Best of Both Gardens

Greg Loades’ book outlines how to fuse the elements of a traditional and new-age landscape for the perfect modern cottage garden.

- By Dani Grace

“Peace on earth, can it be? In our gardens, yes,” affirms Greg Loades.

An author and editor who has spent his career writing about and caring for plants, Loades knows the world of horticulture and gardening constantly evolves, but new iterations of “classic” gardens don’t have to eschew the whimsy of an old-fashioned cottage garden.

In his book The Modern Cottage Garden: A Fresh Approach to a Classic Style, Loades describes the characteristics and path to a current yet cottage-esque landscape, assuring green thumbs everywhere that various styles can live in harmony. The modern cottage garden combines the best elements of traditional and new gardening techniques, embracing spontaneity and nostalgia by incorporating both organic growth and orderly planting.

The Key Elements of a Modern Cottage Garden

Jumpstart your modern cottage garden journey by checking off these fundamentals.

• MIX AND MATCH. Combine classic garden species like roses with perennials like echinacea. Use pastel colors for a soft, harmonious color scheme.

• BORDERS MEAN ORDER. If you have the room, craft borders with potted or herbaceous plants to organize and control your space. Layer borders with low-growing, sprawling species paired with long-stemmed varieties that can tower above.