How to create a cottage garden

1. Pick a sunny, sheltered spot

Most cottage garden staples - roses, delphiniums, foxgloves, hardy geraniums - want decent sun and some shelter. A south- or west-facing border with a wall or fence at the back is close to ideal.

That said, shadier spots can work with the right plant list. Astrantia, foxgloves, and geranium phaeum do fine without full sun. Match the plants to what you have, rather than the other way round.

2. Improve the soil before you plant anything

Dig in a good few barrowloads of compost, well-rotted manure, or bagged soil conditioner before putting a single plant in. It makes a real difference in the first season and saves a lot of watering later on.

Heavy clay needs extra grit mixed in to stop plants sitting wet through winter. Sandy soil needs more organic matter to hold moisture. Neither is a problem - both just need a bit more work at the start.

3. Choose your anchor plants first

Pick three or four plants to give the border structure - something tall for the back, a reliable mid-height filler, and something low for the front edge. Roses or delphiniums at the back, hardy geraniums in the middle, catmint or alchemilla at the front is a combination that has worked in British gardens for a very long time.

Once those are in place, fill around them as you go. A cottage garden builds up over time. You do not need to fill every gap in the first year.

4. Plant in groups of three or five

One plant on its own tends to look a bit lost. Three of the same variety planted close together gives much more visual weight and starts to look like someone planned it - even if you didn't.

Space them slightly closer than the label suggests. Cottage gardens look right when plants are touching and spilling into each other. Big gaps between things make it look unfinished rather than relaxed.

5. Let some plants self-seed

Part of the charm is plants that move around on their own. Foxgloves, verbena bonariensis, nigella, and aquilegia all spread freely and pop up in the cracks between paving or at the base of a rose. Let them. The odd surprise in an unexpected spot is the point.

You will need to thin them out occasionally - a foxglove seedling every few inches will crowd everything else. Pull out the ones in the wrong place and keep the ones that land somewhere good.

6. Feed and deadhead through summer

A slow-release granular fertiliser in spring and a liquid feed every fortnight from June keeps cottage plants producing. Many, like roses and hardy geraniums, will flower again if you cut back the first flush as it fades.

Deadheading is more of a habit than a chore. Ten minutes on a Sunday morning makes a visible difference to how long things keep going.

7. Cut back hard in autumn

Most perennials can be cut to the ground in late autumn. Tidying old stems before the cold sets in reduces the risk of disease building up over winter. Leave a few seed heads standing - birds appreciate them through December and January, and they catch the frost nicely.

Divide congested clumps every three or four years to keep plants flowering well. Split them in autumn or early spring, replant the healthiest pieces, give surplus bits away, and compost the rest.

When to call a handyman

Richard can help with the structural side of creating a cottage garden: raised beds, paths, gravel areas, trellis for climbers, garden arches, and fencing. The planting is the enjoyable part - we handle what needs digging, building, and fixing in place first.