Table of contents:
- The cottage garden was used for self-sufficiency
- Design and construction of a cottage garden
- Make the right choice for planting
- 1. Flowering perennials
- Plant list flowering perennials
- 2. Bulbs and bulbs
- The right planting time
- List of plants bulbs and bulbs
- 3. Biennial summer flowers
- Plant list biennial summer flowers
- 4. Annual flowers
- Plant list annual summer flowers
- 5. Plant herbs in the cottage garden
- Plant list of annual herbs
- Book tip: My beautiful cottage garden
Even the word "cottage garden" promises original, rural garden happiness and seductive abundance. Cottage gardens are the oldest form of garden culture, where the useful is combined with the beautiful in a playful harmony.
Table of contents Table of contents cottage garden: rural garden happiness
- The cottage garden was used for self-sufficiency
- Design and construction of a cottage garden
- Make the right choice for planting
- 1. Flowering perennials
- Plant list flowering perennials
- 2. Bulbs and bulbs
- The right planting time
- List of plants bulbs and bulbs
- 3. Biennial summer flowers
- Plant list biennial summer flowers
- 4. Annual flowers
- Plant list annual summer flowers
- 5. Plant herbs in the cottage garden
- Plant list of annual herbs
- Book tip: My beautiful cottage garden
Table of contents Table of contents cottage garden: rural garden happiness
- The cottage garden was used for self-sufficiency
- Design and construction of a cottage garden
- Make the right choice for planting
- 1. Flowering perennials
- Plant list flowering perennials
- 2. Bulbs and bulbs
- The right planting time
- List of plants bulbs and bulbs
- 3. Biennial summer flowers
- Plant list biennial summer flowers
- 4. Annual flowers
- Plant list annual summer flowers
- 5. Plant herbs in the cottage garden
- Plant list of annual herbs
- Book tip: My beautiful cottage garden
Farm gardens are self-sufficient gardens with healthy vegetables, sweet berries, colorful flowers and sun-warm herbs. This coexistence makes the cottage garden a cornucopia of exuberant plant life. The magnificent, but mostly undemanding cottage garden flowers are not always long-established. Many new immigrants have been added in the past 100 years. In contrast to cultivated plants, they have different care requirements. Neither fertilizer nor pesticides are necessary for their lush growth.
The cottage garden was used for self-sufficiency
The tradition of the cottage garden can be traced back to earlier school or monastery gardens. These primarily served the purpose of self-sufficiency. In a very limited space, as many food and medicinal plants as possible were grown next to individual ornamental flowers. The planting had to be well thought out, however, as the garden was supposed to generate yields all year round. Since this garden type was taken up in Hamburg in 1913 in the form of a specially designed show garden, it has been used as a template for all modern cottage gardens.
Instead of self-sufficiency, the pleasure of snacking and the decorative ambience are more important in the garden today.
Design and construction of a cottage garden
Depending on the size of the plot of land available, the garden can either be created completely or only as a part of it as a cottage garden. The layout of a Hamburg-style cottage garden is usually square or rectangular and is divided by a cross made of gravel, bark mulch or natural stone. In any case, the garden is laid out in geometric patterns with a roundel in the middle. This is often designed with a small shrub, tree or a round bed. A fountain or water basin is also suitable as a center. The outline of the garden is delimited by a fence or a hedge, and the individual beds also have a natural border.
In the construction garden, the paths are laid with gravel, bark mulch or natural stones.
/ Hannamariah
Make the right choice for planting
The selection of flowers for your cottage garden depends on the flowering time, the flower color and the height of growth. Autumn bloomers should be placed so that their leaves cover the dead planting places of the spring bloomers in summer. Colorful and large-flowered, double flowers should only occasionally find a place in the cottage garden.
From our plant lists, you can choose perennials, biennial plants, summer flowers, bulbs and tubers so that something always blooms from spring to late autumn.
1. Flowering perennials
Many ancestral flowers accompanied our ancestors from birth to death, in the event of illness and need, but also at church and family celebrations. For the hard-working farmers, they had to be easy to care for. The flowers that we recommend are very persistent, survive the winter well and will sprout again next spring.
Delphinium delphinium blooms from June to September and grows up to 70 centimeters high.
