New! Start a Garden: Perennial Cottage Garden

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Growing Your Start a Garden: Perennial Cottage Garden

Your Start a Garden: Perennial Cottage Garden contains 1 each of 6 different perennials (plants that die back in winter and return year after year) 1 flowering vine, and 1 shrub Rose. All thrive in full sun (defined as 6+ hours of direct sun per day) in a prepared garden bed with well-drained, reasonably moist, fertile soil that is rich in organic matter. Good drainage is especially important in winter. Once established, these plants are relatively resistant to drought and heat. Deer generally avoid them, although where deer population is high, repellants will discourage nibbling of the Rose and Phlox. This collection of plants is attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators. These hardy, vigorous plants were chosen by our horticultural experts to provide ease of care and a long season of colorful blooming beauty in Zone 5-8 gardens. They are ideal for beginners.

As you begin your first garden adventure, keep in mind that freshly planted perennials, shrubs and vines need time to settle in and establish roots. In their first season, they will divert much of their energy to this task. As a result, your plants may or may not flower in their first year. Do not fertilize in an effort to hurry the process. Waiting for plants to settle in and grow is a process by which many gardeners begin to develop one of the most important traits a green thumb can possess: patience. Giving a plant the time it requires to establish a strong root system will produce rewards in subsequent seasons. Experienced gardeners know that in a first year, a perennial “sleeps.” In the second year, it “creeps.” And by the third year, it “leaps.” Watch over time as your perennials gain in size, form broader clumps, and increase their flower show. As a general rule, it takes three years for a plant to reach its mature size.

This guide includes the following sections:

• Knowing & Growing Your Plants
• Laying Out Your Garden
• Planting Your Bare Root & Potted Plants
• Caring for Your Garden
• Companions
• Calendar of Care

Knowing & Growing Your Plants

• Rose Peachy Knock Out® ('Radgor' PP 25,628)

This vigorous no-fuss Rose received top scores for its garden appearance and disease resistance in trials across the country. It blooms from June to September, so prune off flowers that have finished blooming to encourage new ones to develop – and make sure to cut some for bouquets, too. After attaining good size, Knock Out® Roses can be cut back by a third to half in late winter or early spring. Damaged or winter-killed branches should be removed. Keep in mind that you want to always direct growth upward and out, for attractive form and good air circulation. Cutting (with sharp pruning shears) just above a bud, branch or set of leaves that faces outward (rather than in toward the center of the shrub) will send new growth in the right direction.

• Clematis Corinne™ Boulevard® ('Evipo063'(N))

Clematis vines need something to climb on. We designed this garden with Clematis Corinne™ Boulevard® intended to clamber up and weave through the Knock Out® rose, where they will bloom in harmony together from May into September. But you can plant it to climb up a fence, trellis, or tuteur if you prefer. To encourage your Clematis to climb up the rose, plant it on one side, about 2-2 ½' away from the center of the rose bush, making sure it is positioned to get plenty of sun once the rose grows. Once the vine is long enough to reach into the rose, tuck it up into the branches. Leaf stems will grab on by curling around twigs and start climbing. If you decide to plant it on a structure, you may need to tie the vines in place or provide string, wire or netting for leaves to grasp and climb. Since this plant blooms on new growth made during the current season, deadhead (cut off flowers that have gone by) early season blooms to encourage new growth and more flowers. Cut back to 12" in early spring, removing the previous season’s vines.

• Digitalis grandiflora

Tall bloom stems will grow up from a lower clump of lance-shaped green leaves with serrated edges that are mostly evergreen. Tubular flowers along the stem open a soft yellow that harmonizes with surrounding plants in June and July. If the flowering stems are cut back down to the base after the initial show and plants are kept watered through summer, they may flower again in September. But self-sowing plants are the essence of a romantic cottage garden. Let the seeds ripen on the stalk (dried pods will open to release truly tiny seeds when they’re ready) to encourage self-sowing, or sprinkle them about elsewhere. Seeds need light and contact with soil, so brush away mulch and let the seeds fall, or cut the stem and shake seeds out where you would like them to grow.

The flowers grow on wiry, well-branched stems that are excellent for cutting. Deadheading will keep the flowers coming all summer long and into fall. ‘Sonata White’ may or may not self sow, and seedlings that do appear the next year may be different.

