How to create a cottage core garden
Cottage core is the hype at the moment- and for all the right reasons. This lifestyle promotes sustainability, self-reliance, and sustenance. Cottage core is often also called country core or farm core. It romanticizes the idea of living on home-grown food, in a smaller place, away from the cities and towns. The gardens usually feature a tapestry of colourful plants and flowers that create a relaxing space. These garden styles are quite different from how we usually organize ours- They have a lusher feel and they are not as organized and planned, there are a lot more flowers and the gardens usually feature colourful trees. If this trend has gotten you excited and you want to get the perfect cottage core garden, follow the steps below!
Sustainable
The cottage core garden is all about being closer to nature and making it a space that uses natural elements. It is, therefore, important to be sustainable when making your garden choices. One of the easiest ways to do this is by utilizing your rainwater to water your plants. You can do this automatically by having your gutter drain around the different plant beds. It’s better to have professionals install these kinds of drainage systems in your garden as they will ensure that the water does not enter your foundation and is only being used to water the plants. Click here for gutter services. Another way to be sustainable for your cottage core garden is by using your food scraps to make natural compost for your plants. You can also make the garden bee-friendly by planting bee-friendly plants. Bees are extremely important for our planet as they pollinate over half the food we eat. Having a bee-friendly garden will encourage their habitat and will slow (eventually, reverse) their decline. Ditching the power tools and instead utilizing hand tools, if you can or can, will save on fuel and lead to lower use of nonrenewable resources.
If you plan to grow your vegetables, make sure you participate in crop rotation as growing the same crop at the same place every year can strip the soil of its nutrients (which are important to grow healthy vegetables)
Create a sensory experience
A sensory experience refers to a garden that will use most of your senses- especially smell, sound, and sight. One example would be using bright yellow flowers that are bee-friendly. They attract the sight by their bright colours along with the sound of bees buzzing. Usually, sunflowers also emit a really good smell. Planting a lot of flowers will naturally create this experience- you can go for colours you like the best or the scents you enjoy. If you like tea, it’s a good idea to grow plants you can harvest to make your tea. Plants that bear fruits like strawberries and blueberries are also a good addition to your garden. It is recommended that you create a different place for flowers and fruits than herbs and vegetables. Sticking to a strict colour scheme is also not a good idea. Instead, go for multiple colours. If interested, you can also grow wildflowers.
Grow plants that you will use. Plant herbs and vegetables that are a staple in your diet, flowers you usually like in your vases and flowers that cater to you. Having trees around the place will benefit you as well as you can sit under them on sunny days. Have a fruit-bearing tree for beautiful flowers and fruits that you like. However, take note of the climate of your place as well as if the plants you want to add will complement the local flora and fauna. Sometimes, a plant can be seen as invasive and can destroy the natural flora or target the kind of fauna.
Add your personality
At the end of the day, the space is yours and it is important that you feel happy and comfortable in it. Your personality is what will make the space beautiful to you. Make sure you plant your favourite flowers somewhere if they are not invasive, use flowers that have your favourite or preferred colours and make room for fruits and smells you like. Repurpose old furniture to create a vintage vibe in the garden’s seating area/porch. This will reduce waste and will make your cottage core garden look like it belongs on Pinterest! It is also important to remember that cottage core is more of a rustic style than a planned one. Do not over-plan your garden layout and go by what feels good to you. You can also add to your personality in the space by creating a sitting space filled with your favourite things- tea sets, umbrellas (if you live in rainy areas or way too sunny areas), and beautiful, cottage-style table covers. All of this will help make your garden feel fit for your own personality.