/ Ottochka
Plant list flowering perennials
| Surname | Flower color | Height cm | Heyday |
| Columbine (Aquilegia caerulea) | pink, blue, red, white, yellow | 60-80 | May June |
| Burning love (Lychnis chalcedonica) | bright red | 10th | May June |
| Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) | White | 25th | December-March |
| Monkshood (Aconitum napellus) | blue | up to 150 | June August |
| Feather carnation (Dianthus plumarius) | pink, red, white | 20-30 | May June |
| Delphinium (Delphinium cultorum) | blue, white pink | 70 | June-September |
| Herbstaster (Aster novi-belgii) | blue, pink, red, white | 80-150 | September-October |
| Sky key (Primula vulgaris) | yellow | 20th | April May |
| Bearded Iris (Iris x barbata-elatior) | blue to violet, pink, yellow, white | 70-100 | May June |
| Carthusian carnation (Dianthus carthusianorum) | purple | 20th | June-September |
| Pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) | violet, pink, white | 120 | July-September |
| Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus) | red, yellow, blue, pink, white | 60 | June July |
| Stonecrop (Sedum spectabile) | crimson pink | 40 | July-September |
| Goldenrod (Solidago hybrida) | yellow | 60-80 | August-September |
| Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus) | light green | 50 | January-May |
| Marguerite (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) | White | 50-60 | May June |
| Evening primrose (Oenothera tetragona) | yellow | 40-60 | June August |
| Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale) | red, pink | 80-100 | June July |
| Phlox (Phlox paniculata) | pink, purple, white, red, blue | 60-120 | June-September |
| Delphinium (Delphinium cultorum) | blue, white pink | 150-200 | June-July, September-October |
| Yarrow (Achillea filipendulina) | yellow | 70 | June-September |
| Perennial sunflower (Helianthus decapetalus) | yellow | 120 | August-September |
| Day lily (Hemerocallis fulva) | yellow-orange | 60-120 | June July |
| Bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) | red, pink, white | 80 | May June |
| Violet (Viola odorata) | blue violet | 15 | March April |
2. Bulbs and bulbs
The low onion plants like the snowdrop and the winter aconite open the garden season in spring. Gladiolus and dahlias with their splendidly large flowers attract everyone's attention in the cottage garden. From early summer, lilies develop their beguiling scent. They are among the oldest flowers that were cultivated in gardens. They are already depicted on the frescoes of the earliest cultures of the Mediterranean and the Near East. In the medieval herb gardens, together with the roses, they were considered a symbol of perfect beauty.
The low onion plants like the snowdrop and the winter aconite open the garden season in spring.
/ Skowronek
The right planting time
The lily and imperial crown bulbs should be planted in August. A beautiful day in September or October is the ideal time to plant the early flowering varieties such as daffodils and hyacinths. The frost-sensitive bulbs of the dahlias are brought out of the ground in November. The stem remnants are cut back to ten centimeters. For storage, they are layered in sand and stored cool. After the ice saints in May they can be put outside again. It has also proven useful to put the onions in pots in March and to move them indoors.
List of plants bulbs and bulbs
| Surname | Flower color | Height cm | Heyday |
| Ornamental dahlia (Dahlia variabilis) | all colors except blue | 100-130 | August-November |
| Gladiolus (Gladiolus gandavensis) | red, pink, yellow, purple, violet, white | 80-120 | July-September |
| Fire lily (Lilium bulbiferum) | orange-yellow | 80 | May June |
| Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis) | blue, pink, red | 20-30 | April |
| Imperial crown (Fritillaria imperialis) | Red Yellow | 80 | April May |
| Madonna lily (Lilium candidum) | pure white | 100 | June July |
| Montbretia (Montbretia crocosmiflora) | yellow, orange, red | 50-70 | July-October |
| Poet's Daffodil (Narcissus poeticus) | White | 30-40 | May |
| Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) | White | 10-20 | February March |
| Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) | yellow | 5 | February March |
| Grape hyacinth (Muscari racemosus) | dark blue | 20-30 | March April |
| League of Turks (Lilium martagon) | Spotted burgundy-brown | 80 | June July |
3. Biennial summer flowers
Two-year summer flowers like the deep blue forget-me-not are sown in June.
/ bendzhik
Two-year-old summer flowers are simply sown between a herbaceous or vegetable patch. And then you have to wait until these blossom miracles appear, which only give summer its many colors and fragrances.
Summer flowers enable flexible gardening: they are sown exactly where there is still a bare spot. If you are lucky, they will seed themselves so that you can simply dig out the freshly sprouted plantlets and place them where you want them. Two-year-old summer flowers are sown in the garden in June.
Plant list biennial summer flowers
| Surname | Flower color | Height cm | Heyday |
| Marienbockenblume (Campanula medium) | blue, pink, white | 70 | May June |
| Carnation (Dianthus barbatus) | pink, red, white, purple | 50-60 | June July |
| Foxglove (Digitalis pupurea) | white, pink, crimson purple | 100-120 | June July |
| Gold lacquer (Cheiranthus cheiri) | yellow, orange, brown, brown-violet | 40-60 | May June |
| Mullein (Verbascum densiflorum) | light yellow | - 200 | June August |
| Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) | pink, scarlet, white, yellow, purple | - 200 | July August |
| Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica) | deep blue | 20-25 | May June |
4. Annual flowers
It towers over everyone else: the sunflower.
Photo: Fotolia / Kuttelvaserova
They bloom for only one summer, many of them until late summer and autumn. And some, like the large-flowered sunflower, are suitable as green manure. The annuals can be brought up on the warm window sill from March, or they can be sown directly in the bed in May.