Tall bloom stems will grow up from a lower clump of lance-shaped green leaves with serrated edges that are mostly evergreen. Tubular flowers along the stem open a soft yellow that harmonizes with surrounding plants in June and July. If the flowering stems are cut back down to the base after the initial show and plants are kept watered through summer, they may flower again in September. But self-sowing plants are the essence of a romantic cottage garden. Let the seeds ripen on the stalk (dried pods will open to release truly tiny seeds when they’re ready) to encourage self-sowing, or sprinkle them about elsewhere. Seeds need light and contact with soil, so brush away mulch and let the seeds fall, or cut the stem and shake seeds out where you would like them to grow.

Water Phlox 'Fashionably Early Crystal' deeply during dry spells. This is a disease-resistant variety with flowering stems that rise up from a low mat of foliage. This tall upright Phlox will bloom from June into August. After flowering has finished, chop it all back to 2-3" and fresh new foliage will regrow, with some possible reblooming in fall.

Salvia pratensis Fashionista® 'Evening Attire' makes a dramatic show of black buds opening to intensely blue upright flower spikes above a neat clump of dark green leaves in May and June. After blooms have finished, cut the flowering stems down into the basal leaves to encourage rebloom. The low mat of dark green foliage remains attractive through the season.

Geranium Rozanne®’s purplish-blue saucer-shaped flowers start in late spring/early summer and continue through midsummer’s heat into autumn on fast-growing billowing plants. In reasonably fertile soil ‘Rozanne’ is pretty carefree. Like the other plants in this collection, it appreciates a long drink in very dry weather (leaves will look shriveled if the plant gets too dry). Rozanne® looks lovely weaving through other plants or spilling over onto a walk. It does not need deadheading, but you can snip off bits if they crowd other plants or for a more drastic cut, simply grab a handful and cut it off. As our head gardener says, “It can mingle but not smother its neighbors.”

The densely packed velvety silver leaves of this ground cover make >Stachys byzantina

Lady’s mantle leaves emerge early in spring and keep their refined beauty until late summer. Under dry or hot conditions, leaves can brown out and look tired. A little grooming will restore their essential good looks. Just snip off browned leaves or spent flower clusters, cutting down to the base of the stems to make way for fresh new leaves below. Taking the time to do this deadheading and “dead leafing” makes for tidy mounded plants that are attractive well into late fall. In hot locations this plant does better with a bit of shade; it labors in the heat and humidity of the South and the dry heat of the desert Southwest.

Laying Out Your Garden

To lay out your garden to best advantage, first see the Planting Plan that is included in your box. (The plan is also available on the product page on our website. Search sku #87517.) Keep in mind that you don’t have to position the plants in your Start a Garden: Perennial Cottage Garden exactly as we show them in the plan and additional plants are always welcome. Our diagram is just one possible design based on the heights, shapes, and compatibility of the plants. Your garden bed may have different dimensions or existing plants to work around, you might wish to tuck your plants into several areas, or you could use them to flank a path so you can stroll amongst them.

As you lay out your plants, consider the following:

The essence of a Cottage Garden is to be informal and full of colorful blooms. Since it does take several years for perennial plants to grow to full size and they may not flower the first growing season, we offer the Start a Garden: Annual Cottage Garden to grace in-between spaces. Plant this collection of upright Annuals (plants that grow, flower, set seed, and die in a single season) to flower all summer and into the fall without overpowering the young perennials. We have designed the Planting Plan with extra space between perennials to accommodate self-sowing annuals or yearly additions. If you prefer to have only perennials in subsequent years, then simply plant your perennials closer together.

The mature height and recommended spacing for each plant can be found on the back of each plant tag. (It’s wise to keep these tags and put them in the ground beside each plant. That way, you’ll remember which is which, and, in periods of dormancy when perennials die back to the ground, you’ll know where you planted them.) If you intend to go forward with just perennials, then follow the spacing indicated on the plant tags to cover less square footage.

It works best to set all the plants in place before planting. Then step back and consider whether the arrangement pleases you and try to imagine how big the plants will be at maturity, adjusting the spacing if need be.

