Everyone’s been busy riding the home renovation trend these past few months, and it shows no signs of stopping, with many homeowners still happy to invest right back into the beauty and value of their homes given whacky home prices that continue to rise. And while many consider the notion popular due to it being the smarter financial decision in the long term, getting the opportunity to design and remodel your property is just a fun thing to do that many people are picking up.
However, if there’s one space of the house that’s been getting most time under the spotlight, then that title definitely goes to landscaping and garden design, given the various minimalist and modernist takes several properties are trying to achieve. But, we firmly believe that everyone should stop jumping on the bandwagon and try something new, specifically giving cottage-style gardens the chance to blow their expectations away.
What Makes Cottage-Style Gardens Different?
In contrast to modern and minimalist gardens that focus on limited centerpieces and geometric decorative features, cottage-style gardens steer toward the exact opposite direction by emphasizing a more laid-back and down-to-earth aesthetic. And while it may not work perfectly with blocky and modern home designs, the classic home among the suburbs will fit the description perfectly and see its overall appeal rise significantly as well.
- Flora, Fauna, And A Variety Of Colors: Instead of sharp edges and subtle color palettes, one clear-cut distinction that sets cottage-style gardens from modern takes is the flourishing flora, fauna, and variety of colors. Of course, we don’t mean that wildlife will be running to and from your garden 24/7 but expect fresh perennials all year round and the view to be reminiscent of mid-century English homes.
- Embracing The Rustic And Naturalist Appeal: In addition to the flora and colorful aspects, cottage-style gardens also welcome the rustic and naturalist aesthetic appeal by leaning towards timber-laden furniture and seating. Furthermore, you’ll also find a combination of bricks, stones, and weathered pathways to mark the foot traffic direction of the garden that mimics the naturalist details of the quintessentially English home.
- Chaotic But Amazingly Concise: Lastly, the best description that bounds all of these beautiful features into one is that cottage-style gardens are simply chaotic at face value but amazingly concise and well-put-together from the bigger picture. Sure, some might argue that having different rose arbors, plant beds, and water features might be burdensome on maintenance on upkeep, but the freedom and harmonious balance of the different details is what makes a cottage-style garden feel more like home.
What Key Design Pieces Should You Introduce?
Unlike modernist, urban, or cutting-edge gardens that will have you glancing over every little detail, planning a cottage-style garden is a lot more free-form than most designs which means you don’t need to be super technical with what design pieces to add. In general, we recommend focusing on adding (1) flowers & profuse plant layouts, (2) installing simple water features, and (3) creating a private space for your escape into nature.
- Focus On Flowers And Profuse Plant Layouts: As far as flowers and plant layouts go, you’re free to choose between seasonal options, which will require you to change them out every couple of months or so, or go for perennials that take little upkeep to remain fresh all year round. Typically, you’d find a lot more vibrant colors through seasonal choices, but if you want to save a bit more cash on the side, then perennials can still look just as good.
- Play With Relaxing Water Features: While some water features can get pricey if you’re looking at very grand design pieces, we recommend playing with some relaxing water features to your cottage-style garden to complement your plants. For example, a simple pond with circulating water streams will work just fine for your first time, and you can work your way up from there if you want to make renovations in the future.
- Create A Personal Escape To Nature: Last but not least, never forget to create a personal escape to nature in your cottage-style garden because the naturalist appeal will go to waste if you can’t enjoy it while staying outside. One easy way of doing it is installing a pergola or hanging beautiful awnings from the side of your house to have some shade for seating, and after that, just incorporate the pathways!
Give Cottage-Style Gardens A Chance!
In conclusion, we think there are more than enough modern and minimalist gardens featured in homes across the world, and it’s about time we introduce a bit of variety into our design choices. So, feel free to choose what works for you above, and give cottage-style gardens a chance to impress you and your neighbors.