Plant list annual summer flowers
| Surname | Flower color | Height cm | Heyday |
| Cup Mallow (Lavatera trimestris) | pink, white | 60-100 | July-October |
| Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) | yellow | 180-300 | August-September |
| Foxtail (Amaranthus caudatus) | dark red | 60/100 | July-October |
| Maiden in the green (Nigella damascena) | blue White | 30-50 | July-September |
| Nasturtium | yellow, orange, red | climbs to 300 | July-October |
| Levkoye (Matthiola annua) | pink, carmine, purple, white | 80-100 | June July |
| Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) | yellow, red, pink, white | 60-100 | June-September |
| Delphinium (Delphinium ajacis) | blue, purple, white | 80-100 | July-October |
| Marigold (Calendula officinalis) | orange, yellow | 25-50 | July-October |
| Baby's breath (Gypsophila elegans) | white, pink | 30-50 | July August |
| Summer aster (Callistephus chinensis) | yellow, red, pink, blue, white | 50-60 | July-September |
| Straw flower (Helichrysum bracteatum) | yellow, red, pink, white, purple, violet | 80-100 | July-September |
| Marigold (Tagetes patula) | yellow, orange, brown-red | 20-50 | June-October |
| Vetch (Lathyrus odoratus) | pink, purple, violet, blue, white, red | climbs to 150 | June July |
| Zinnia (Zinnia elegans) | red, yellow, pink, purple, violet, white | 30-100 | July-September |
5. Plant herbs in the cottage garden
Herbs like chamomile are a spice, aroma and green pharmacy at the same time. They also attract beautiful butterflies to the garden.
/ Ruud Morjin
The best way to plant the perennial herbs is on your own bed, staggered according to size. Decorative blooming herbs such as lavender, sage, rhombus and hyssop can be mixed into the flowers. Sow the annual herbs wherever there is space. As a gap filler, for example, savory stands between the bush beans. Dill thrives between the lettuce and chamomile blooms on the onion bed. In a small garden, the vegetable patch can be framed with parsley, chives and dill.
Plant list of annual herbs
Plant list of perennial herbs
| Surname | Height of growth | sowing | when to sow | what reap |
| Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) | 150 | Outdoors | March April | root |
| Savory (Satureja montana) | 40 | Outdoors | from May | Leaves, shoots |
| Spice fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) | -200 | Outdoors | May | Leaves, fruits |
| Garlic (Allium sativum) | 70 | plant outdoors | March | onion |
| Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) | 50 | Outdoors | May | Leaves, shoot tips |
| Lovage (Levisticum officinalis) | - 200 | Outdoors | April May | Leaves, roots |
| Melissa (Melissa officinale) | 100 | Outdoors | March | Shoot tips |
| Peppermint (Mentha piperita) | 80 | Outdoors | March | leaves |
| Rhombus (Ruta graveolens) | 60 | Outdoors | April | leaves |
| Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) | - 150 | prefer in the room | February | Shoot tips |
| Chives (Allium schoenoprassum) | 25th | Outdoors | March | leaves |
| Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) | 30th | Outdoors | April May | Leaves, shoot tips |
| Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) | 100 | prefer | March | Flowers, leaves |
| Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) | 100 | Outdoors | May | Leaves, shoot tips |
Book tip: My beautiful cottage garden
Vegetables, herbs, medicinal plants and flowers: they are all an integral part of a cottage garden. This book gives tips on planting and maintenance.
Photo: BLV
The typical cottage garden? There is no such thing. Its tradition is centuries old, its faces were and are very diverse. However, vegetables, herbs, medicinal plants and flowers have always been part of it - delicious, fragrant, healthy and colorful. And this is also the basis for the new desire for the farm garden.
Bärbel Steinberger took a foray through the history of this rural garden culture and drew a current portrait. "My beautiful cottage garden" is the name of the book, which contains background knowledge as well as tips on planting and maintenance. In the mirror of history, the Romans appear to be plant importers, Charlemagne's estate ordinance and Hildegard von Bingen with their knowledge of medicinal herbs. The author presents farm gardens in the Swiss Emmental as well as in the Westphalian Ammerland and gives tips for planning and layout. Then the typical plants are in the foreground. There are the Christmas rose as a symbol for eternity, the omnipresent marigold and the almost forgotten clary sage, the "magic plant" mullein as a remedy for evil spirits, the pumpkin from South America, the quince, the honeysuckle, the rose. Tables provide information about requirements and special features. Sections are also dedicated to the courtyard trees, potted plants and the "displaced". Customs, the practical use of plants (for dyeing, seasoning), their ritual meaning and recipes are also summarized, and in the end it is about the work in the course of the year - clearly arranged as practical instructions. It is not only the colorful photos that make My Beautiful Farm Garden an invitation to continue the tradition itself and create its own little paradise for body and soul - as a farm garden.
Bärbel Steinberger, “My beautiful cottage garden. Flower splendor and rich harvest”, 160 pages, 19.50 euros
BLV publishing house, 2007
