Winter Cottage Gardens: How To Keep A Cottage Garden In Winter Appealing

The cottage
garden is a classic, charming English landscape feature. Many of the
traditional plants for such spaces are perennials and deciduous, which leaves
winter cottage gardens looking bleak for part of the year. While it is easy to
provide texture and color for the mildest seasons, it takes some planning to
have an interesting cottage garden for winter, but it certainly can be
achieved.

Cottage gardens are known for their carefree elegance. There
is so much going on in these small spaces that the effect can be chaotic
without some balancing influences. Spring and summer bulbs and flowers abound,
while smaller fruiting bushes or trees and herbs lend a culinary aspect. Much
of this dies back when cold temperatures arrive, however, leaving a cottage
garden in winter a bit dull. A few suggestions can help perk up the winter
garden.

Using Evergreens as Winter Cottage Garden Plants

To create a cottage garden with winter interest, you will
need plants that do not lose their leaves. Smaller trees and shrubs are perfect
winter cottage garden plants. Select trees that won’t shade out other plants
and have interest year-round.

Something that flowers and fruits is an option. Broadleaf or needle leaf plants will provide needed greenery. A plant that flowers in late winter, such as witch hazel, provides those adorable tasseled flowers. Other ideas include:

• Yew – Not only lovely foliage but yews also have cheery, red berries.

• Boxwood – Boxwood has many varieties and is easy to sheer, hedge, or use in containers.

• Camellia – Camellia has broad, glossy foliage with bright, late winter blooms.

• Ornamental grasses – Mondo, sedge, blue oat grass, and fescue are a few ornamental grasses to try.

• Sweetbox – Sweetbox has strongly scented winter flowers, black winter berries, and narrow, glossy foliage.

Other Plants for Winter Cottage Gardens

Another way to create a cottage garden with winter interest
is by using plants that have brightly colored stems or persistent cones,
berries, or fruit. Some of these to include in your garden are:

• Dwarf persimmon – A dwarf persimmon will have brightly colored fruit well into winter.

• Red twig dogwood – The bushes of red twig dogwood will provide a pop of color.

• Snowberries – Snowberries have creamy white berries dangling throughout the cold season.

• Chokeberry – Chokeberry has persistent, purple-black berries.

• Paperbark maple – The slightly shredded bark of the paperbark maple gives an amazing look to winter gardens.

• Japanese Kerria – Along with yellow spring blooms, Japanese kerria’s winter interest is in its bright green bark.

• Beautyberry – Beautyberry has bright purple fruits.

• Viburnum – The viburnum has black to red berries.

Flowering Plants for The Cottage Garden in Winter

Flowering plants often leave behind interesting seed heads
to perk up the cottage garden for winter. One of the easiest to grow is Autumn
Joy sedum, an impressive succulent with a high site tolerance and
long-lasting flower heads.

Hellebores,
with their forked large leaves, will produce copious nodding flowers in a host
of colors.

Depending on your zone, you can also grow pansies,
primrose,
or honeywort.
An evergreen
clematis with scented winter blooms and arrow-shaped leaves make good
additions. Pieris
has cascading flowers in winter, while winter
jasmine is hardy and produces golden flowers even in snow.