Two-Day Transformation: How To Create A Delightful Cottage-Style Garden On Your Patio In A Weekend
Do you long to have your own cottage garden but don't have a lot of time to spend designing one? Fortunately, being short on time doesn't have to dash your garden dreams. With a little planning, you can transform your patio into the cottage garden of your dreams in a weekend.
Simply take one day of the weekend to plan your garden, make a list, and shop for supplies. Use the second day of the weekend to plant your flowers and create your cottage garden.
Pot a cottage garden
Purchase about a dozen ceramic or plastic pots to use for planting your garden. Bright-colored pots are too distracting in a cottage garden. Select neutral colors like beige, ivory, taupe, gray, and white instead. Choose a variety of sizes and shapes of pots to create the typical spontaneous and unplanned look of a cottage garden.
Visit your local garden center and choose a variety of plants for your pots. The color palette of a cottage garden often consists of lavender, blue, pink, purple, and white flowers. Some good flower choices include impatiens, phlox, roses, delphiniums, and foxgloves. And don't forget the lavender. No cottage garden would be complete without the relaxing scent of a few lavender plants.
Add light with white furniture
Nothing brightens a cottage garden like the color white. What could be more inviting than a small white table and chairs placed in a corner of your patio garden? Look for metal or white wooden chairs and a table that will hold up well in outdoor conditions. Add an additional chair or two for entertaining guests. Don't worry about your garden appearing too cluttered with the addition of furniture. Cottage gardens tend to be overflowing with lush plants and decorative items.
Add a few garden statues for charm
Shop for garden statues online to add a touch of charm or whimsy to your patio garden. A small garden statue can be used as a centerpiece on the patio table. A large statue can be placed near a pot of flowers to add contrast.
When it comes to garden statues, choose statues you find charming and interesting. Some good choices for a cottage garden are bird, bunny, children, frog, angel, and cherub statues.
For additional charm, shop for garden statues that double as birdbaths or outdoor water fountains.
Finishing touches
Place a few shepherd's hooks around the perimeter of the patio to hold decorative items. Shepherd's hooks can be used to hold wooden garden signs, watering cans, wind chimes, or additional flowers in hanging baskets.
A large outdoor rug can be used to add a warm and cozy feeling to your patio garden. Look for a neutral-colored rug accented with a border of vines or petite flowers to enhance the cottage theme.
When you're short on time and want to create something big on design, turning your patio into a cottage garden is the perfect weekend project. It will add instant beauty to your outdoor space, and you will feel like you're strolling through an English garden each time you walk out your door.