Today we’re visiting Maxine in Rotterdam, New York, where densely planted borders bring the exuberant look of an English cottage garden to life. Here’s what Maxine has to say:
We started our garden with the hope of creating a traditional English cottage garden—a garden that thrives on deliberate chaos. This summer, tightly packed borders overflowed with color, texture, and scent, with plants leaning on each other for support and leaving little room for weeds.
In past years, tender shoots often became an easy meal for deer and rabbits. This season, however, the garden received a welcome reprieve. Hostas remained intact, phlox held their blooms, and fresh growth matured without being clipped overnight, allowing the layered planting to reach its peak.
In this sun-drenched section of the garden, phlox (Phlox cvs., Zones 3–9), cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum, Zones 3–9), and Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium cvs., Zones 3–9) create a colorful backdrop for a layered, pollinator-packed cottage garden. It’s proof that more is definitely better when it comes to perennials.
Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus, Zones 3–8) produces whimsical, puffy buds that swell like tiny balloons before opening into star-shaped flowers.
Rows of ferns show off lush green color and delicate texture, giving this shady part of the garden a peaceful, almost ancient atmosphere.
‘Felix Supreme’ peony (Paeonia lactiflora ‘Felix Supreme’, Zones 3–8) is spectacular in bloom, while yellow false indigo (Baptisia cvs., Zones 4–9) stands tall during the early days of this lush cottage-style garden.
Bear’s breeches (Acanthus cvs., Zones 5–10) shows off tall spikes of white and reddish-purple flowers, surrounded by Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum × superbum, Zones 4–9) and bright scarlet bee balm (Monarda cvs., Zones 3–9).
A vibrant layered garden bed is filled with hydrangeas, bee balm, and daylilies (Hemerocallis cvs., Zones 3–9) in full bloom.
Thank you, Maxine, for sharing your wildly beautiful garden with us! It was such a treat looking through all of your photos and choosing the ones to feature today. With so many beautiful images to choose from, I’m already thinking we may need a Part 2!
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