My Cottage Garden (EmmaS32)

Hello! I thought I would start a post so I can share updates about my new garden.
I've just moved into a cottage in Cornwall and it has some good bones for developing a really lovely garden. There's lots of lawn and empty space that I can develop, plus my first ever pond. I'll share some pictures below and a little info about what my plans are.


This is the main patio just outside the back door (though we use it as the front door). You can see down to the greenhouse tucked in the corner. There's a very tall bank along the back of the garden (to the left here) that I think will be covered in foxgloves in the spring.


A closer look at the greenhouse with the raised bed. We will be taking out the cypress trees on the right and also using the stone bed on the left for soft fruit.


The garden has 2 exciting features - a huge tulip tree and a Menhir! The tree will be pruned soon and I think eventually we will wildflower the area around the Menhir. The bottom lawn will have some more flowerbeds added in as we don't need to keep a lawn for anything. We'll also be adding in a lot of pathways since all the areas of the garden are currently disconnected from each other.




There's a pretty empty bed along the length of the house, it mostly has some roses that are in varying levels of health and what I believe is a Blueblossom (anyone able to confirm the ID there?). We also have the pond here, thank you to those who have already given me some pond advice! The pond has a lot of newts and water snails, a few diving beetles and a couple of frogs have just moved in.



Then finally we have the front of the house with its gravel area and flowerbed. It's south facing but the wall shades the bed so we have planted in some woodland style plants like cowslips and hellebore for winter/spring. There are some ferns and alchemilla here already and I think I might add a summer viburnum to the corner. Again, more roses here already and I think a very large fuchsia which could probably do with a prune!

And that's the garden as we have inherited it! I'm excited for the possibilities. Let me know what you think of it and my plans!

 

Oh what a lovely space you have, plus so much potential for you to do lots of different things. Agree, having pathways put in to connect up different areas is a great idea and I love your pond. The stones and pebbles look graduated, for allowing wildlife to safely exit and enter. Looks like a lot of fun!

 

That looks like a really wonderful garden and I can imagine how beautiful it will look come the warmer months. The thought of a bank full of foxgloves is just divine

 

That is a delightful garden @EmmaS32, what a great space for you to develop . It looks as if it has been well cared for by the previous owner which has given you the ability to concentrate on the exciting bits rather than dealing with the not so good! I'm sure there will be a lot of interest here, seeing your garden develop. An excellent time of year to get started too!

 

It's a lovely place that you have and lots of potential.

 

Can we have an "envious" voting option please?

 

Your garden looks very interesting, I'm sure you're going to enjoy working in it and making it your 'own'.
I'm glad you'll be adding more flower beds, they will be more pleasing to look at than grass ... and paths to connect the different parts of the garden are a good idea too, they will make it easier for you.

Are those your cats in the first picture ? They make good companions - there's more than just plants in a garden

 

What a wonderful garden! As others have said, lots of interesting things there. I love the idea of connecting paths. Are you already having friendly conversations with the neighbours? If you have not seen the garden through the seasons (I don’t know how long the purchasing took!), maybe they can give you some valuable insights as to what herbaceous plants might be hidden and dormant.
If you want to “experiment” with paths, you could cut a short-grass path through slightly longer grass. Simply drop the blades a couple of heights, and walk casually to where you want to go! You can then live with the “grass path” until you are sure of it…

 

Thanks everyone! I agree it's a lovely space to be in.

@Michael Hewett Yes 2 of my 3 cats there! The third one is more of an explorer so she's in the woods behind the fence most of the time. The two here are great gardening companions, the white one especially likes to 'help'!

@Sian in Belgium I first saw the garden in September last year and the photos on the purchase listing were from summer so I have some idea of what's there. They loved their roses and Hollyhocks! They didn't plant much else as one became ill and they'd only been in for 2 years when they moved on.
I think we have our paths set, there are some steps and bits of patio that we can connect up. The grass doesn't seem to be a very sturdy mix, it's already wearing down with just us walking about for a few weeks.

 

It looks lovely and full of character. The greenhouse looks really nice. I miss mine since I moved. I like your idea of linking the areas with paths.