THE COTTAGE TWIST

Modern updates on country-garden style

1. Mown walkway leaving the grass to grow long and encouraging wildflowers is a great way to encapsulate the soft, romantic feel of cottage gardens. at Farleigh House in Hampshire, to update the look, a crisply mown path gives access to help immerse people in the meadow. Stocky yew topiary offers a welcome contrasting structure with simple geometric shapes.

2. Rose arbour Here, in Wij Gardens in sweden, a steel pergola is draped with climbers including Rosa helenae ‘Hybrida’. Gravel and a water bowl in matching rusted steel keep the look clean and simple.

4. CRAFTED DESIGN Cottage gardens are usually informal, but here the style has been updated with clipped box shapes and a circular wooden gate frame that echoes the arch beyond.

6. Tree seat This raised bed was made using chestnut posts interwoven with hazel rods. You could top it with low-growing herbs such as lawn chamomile or thyme.

3. WILLOW EDGING In this busy arrangement, willow hurdles have been used to restrain the herb beds on Paul Gazerwitz and Tommaso del buono’s summer solstice garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower show.

5. WONDER WALL Designer Tony Woods left a ‘window’ in the drystone wall of his RHS Flower show Tatton Park garden to offer a glimpse of country in the city. ‘It creates intrigue,’ he says.

7. boardwalk PATH In this garden by Dr James Hitchmough, prairie-style plants froth up and over this narrow wooden boardwalk, putting you in the centre of the action.

8. SUMMER HOUSE Typical cottage garden plants include exuberant perennials, such as Nepeta racemosa

‘Walker’s Low’. You can increase year-round interest with a feature like this bespoke summer house made by Brampton Willows, which has a steel frame and lead roof.

9. WATER FEATURE Designer Peter Reader used a gabion (a wire mesh basket) filled with hard materials to make this waterspout for his RHS Chelsea flower Show garden. Stacking the stone gives the effect of a drystone wall, while the metal grid keeps the look modern.

“Creating a Contemporary Cottage garden is really about using traditional plants and materials in a more refined format, rather than trying to pair modern materials and Cottage plants together” GARDEN DESIGNER Tony Woods