garden dilema!

ive always wanted a cottage garden or country garden packed with colour height and smell like the ones you see in gardeners world etc ive tried and failed a few time last year i ripped the whole lot out and left a few it was an eye sore all summe now last month i sprung into action mulched the soil weeded, now its ready for the planting obviously i cant at the moment with this dreadfull weather unless i want to plant a few hardy perenials. i have oriental poppys some astilbes's three infant red hot pokers some verbena, ladys mantle lambs tail's and primulas were talking a plot that is 8ft by 4ft so needs a lot more plants! the garden is on a west facing wall with climbing roses on one side and a small rockery on the other side so its cased in. i was thinking to plant lupins in large clumps but need advice how to keep them as they get planted one week and are gone the next! some hollyocks for height delphiniums too again gone the week after planting some rudbekia green wizard for the dramatic display in winter months a few fox gloves, allium gladiators scatterd inbetween and ground cover at the front  aubretia babys breath london bridge and a few other variates was also thinking some tripods at the back too with clematis sieboldii for that splash off pink in height the back off the border has a narrow channel which was planted with budleia lavaterias dog wood and lilacs for height above the rest ive given my thoughts on what i would like in there but would like to hear some other feedback on what i should plant etc all replys apreciated thanks

Hardy geraniums and osteospermums if you are impatient.  Plant at least three of each plant, always an odd number.  Looks better.  Alchemilla mollis too.

Unfortunately, Lupins and delphiniums get instantly eaten by slugs! as do lots of other things, you have to look every day for the little blighters and keep up the pellets or liquid killer.  Sweet peas trailed on your tripods would look nice and they are easy to grow,  as well as clematis. You can get evergreen winter flowering clematis.

thanks for the plant sugestions im actualy growing sweet peas in the green house now theyre kept warm so hopefully they look nice in the background i got told that fire ash mixed in at the base off some slug freindly plants keeps them at bay is this true?

I've got quite a few Foxgloves and they are lovely, the bees really love them too. I've also got Lupins and mine have grown well, they have been in a couple of years now. You do have to keep an eye on the slugs but it is worth it. The Foxgloves multiply over the years and I just lift the young plants that have sprung up and replant them into my flower bed. I've got Hardy Geraniums to go in  this year and Penstemons, they are coming on nicely in the greenhouse. Good Luck.

There's a comprehensive article on creating a cottage garden and the sorts of plants and shrubs to opt for here : cottage gardens. I hope that gives you some inspiration.

Hello,

I'm working towards a cottage garden, don't know if it's possible to do that in a instant/ over one season.

Some of the plants you mention are perennials so if your growing from seed/ young plants  they will only give you flowers the following year. A year might seem a long time but it goes so quick.

I've had a look at the site  that the enduring gardener posted & there is plenty of inspiration there.

I planted a lupin tuber last year & was very disappointed that it grew only 4 leaves last year (that was with slug pellets!) but this year, it's already a different story I'm know I'm going to get some flowers- then I can take some cuttings so more plants!

Why don't you have a go & growing some annuals this year, as well as developing your perennials? That way you will have some reward while the others are growing.

Cottage gardens are a bit of an thing. We had a lovely one at our last house, but it always seemed to be one of those type gardens where by you walk into someone else's and think that their garden is better or more developed than your own. In reality they aren't, it is just variation upon a theme.

The two photos below don't really show ours at it best, but one thing that did catch my eye when trying to find a photo was the Malus Golden Hornet. That tree which I kept cut back hard each winter, really helped frame the garden, and growing a clematis over it helped even further.

One other spect which we didn't have, but I would have liked, is an overgrown park bench half hidden by flowers. I also always fancied an old garden roller to grow something over. Don't just think about what plants you would like, try to also think about differing rustic features.