Our Planting Plan arranges the taller plants at the back of the garden, with shorter plants in front where they won’t be shaded out or overwhelmed. Rose Peachy Knock Out® is the largest element in this collection, with a woody structure that will remain throughout the year, so you may want to place it first and arrange the other plants in relation to it. Within a few years this rose will grow to be 3’ tall and 3’ wide, so give it plenty of space, as indicated in the drawing. Digitalis and Phlox are positioned beside the Rose because they are the tallest perennials in this collection. Digitalis grandiflora can take some shade, so if the orientation of your garden will cause the Rose to cast shade on the Phlox, you can switch their position – Phlox appreciates the sunnier position. The Alchemilla, Geranium, and Clematis can also tolerate part shade (4 hours or more of direct sun), but will be more floriferous in full sun. We designed the arrangement with height and spread in mind, but colors work in any combination. If you would like to rearrange the Alchemilla, Salvia, and Geranium to suit your personal taste, they’re interchangeable, so you really can’t go wrong. The Stachys is best along the edge. Add a few more of them if you would like the entire bed edged in silver, or divide and replant from the original over time.

This garden design is flexible and plants are forgiving. As your perennials settle in and grow, you may decide to change the arrangement. If you decide to move plants, take advantage of mild conditions in spring or fall to gently dig up your plants and relocate them to create a design that pleases you.

The essence of a Cottage Garden is to be informal and full of colorful blooms. Since it does take several years for perennial plants to grow to full size and they may not flower the first growing season, we offer the Start a Garden: Annual Cottage Garden SKU# 87518 to grace the in-between spaces when planted the first spring. Plant this collection of short, upright Annuals (plants that grow, flower, set seed, and die in a single season) to flower all summer and into the fall without overpowering the young perennials.

Planting Your Bare Root & Potted Plants

Plants in your Start a Garden collection will arrive in one of two forms: potted (growing in soil in a container) and/or bareroot (a division of a plant that is dormant, i.e. not actively growing, packaged without soil, that will begin growing once planted). Whether planting a potted plant or one that is bare root, we do not recommend fertilizing when planting.

Potted Plants

Our potted plants have had an easy life in our greenhouses and will need to be acclimated to life outdoors in full sun, wind, and weather. Water potted plants the day before planting if possible so that soil is not dry when planting. To remove a plant from the container, squeeze the sides of the pot to loosen the root ball, then tip upside down and squeeze gently until the plant slips out into your hand, keeping the rootball intact. Do not pull on the plant itself. If roots are very tangled around each other, very gently ease them apart with your fingers, disturbing them as little as possible. Dig a hole about as deep as the root ball and plant with the soil level in the pot even with the soil level in the garden, adjusting soil as necessary. Fill in around the plant with loose soil and firm gently with your hands. Water to help soil settle and get your plants off to a good start.

Bareroot Plants

Bareroot plants are unfamiliar to many gardeners, but are remarkably easy to plant. Each one is a healthy division of a mature plant that has been cleaned of soil and refrigerated to keep it from growing until it is planted. It includes roots and a portion of the crown (the point where a plant’s roots connect to where its stems emerge). Depending on the type of plant, these roots may present themselves in a broad array of shapes and sizes – from knobby chunks to something that looks like a mop or a tangle of delicate hair. You may also see the stub of last year’s stem or pale new sprouts emerging from the crown or fleshy roots. Just remember when planting to check the proper depth (it’s noted on the back of the plant tag) and plant with roots down in the soil. If you can see a piece of the previous year’s old dry stem, that side goes up. Nothing will show above the ground until the plant starts growing.

Bareroots don’t look like much on arrival, but they are the beginnings of beautiful plants. Most bareroots are shipped packaged in damp sawdust or shredded paper. Plant them as soon as possible upon receipt or keep them in a cool, dark place (such as a basement or a closet) for up to 2 weeks.

To plant bareroots:

• Remove and discard the packaging material
• Save the plant tags, which provide helpful information and may also serve to mark a planting site
• Soak bareroots in water for 1 hour to rehydrate them then plant at the depth recommended on the plant tag
• Water thoroughly on planting but then let Mother Nature provide the rest. Because bareroot plants are dormant, they cannot take up a lot of water and will rot if irrigated or kept continuously wet. Until shoots emerge from the earth and plants begin actively growing, give them supplemental water only if there is no rain and soil gets very dry.
• Depending on when bareroots are planted, they will take some time to settle in and develop root systems. It is not unusual for it to take 3-4 weeks or even longer before new shoots emerge

If your bareroot is planted in spring, you’ll see the emergence of leaves and stems as the plant begins to grow above ground. If your bareroot is planted in fall, it will develop a good root system and may or may not send up a few leaves before going dormant for winter. Top growth will emerge in spring as the days grow longer and sun warms the soil.

If you experience a bit of trepidation with your first bareroots, the ease of planting them and their vigor once settled will win you over in no time. In the span of a single season, they become established plants that are poised to perform like champs in your garden.

