cottage garden
Get the latest news, expert advice, and features on cottage gardens from the Gardening Know How team to help your garden thrive.
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10 Flower-Forever Versions of Your Favourite Annual Blooms – Plant Once, Enjoy for YearsFrom sunflowers to sweet peas, cosmos to foxgloves, save yourself the cost and effort of replanting every year with a perennial alternative.
By Emma Kendell
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Boost Patio Containers with Tomato Feed to Encourage a Last Flush of FlowersPlants in pots have had a marathon of a summer, so a nutritious boost in August or early September will keep them flowering for an extra few weeks.
By Emma Kendell
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These Black-Eyed Susan Varieties Flower Even Longer than Goldsturm for Bonny Blooms All Through FallEnjoy months more cheery black-eyed Susan flowers with these 7 resilient rudbeckias – and now's a great time to plant them.
By Emma Kendell
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10 New Set-and-Forget Bulbs to Buy Before August Ends – it’s the Easy Gardening Cheat to Borders Full of Striking Spring BloomsStandout new varieties of fall-planted bulbs always sell out before it’s time to plant them, and they're easily stored in a paper bag in your shed.
By Emma Kendell
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How to Hand-Feed Hummingbirds – 6 Critical Secrets to Enjoy This Heartwarming Garden ExperienceAugust is the ideal time to start hand-feeding hummingbirds as they're already used to your presence in the garden.
By Emma Kendell
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These 5 Tough Flowers Bounce Back Beautifully After Summer Heat StressEven drought-tolerant plants are starting to struggle in the continuing heatwave but these perennial beauties are still flourishing with abundant flowers.
By Emma Kendell
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Weekend Win: Prune Lavender Now to Help it Survive Winter ChillsGive lavender a quick trim in early August and your plant will grow an insulating layer of dense evergreen foliage that acts as a duvet once temperatures plummet.
By Emma Kendell
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This $20 Garden Item Will Help Hummingbirds Survive the Great MigrationSee that tiny hummingbird? It’s preparing to migrate a thousand miles or more, and there’s a cheap and easy way you can help it journey safely.
By Emma Kendell
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The World’s First Groundcover Hydrangea is Here, and Everyone Wants This Color-Changing Carpet of Fabulous FlowersHuge blooms that last for 100 days? Yes please! And there are plenty more reasons why Groundbreaker Hydrangeas are must-have plants this summer…
By Emma Kendell
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These 5 Cottage Garden Flowers May Look Delicate – But They Thrive in Extreme Summer ConditionsDon’t let their pretty looks fool you: these deceptively dainty blooms thrive through drought, heat and poor soil, proving you can have breathtaking, old-world charm without the high maintenance
By Thomas Rutter
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What to Do with Your Lavender in July Heatwaves to Extend the Blooming Season for As Long as PossibleFew summer flowering plants work harder than lavender – but if you want longer-lasting purple sweeps, these simple midsummer tricks will stretch your blooming season
By Teo Spengler
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Stop Deadheading These 5 Cottage Garden Beauties in June for Free Blooms and Effortless Color Next YearSummer blooms are all around, but it’s never too soon to plan next year’s displays – and the great news is you can save a fortune if you stop deadheading key cottage garden blooms right now
By Tyler Schuster
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These 8 Veggies Are So Pretty They Belong in Your Flower Borders – They Give You Months of Colorful Crops and Generous Harvests Even in Small SpacesWho said vegetables had to be boring? Grow these dynamic, vibrant flowering and structural cropping plants that turn your flower beds and borders into a feast for the senses
By Tyler Schuster
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8 Easy Flowering Shrubs You Can Plant and Forget in April – These Spectacular Bloomers Thrive on Neglect & Give Gorgeous Curb AppealStunning flowering shrubs don’t have to be hard work. These 8 plant and forget options are the epitome of easy living. Plant them now for gorgeous color from spring through summer – with zero stress
By Janey Goulding
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8 Fast-Growing Flowering Giants – For Easy Garden Privacy with Gorgeous BloomsBefore investing in expensive fencing, why not just big up your borders? These high-impact flower towers offer natural screening and jaw-dropping color
By Mary Ellen Ellis
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Cottage Garden Shrubs – 10 Dreamy Picks for a Nostalgic and Romantic AestheticEasy naturalistic movement meets evocative nostalgia in the heart of the cottage garden. Discover 10 essential flowering shrubs that provide a multi-seasonal tapestry of color and texture
By Janey Goulding
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Growing Poppies from Seed: Best Care for Pretty Blooms in Borders, Rockeries and PotsEnjoy effortless beauty with dazzling jewel tones by growing poppies from seed. Whether you prefer delicate wildflowers or bold perennials, here's how to care for these treasured blooms
By Janey Goulding

