Let’s say you love the charming and carefree feeling of a cottage garden but you want to make your garden a bit more modern. There are no rule books that say you can’t mix and match styles, and by following a few simple guidelines, you can achieve a stunning modern cottage garden.
A modern cottage garden embraces the romantic and casual feeling of traditional English cottage gardens. While keeping their charm, they are also infused with more modern touches.
Designing a garden is extremely exciting, but it can also get overwhelming. There are lots of decisions to make, and there are so many plants to choose from! In this blog post, we will be taking a look at 13 different modern cottage garden ideas that are sure to leave you ready to get gardening.
This blog post is all about modern cottage garden inspiration!
Modern Cottage Garden Ideas
1. Cottage Garden With Consistent Color Palette
When designing a modern cottage garden, choose a consistent color palette and stick to it. In the image above you can see that they have used different shades of purple and green. This creates a consistency that is pleasant for the eye to look at.
When choosing your color palette consider these three things: The color of the cottage, the color of the surroundings, and the classic cottage garden colors. Pastel hues are often associated with the cottage garden style, but if you love cheerful colors you are free to choose those.
Try choosing 2-3 colors that look good together and that blend nicely with your surroundings. Pro tip: white goes with every color and looks beautiful in a modern cottage garden.
2. Modern Cottage Garden with Stone Stairs
Look at this stunning cottage garden featuring stone stairs surrounded by lush blooms in pink and purple.
To get the modern cottage garden look in your own space, consider incorporating stairs for added dynamics and interest in your space.
3. Modern Kitchen Garden
The traditional English cottage gardens often included areas for growing food.
In the example above they have designed a beautiful, modern kitchen garden inspired by classic design.
4. Modern Cottage Garden With Muted Colors
If you feel like traditional cottage gardens are a bit too colorful for you, why not go with plants that have more muted colors?
The example above is a gorgeous example of how you can use plants in muted greens, greys, and whites in a modern cottage garden design. The winding gravel pathway adds that casual cottage garden feeling.
5. Colorful Cottage Garden With Pathways
This summer garden is cheerful and bright. The wide variety of different flowers and plants gives it a nature-like and carefree feeling, while the lawn and clean pathways add a modern touch.
6. Garden With Seating Area
In this charming garden, a simple gravel pathway leads you through lush plants. The two benches add a nice opportunity for sitting down and enjoying the garden.
7. Cottage Garden with Grasses
Grasses are not a typical cottage garden plant, but it is amazing how this species can add a modernized touch! A combination of cottage garden classics and grasses give the garden a charming, yet updated look.
8. Modern Cottage Garden with Climbing Flowers
Who doesn’t love climbing flowers? They can be such a stunning display when allowed to climb fences, trellises, and gates.
For wow factor in your garden, construct a classic cottage garden gate and let climbing roses or other climbing plants adorn it. Absolutely stunning and timeless!
9. Consistency is Key
You may associate cottage gardens with a wild and informal look. To keep your modern cottage garden from looking too unruly, keep consistency in mind. The key is to choose a collection of different plants that will reappear in clusters throughout your garden design.
When planting, be sure to always plant three or more of the same plant in clusters.
In the example above, you can see that the purple flowers reappear in groups as you walk down the path. This is calming for the eye to look at and it gives a wholeness to the space.
10. Winding Pathways
Avoid straight lines as much as possible when designing in the cottage garden style. Winding pathways is a great way to encourage calming wanderings in the garden space. But don’t just add pathways in random places. Think through where you want your paths to go.
Maybe you have a seating area in your garden? Create a pathway that intentionally leads you through some of your most interesting plants, and that ends up in your seating area.
11. Add a Garden Shed
Consider adding a garden shed to your modern cottage garden, and let a winding gravel path lead you too it. There is something really charming about keeping a little shed in the garden. This is a space that can hold all your gardening tools. You could even add a table and chairs to make it a cozy space for you to enjoy a cup of tea on a rainy day.
12. Don’t Forget About Fences
Having a fence surrounding your garden is a must. This is sure to give your space the feeling of a true cottage garden. Traditionally, fences were used to keep deer and other animals away from the plants.
Today they are mostly used for decoration. If you do have deer in your area, be sure to build your fence high enough for them to stay out.
13. Organic Portals
Organic portals made from vines or wood can add a wow factor to your garden space. Include them wherever you can for a charming look!
Conclusion
This blog post has been all about modern cottage garden ideas. To conclude I want to say that it’s important to remember that you choose a garden design that makes you happy. It is your garden. You are the one who will be spending time there.
By sticking to a color palette, including winding pathways, planting in groups, choosing cottage garden classics, and adding some modern touches here and there, you will achieve your dream cottage garden design. Remember that portals, gates, fences, and casual seating areas add a lot of visual appeal to a modern cottage garden. Grasses are a wonderful way to add a modern twist to the space.
Have fun with your garden design and be sure to check out my other blog posts on the topic here.