Native Plants for Cottage Gardens

One of my favorite aspects of being a garden designer is having the opportunity to design lots of different styles of gardens that are often much different from my own garden.  Truth be told, my garden is more of a plant collectors garden since I like to try plants out before I start using them in a client’s garden.

More and more, I’m finding that clients want a traditional English cottage garden. They’ll proudly pull out photos of an English-style garden featured in some garden design magazine full of plants that simply won’t grow here in Connecticut or that really are just pretty faces, adding color and beauty but no real wildlife value.

So rather than say, ‘Sorry, that won’t work in your garden’ I typically go through the plants in the photo and talk about more suitable alternatives that will lend the exuberant, overflowing, messy, colorful mix of flowers and textures that are hallmarks of a traditional cottage garden while at the same time providing  wildlife habitat. A win-win for everyone!

If you want to have your proverbial cake and eat it, too, here are six native perennials and one native flowering shrub (don’t forget, shrubs should be an integral part of any cottage garden) to get you started.

Aruncus dioicus (Bride’s feather)

If you’re not familiar with Aruncus dioicus, just think of it like an astilbe on steroids.

This clump-forming native can take a few years to makes its presence felt but once you’ve seen a mature specimen in bloom, you’ll wonder how you lived without it.

The feathery, creamy white plumes are literally buzzing with activity in my spring garden. As an added bonus, Aruncus dioicus is a larval host plant for the spring azure butterfly.

Native Range: Both the east and west coasts of the US

Bloom Time:  Mid to late spring

Cultural Requirements: Prefers partial sun and moist, well-draining soil.

Height: 4 – 5′

Spread:  3- 4′

Hardiness Zones: 4 – 8

 

Baptisia australis (Blue false indigo)

The spiky, purple-blue clusters of false indigo are a welcome treat for pollinators in the spring and are a sure sign that summer is just around the corner.

This is another perennial that takes a few years to get established but once it does, there’s no stopping this beauty. A mature baptisia resembles a medium-sized shrub  more than a perennial so be sure to give it enough room to really shine.

When the flowering is finished, the blue-green foliage provides a cool, calming effect in the garden. Interesting seed pods form in mid-summer and turn from light green to black, adding another feast for your eyes, as well as the local wildlife.

 

Native Range: Most of the eastern half of the US

Bloom Time:  Late spring

Cultural Requirements: Full sun and well-drained soil

Height: 3′ – 5′

Spread:  3′ – 4′

Hardiness Zones: 4 – 8

 

Echinacea purpurea (Purple coneflower)

This popular favorite is a colorful addition to a wildlife cottage garden. The flowers are a favorite of a whole host of pollinators and beneficial insects and the seed heads are sure to attract an amazing array of birds.

There’s been an explosion of new Echinacea cultivars in garden centers recently but some are not as hardy, or garden-worthy, as others. The Mount Cuba Center in northern Delaware trailed dozens of different Echinacea cultivars, so before you add any cultivars to your garden, check out the results of their trials and see their list of recommended cultivars.

Remember to plant coneflowers in clumps of three or more plants. On their own, they can get lost visually in the garden. But a group of several plats will make quite an impact.

Native Range:  Most of the eastern half of the US

Bloom Time:  Summer

Cultural Requirements:  Full to partial sun, tolerates a wide range of soil conditions including clay, dry and rocky soil.

Height: 24″ – 36″

Spread: 24″

Hardiness Zones:  3 – 9

 

Eutrochium purpureum (Joe-Pye weed)

It’s OK if you’re old school like me and still refer to Joe-Pye weed as Eupatorium purpureum, this native perennial is the ideal candidate for inclusion in a cottage garden. It’s tall, it’s colorful, it’s exciting and it shouts, ‘Hey, look at me!’.

Flattened domes of pink flowers erupt from this ‘weed’ and are a beacon for all sorts of pollinators. But even before they flower, the whorled, crinkly green leaves will add interesting texture to your cottage-style garden.

There are several garden-worthy cultivars available for those gardener’s who don’t have room for a  perennial that is taller than they are. But beware of picking one based on name alone…’Little Red’ and ‘Little Joe’ can quickly reach heights of 4′.

Native Range:  Eastern half of the US

Bloom Time:  Late summer

Cultural Requirements:  Full to partial sun, and average soil

Height:  4′ – 7′

Spread: 3′ – 4′

Hardiness Zones:  4 – 8

 

Hydrangea arborescens (Smooth hydrangea)

Hydrangeas are a quintessential and romantic favorite of many gardeners. But for some reason, our native hydrangea is often shunned in favor of its flashier Japanese cousins, the mopheads.

Personally, I find smooth hydrangeas more forgiving, and reliable, in the garden. The creamy white flowers, always the same color regardless of soil pH, add much-needed oomph to a cottage-style garden. If you’re looking for something with a little more color, try the cultivar ‘Invincibelle Spirit’. It sports bright pink flowers that fade to pale pink and then green.

Native Range:  Eastern US

Bloom Time:  Late summer

Cultural Requirements:  Partial shade and well-draining, acidic soil

Height:  3′ – 4′

Spread: 3′ – 4′

Hardiness Zones:  4 – 9

 

Panicum virgatum ‘Huran Solstice’  (Huran solstice switchgrass)

In addition to adding a sense of movement to any style garden, grasses are the ideal way to tame the controlled chaos of cottage gardens. They add a little vertical structure amidst the sea of other co-mingling, interweaving perennials.

One of my favorite switchgrasses for the simple tapestry of colors it provides throughout the season is ‘ Huran Solstice’.

It has lovely gently arching blue-green foliage with tips that turn burgundy in the late summer. Its delicate, airy flower panicles seem to float above the foliage. Planting ‘Huran Solstice’, or any Panicum virgatum, is an easy way to add some zing to your wildlife garden.

 

Species native Range:  Most of the US, except for the West Coast

Bloom Time:  Late summer – fall

Cultural Requirements:  Prefers full sun and well-drained soil but is pretty adaptable.

Height: 36″ – 40″

Spread:  24″

Hardiness Zones:  4 – 9

 

Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’ (Fireworks goldenrod)

Frothy. Foamy. Fantastic. These are all apt descriptions for Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’ when it bursts into bloom. Golden yellow flowers explode every which way and the plant is enveloped in a cloud of color.

Even when it’s not in bloom, the gracefully arching branches will lend an elegant air to your garden.

Fireworks is a favorite late-season nectar plant for bees and butterflies and it does not seem to be bothered by deer. And no, goldenrod does not cause hayfever. Ragweed (Ambrosia sp.) which blooms at the same time actually to blame for all that sneezing and wheezing.

Species Native Range:  Eastern half of US and Canada

Bloom Time:  Early fall

Cultural Requirements:  Full to partial sun and average to moist soil.

Height:  3′ – 4′

Spread: 3′ – 4′

Hardiness Zones:  3 – 9

Remember, these suggestions for native plants for cottage-style gardens are simply the tip of the iceberg. If you’re looking for more ideas, a good place to start is your local native plant society.

© 2012, Debbie Roberts. All rights reserved. This article is the property of Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens. If you are reading this at another site, please report that to us