

2. Alliums

   

   This gorgeous bulb blooms in late spring or early summer and adds a stunning architectural element to your border. They range in size from chives to the Globemaster and are typically lavender, pink, and white in colour. Keep them on while they dry out to ensure they return the following year.

   

   

3. Sisyrinchium striatum

   

   The pale yellow-eyed grass is the plant to use if you want a touch of yellow to provide vertical flair. Although most individuals would choose a white-and-purple colour scheme for their borders, it’s always a good idea to pair purple with another complementary colour, such as yellow.

   

4. Astrantias

   Another dependable bunch that keeps on blooming, especially if you deadhead it. They thrive in both full sun and partial shade, making them an ideal plant for bridging the gap between the two extremes.

   

5. Foeniculum vulgare

   

   Fennel is a popular culinary herb that, when in flower, can add a towering 2 metres in height to your garden border. Its understated foliage provides a soothing backdrop for more vibrant perennials. As an added bonus, you can get them in a bronze hue, which will look great in any garden with a copper theme.

6. Stipa tenuissima

   

   We need attractive grasses, and the best option is the Mexican feather grass, if we want to create a border in the cottage style. The smooth, swaying leaves of this grass are unlike any others, making it a perfect backdrop when combined with plants of any kind.

   

7. Campanula glomerata

   Ideal for the middle of the border, since it won’t outgrow the other plants there but will tower over shorter ones like verbenas and agastaches. The spectacular bubble of white petals produced by the Campanula g. ‘Alba’ makes it an ideal partner to red roses and other brightly coloured perennials.

   

8. Cynara cardunculus

   The globe artichoke is another edible border plant. Its flowering stem can grow to be around 2.5 metres tall, therefore it’s best to plant it towards the back of the border so it has room to expand. Its silvery leaves will make a great contrast with purple flowers, and its sturdy frame will lend your border a sense of order.

   

   

9. Aquilegias

   A dependable bunch of plants available in every imaginable hue. It quickly self-seeds, but the dried seedcaps are delicious. They can be utilised as a bridge plant between the sunnier and shadier portions of your garden because of their tolerance of shade.

   

10. Hydrangeas

    Keep in mind that roses and hydrangeas are essential components of any cottage-style garden. Selecting a variety of these deciduous shrubs during their flowering period will provide a longer period of bloom and will prevent any other plants from getting the spotlight. Flowers with any shape or size, including those with mop-heads, lace-caps, or paniculate blooms, are encouraged to visit.