Traditionally cottage gardens were a random mixture of useful and ornamental plants, with more emphasis being given to the useful plants which for instance; could be eaten, used for medicinal purposes, or as animal forage. The ornamental plants were an afterthought, using colourful and easily grown annuals, herbaceous perennials and small shrubs to brighten the garden, space permitting.
These days the best cottage gardens are carefully designed to give a pleasing arrangement of ornamental plants, herbs, vegetables, garden ornaments and accessories. Cottage plants are generally chosen with more forethought, although colour and abundance are still the most important features. Anyone can throw down a handful of seeds and within a few weeks have a wildly profuse and colourful bed of poppies, hollyhocks, nasturtiums and the like, but it takes rather more planning to create a cottage garden that looks charming throughout the year.
Duration 100 hours
Course Structure
1. Introduction: Garden components, preplanning information, design principles.
2. Designing a Cottage Garden: Landscape drawing (graphics), design procedure.
3. History of Cottage Gardens
4. Plants for Cottage Gardens
5. Planting Design in Cottage Gardens
6. Features and Components of Cottage Gardens today: Arches, furniture, lattice, sundials, barriers and walls.
7. Cottage Gardens Today
8. Designing a Complete Cottage Garden.
Course Aims
On successful completion of the course you should be able to do the following:
- Explain the concept of a cottage garden.
- Adapt the cottage garden concept to develop cottage style gardens in different situations (various climates, small and large gardenws, both private and public garden areas, etc)
- Draw concept plans for cottage gardens.
- Create planting designs for cottage gardens.
- Plan for incorporating appropriate non-living landscape features in a cottage garden.
- Prepare a detailed design for a cottage garden.
Examples of Tasks you may face in this course
Here are just some of the things you will be doing:
- Explain the concept of a cottage garden, both in historical and modern contexts.
- Explain the influence of one famous landscaper on cottage gardens.
- Explain the relevance of garden design concepts to cottage gardens, such as: *Unity *Balance *Proportion *Harmony *Contrast *Rhythm *Line *Form *Mass *Space *Texture *Colour *Tone.
- Use a sequence of illustrations, to show the various steps involved in planning process for a cottage garden.
- Develop a checklist of pre-planning information required for a proposed cottage garden.
- Compile pre-planning information for a specific site, for a proposed cottage garden, through an interview with a potential client, and surveying the site.
- Prepare drawings to represent landscape features on a cottage garden plan, including trees, shrubs, herbs, walls, rocks, buildings and other landscape features.
- Prepare different cottage garden concept plans to satisfy given design specifications and pre-planning information.
- Review a variety of different cottage garden plants
- Prepare a planting plan for a garden bed in a cottage garden style.
- Design a perennial border in an appropriate cottage garden style.
- Design a garden bed, which incorporates companion planting principles.
- Visit and evaluate the companion planting design in a cottage garden.
- Design a colour themed garden, such as a white garden, to suit a proposed garden redevelopment.
- Describe briefly, different non-living features that may be included in a cottage garden, including: *Seating alternatives *Bird baths *Sun dials *Fountains *Statues *Pergolas *Gazebos *Fencing *Ponds *Weather vanes.
- Determine criteria for inclusion of different landscape features in a cottage garden, including: *Gazebos *Ornaments *Arbors *Tub plants *Water features *Paths.
- Compare the characteristics, including: *Suitability for a cottage garden *Cost *Availability *Longevity *Appearance *Maintenance, of different landscape materials.
- Explain the use of plant sculpting, including topiary and hedging, in cottage garden designs; including references to: *Ways of creating it *Ways of using it *Maintenance.
- Prepare a report that analyses a cottage garden that includes photographs, and comment on the use of different structures as features.
- Prepare cottage garden concept plans, which incorporate different types of features sympathetic to cottage or heritage gardens.
- Develop a brief for a cottage garden design, for the redevelopment of an established garden around an old building in your locality.
- Analyse the designs of different well established cottage gardens.
- Compile pre-planning information for a specified cottage garden development.
- Prepare detailed plans for a cottage garden (following industry standards), including: *Detailed plans *Materials lists *Costings.
- Explain the reasoning behind a cottage garden you design.
