The Modern Cottage Garden by Greg Loades

The Modern Cottage Garden by Greg Loades
This book came out in 2020, and the subtitle is A Fresh Approach to a Classic Style.

Ah, the cottage garden. A place of sweet disorder, overflowing with blooms and buzzing with bees. It's a timeless aesthetic that has captivated gardeners for centuries.

But what if you're looking for something a bit more contemporary, a garden that is both romantic and practical?

Enter Greg Loades' The Modern Cottage Garden.

This book is practical and inspirational. If you are a fan of cottage gardens, you will want to have it in your garden library.

I love Greg's approach here because he has created a blend of the New Perennial Movement and Classic Cottage Style, integrating both of those concepts into the looks that you see in real-life gardens in this book.

Loades, with his keen eye for beauty and practicality, has crafted a delightful guide that marries the classic cottage style with the fresh energy of the new perennial movement. The result is a garden that is both stunning and sustainable.

The book is filled with inspiring examples of natural gardens, showcasing a unique interpretation of The Modern Cottage Garden aesthetic. From sprawling country estates to cozy urban courtyards, there's something for every gardener to admire and emulate. Loades' writing is informative and engaging, making even the most technical gardening concepts accessible to the novice.

One of the great strengths of this book is its emphasis on low-maintenance gardening. No more endless hours spent weeding and pruning! With Greg's expert advice, you can create a beautiful garden that thrives with minimal effort. He also provides a wealth of information on plant selection, soil preparation, and garden design, ensuring that your garden is beautiful but also healthy and sustainable.

So, as the reader, you'll come away with images of beautiful color in the garden, the use of grasses, and native plants.

In addition to Greg's thoughtful approach, Greg wants these gardens to be low maintenance and to offer many seasons of interest, which is the sweet spot for gardens nowadays.

Now, I will walk you through the table of contents and offer a little excerpt from Greg's book.

Greg starts with what he calls the roots of his book, which are both the Traditional Cottage Garden and the New Perennial Garden. Greg takes you into a deep dive into both approaches.

Then in the next section of his book, he talks about how to create a Modern Cottage Gardenn which, as I just mentioned, is a blend of both Classic Cottage Gardening and the New Perennial Garden Movement.

With Greg's help, you'll understand how to put together a gardener's garden—that's what he calls it—how to maximize small spaces and incorporate Modern Cottage Gardening into your containers, which I think is such a hot topic this year.

Now, the back half of Greg's book is devoted to the seasons - so he walks you through Modern Cottage Gardening season by season.

Finally, there are fifty plant profiles at the end of the book, which are Greg's go-to plants for garden design.

At the beginning of the book, Greg introduces you to The Modern Cottage Garden.
He writes,

It is difficult to stick to one style in the garden, isn't it?

Maybe this is because plants are alive, and as they grow, we get attached to them.

So we can't let go of the plant that has survived three house moves.

Or the large shrub that started life from a cutting taken from a friend's garden.

(This sounds so familiar. Doesn't it?)

He writes,

Plants are memories. Plants can make us feel proud. Plants tell stories.

And who can resist choosing new plants for the garden when they see them in flower in a nursery, even if they don't know where they will go or whether they are in keeping with what is there? 

(I just experienced this exact scenario this morning.)

And then Greg writes,

Let's be honest, who has a scale map of their garden, showing all the gaps, each time they find themselves looking at plants for sale? 
Then as we introduce unlikely plant partners to the border, we push the boundaries of traditional garden styles, whether by accident or design. 

(And here is where Greg helps us get on track.)

He writes,

This is, in fact, a good thing. The mixing together of plants from older garden styles is creating something special indeed: a new style that combines the best of the Traditional Cottage Garden and of the gardens of the New Perennial Garden Movement.

For argument's sake, let's call it the Modern Cottage Garden.

This is a gardener's garden.

Its generous style is for gardeners who can't resist plants.

Can I get an Amen?

Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, The Modern Cottage Garden is a must-have. I

t's a book that will inspire you to create a garden that is as beautiful as it is practical, a place where you can relax, rejuvenate, and connect with nature. So, grab your gardening gloves and let's embark on a journey to create your very own modern cottage garden.

This book is 288 pages, of The Modern Cottage Garden, encouraging you to grow plants that are new to you, try new combinations or new communities of plants, and enjoy the process of experimenting in your garden.

You can get a copy of The Modern Cottage Garden by Greg Loades and support the show using the Amazon link in today's show notes for around $9.