Caring for Your Garden

Light: All of the plants in the Start a Garden: Perennial Cottage Garden require full sun (defined as 6+ hours of direct sun per day).

Watering: Immediately after you plant your new perennials, give them a nice drink of water to settle the soil and hydrate the roots. Remember that bareroot plants are dormant and cannot take up much water until they are actively growing, but potted plants will need regular water. In the weeks and months that follow, hydration will be key to helping your plants become successfully established. Pay attention to how wet or dry the soil is – you don’t want to let the plants dry out entirely, but they will suffer if they are in constantly wet soil (the roots may rot, which can be fatal). The best way to assess the moisture level in your soil is to stick your finger in it to a depth of 1". If the soil feels moist, do not water until it feels somewhat dry. The general rule is that new plants need approximately 1” inch of water per week whether it’s supplied by Mother Nature, your garden hose, or the watering can. Once your plants are established, they will need watering only during periods of prolonged drought (i.e., no rain for several weeks) or excessive heat. If possible, avoid overhead irrigation. It is best practice to water plants at the soil level, which means wetting the ground around and between them but not spraying directly on or at them. Water on leaves, especially when nights are cool or days are hot and humid, can promote fungus and disease. It is important to water plants deeply and infrequently to encourage roots to grow down into the soil, where moisture is stored and temperature doesn’t vary much. This makes plants resilient. Why? Watering daily or too frequently in small amounts encourages shallow root growth, making plants always thirsty, vulnerable during dry spells and subject to overheating.

Fertilizer/Soil & pH: There is no need for fertilizer at the time of planting or during the first growing season. Fertilizer can burn delicate roots and prompt more top growth than the roots can support, negatively affecting a plant’s proper development. Instead, we hope you and all new gardeners will develop what is widely regarded as best practice when it comes to using fertilizer: In lieu of feeding individual plants (which is often encouraged by some companies that sell chemical fertilizers and additives), think in terms of feeding the soil which, in turn, will nourish your plants naturally. It’s easy: Assuming that you prepared your garden bed by turning in a good amount of compost, apply 1-2" of organic matter, such as compost or well-rotted manure, around the base of the plants in early spring every year or two after planting. This will take care of most nutritional needs. No additional fertilizing will be necessary for most plants, although roses are heavy feeders and produce more flowers and healthier foliage if fertilized after the first flush of flowers has faded. Look for a slow-release all-purpose granular fertilizer for organic use, a bloom-boosting formulation with a higher middle number such 15-30-15 (if you choose a chemical fertilizer) or faster-acting organic liquid fertilizer https://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/58793-product.html. Fertilize with a light hand, as any nutrients that plants cannot take up will run off with rainfall and can pollute local water bodies. OMRI designation on the label indicates that the product meets organic standards.

Testing your garden soil’s pH is not an absolute requirement (some of us at the farm have never done it in our home gardens while others swear by it), but it will give you some very useful information. A soil test will indicate whether your soil has any nutrient deficiencies, and just as important, an excess of any mineral, which can affect growth or pollute local water sources. A basic soil test should register lead levels and tell you whether your soil is alkaline or acidic by means of a pH value. All of the plants in the Start a Garden: Perennial Cottage Garden prefer a well-drained loam with a neutral pH from 6.0 to 7.0, but are somewhat adaptable outside that range. To learn more about soil testing and how to go about it, click here.

Pests/Diseases: The plants in the Start a Garden: Perennial Cottage Garden are generally free from disease and insect pests. But overall, it’s important to know that plants are most susceptible to disease when they are faced with stressful conditions. Eliminate the stress by providing them with what they need: full sun, proper watering, especially in hot weather, good air circulation and good drainage. Knock Out® roses are disease-resistant and do best with good air circulation and deep watering. Use environment-friendly OMRI-approved horticultural oil or insect sprays only if needed. Cleaning up old foliage from the base of the plant is important for disease control. If Japanese beetles appear, flick them into a jar of soapy water; Rose slugs (sawfly larvae that appear as tiny, green caterpillars) that may appear in spring can be physically destroyed or sprayed with Neem or horticultural oil.

Reflowering: Deadheading is the process of removing spent blossoms to encourage the formation of additional flowers, prevent unwanted seedlings, and/or improve the appearance of your plant. [See plant descriptions above for specifics about deadheading the individual plants in this collection.]

