Self seeding plants and cottage gardens
Thursday, August 26th, 2010Ever wondered why a cottage garden always looks so neat, even overgrown, and flowers like mad? The vision of the cottage garden is a colorful riot, with the roller blinds shading the adorable cottage from the summer sun. Roses and daisies, Shepherd’s Purse and lavender, it’s an orgy of life. The secret is the plants themselves. The best cottage gardens are very much self managing, when they’re properly planted with the right plants.
Self seeding plants basics
Self seeding plants produce their own seeds, and a lot of them. They’re a real alternative to commercial seeds, because they can do a lot of work on location. Most self seeding plants available commercially are annuals, but the perennials are also available.
Ask an experienced gardener how to manage a rampaging garden with its own ideas, and the answer will be “Learn from it.” Cottage gardens have some very good ways of managing themselves, and they’re actually textbook examples of proper planting techniques and gardening principles.
The basic facts of cottage gardens are like a real horticultural seminar:
- Self seeding plants exploit all available space very efficiently.
- The plants grow well in groups, and keep out weeds.