Plants are usually spaced well apart, but forget this rule when planting up a cottage garden. In fact, cottage gardens were traditionally a way for poor people to grow as many culinary and medicinal herbs and flowers as they could in a small space. Place them closer together than normal so that the soil is soon hidden and everything knits together to form a mass of foliage and flowers. The top five cottage garden plants recommended by the Royal Horticultural Society for ‘voluptuous planting and haphazard self-seeding’ are foxgloves, lavender, delphiniums, scented philadelphus and roses.

I do know of one cottage next to a church where the paths are made from recycled grave stones laid face down so the writing is hidden.)Be free in your cottage garden! Of all garden styles, the cottage garden is one that is meant to delight and appeal to your own personal taste. Plant cabbage among the flowers or Swiss chard along the path. Do not follow "the rules." Plant whatever appeals to you—there is no ‘no’. If you like a particular style of plant, seek out shorter varieties of it," he advises. "Roses, despite the bad reputation they get for looking ‘like a crematorium’ are surprisingly tolerant of growing with other plants and can last right through from spring to autumn. Don't be afraid of buying on impulse; flowers, leaves, and scents project the joy of a season, a living moment that speaks of hope in spring, abundance in summer, wistful reflection in autumn, and the sheer relief of finding something colourful to grab and plant in the garden in winter." Garden in small spaces

It is easy to control the soil mix – growing acid-loving plants, for example, when your have alkaline soil. Full of scent, colour and the sound of buzzy bees. The traditional cottage garden has been the setting for many paintings, photographs and films. They tend to include beautiful colours, intriguing layouts, hidden surprises and sometimes even edible treats. However, we tend to associate them with – well- cottages. But there’s no reason why the concept of a cottage garden cannot be adapted to suit any style of property of size of garden. Origins of the cottage garden Start small: you don't want your cottage garden getting out of control; learn how to keep the plants fed and looking abundant, then gradually increase the size. There is no better way to get closer to your plants than by growing them from seed, and so one of the best cottage garden ideas is to include a greenhouse or glasshouse. She’s often to be found painting stunning watercolours for greetings cards and wall prints, all created without any initial sketching. “I never draw first, just load the paper with water and drop colour in,” she says. “With a bit of swirling with the paintbrush, the flower starts to take shape. I love recreating all my flowers but my favourites to paint have to be my dahlias. It’s so rewarding getting people into the studio and showing them how to paint them too.”Many plants are edible as well as decorative. They are well worth investigating for a cottage garden. Herbs of course are the obvious choice, but what about cornflowers, calendula, violas and nasturtiums? – their flowers make a lovely addition to a salad. A fruit tree or two will provide great value for money. Let’s look at the elements of a cottage garden… Modern boundaries and fencing for your cottage garden The team at Perfect Pergolas agree on keeping the structures above two meters, suggesting a height of around 7ft 8ins (2.4m) from the ground. This gives ample room for taller people to walk beneath it comfortably, the team says. And, if the structure is used for growing vines, a generous height means you are less likely to bump your head on the bunches of grapes which hang down in the autumn, they add. Have comments or questions about our modern cottage garden design ideas? Tell us in the section below.