Dividing/Transplanting: Allow your plants to fill out for a few years. It’s OK to let them touch and grow together. You may never need or choose to divide these plants, but if they begin to be unacceptably crowded, bloom less or die out in the center, dividing will help to thin, rejuvenate or simply reduce the size of the plant. If you want more plants, you can divide a large plant into smaller pieces to replant where you wish. Sometimes you just want to move a plant to a different spot or replace it with something else, in which case transplanting is not to be feared.

Avoid dividing or transplanting plants in the heat of the summer. Digging up plants, especially if you are going to break them apart, is best done in early spring or fall when temperatures are most likely to be mild. An overcast day with rain in the forecast is ideal. In hot regions fall is best, giving plants time to recover through the mild winter. Water the plant to be dug or divided thoroughly, the day before if possible.

To divide your plant, use a shovel to dig up a section or the entire plant. Often, when you dig up a plant, it will be apparent that there is a separate crown, or several, that you can tease apart easily by hand. Otherwise, using the blade of the shovel, chop the plant into sections, remove loose severed parts and broken leaves before replanting. Transplant the divisions to new areas of your garden and water well, using them to fill in any gaps, or share with friends and family. The Rose and Clematis are not to be divided. Geranium Rozanne® has very deep roots that we would be reluctant to disturb, but the other perennials, especially Stachys byzantine is very easy to divide and/or move.

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Companions

The following plants would all make fine additions to the Start a Garden: Perennial Cottage Garden. Each has been a traditional part of Cottage Gardens through the years and grows well in Zones 5-8:

Perennials

• Catmint (Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’)
• Japanese Anemone (Anemone ‘Curtain Call Deep Rose’
• Aster (Symphyotrichum ‘Wood’s Blue’)
• Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Whoops-a-Daisy’)

Annuals (for spring planting)

• Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena cultivars)
• Spider Flower (Cleome hassleriana cultivars)
• Verbena (Verbena bonariensis cultivars)
• Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus cultivars)

Daffodils (for fall planting, spring blooms)

• Narcissus ‘Barret Browning’
• Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’
• Narcissus poeticus var. recurvus

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Calendar of Care

Early Spring: Cut back any remaining stems and stalks from last season and rake or pull out old leaves of the Lamb’s Ears. Pull early-emerging weeds and remove any thick accumulations of leaves that could hamper new growth. Prune the Rose when buds begin to swell and cut the Clematis vine back to 12".

Every year, or couple of years, depending on the vitality of your plants and the condition of your soil, you may wish to apply a 1" layer of compost after the plants have emerged. The compost will enrich the soil, which provides food for the plants. For best results, apply the compost around the base of the plants, not on top of them.

Late Spring: Once the ground warms, spread 1" of mulch around the base of the perennial plants, but not on top of them, and 2" under the Rose and Clematis. This will help conserve moisture in the soil, suppress weeds and insulate roots.

Summer: Be sure plants are getting enough water. If weather conditions are dry, monitor the soil for moisture (see above under Garden Care – Watering) and, if necessary, get out the hose or watering can. Keep in mind that plants in their first season need roughly 1" of water per week. Weed to remove unwanted plants that can crowd or take nutrients away from your plants. Remove spent blooms of Phlox, Salvia, and Stachys to encourage reblooming. If you wish to encourage Alchemilla and Digitalis to self-sow, let seeds ripen and pull mulch away so that ripe seeds can reach the soil. Brown leaves and broken stems can be removed at any time

Fall & End-of-Season Care: All of these plants are deciduous, meaning that they will shed their leaves for the winter. The rose will sprout new ones from its woody branches in spring. The aboveground parts (leaves, branches, and stems) of the perennials will die, although some of the Lambs Ears foliage often remains. We recommend allowing some of the spent foliage, flower heads, and stems to overwinter in the garden because this practice provides food and shelter for wildlife including butterflies and their larvae. If it starts to look too messy for your taste, tidy up a bit on a mild winter day by cutting them back and add the cuttings to a compost pile, set aside, or cut into bits and let them drop in place in the garden. In colder regions, refresh mulch around your plants in late fall to insulate soil, which keeps temperature swings from damaging roots and heaving plants out of the ground. Leave fallen leaves in place (unless you have plant-eating creatures such as voles that take advantage of the cover) but do remove thick accumulations that can smother and rot plants.

To learn more, see our Expert Resources for New Gardeners.

To download a PDF of our New Gardener's Handbook, click here.

To download a PDF of our Glossary of gardening words, click here.

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