The rustic picket fence is not the only structure finding its way back to today's cottage garden. The classic wooden bench is also showing up regularly as gardeners realize it's not only a thing of beauty but the perfect spot for a cup of morning coffee and a place of brief rest. Cottage gardens are like snowflakes with no two alike. The common thread seems to be a love for flowers that drape fences and those that give a tall, spiky texture coupled with a heavy sampling of perennials. Yet the new angelonias, though not quite as tall, are finding great favor because they bloom for months and months, returning after the mildest of winters.
Perennial salvias are a staple in cottage gardens for their tall, spiky texture.
Salvias like Victoria blue, meadow sage, indigo spires and blue anise sage are hard to beat in the cottage garden or the perennial border. Tall round flowers are also important. Use these flowers to tower above other favorite annuals or perennials. I am almost totally dedicated to planting flowers in groups of single colors. Rarely do you find Norman touting mixtures.