As the seasons ebb and flow, so too does the ever-changing beauty of our founder Lucy’s cottage garden. Each month, she shares quiet musings from among the borders - small joys, new discoveries, and the gentle rhythms of nature as they unfold. From the first unfurling petals of spring to the mellow glow of autumn, these notes offer a glimpse into a garden forever in motion.
It’s always cheering when a newcomer to the cottage garden really finds its feet. This year, I’ve been growing ornamental spinach, or Orach, for the first time and, at the moment, it’s towering above many of the other plants, adding a wonderful sense of height and softness to the borders. I've planted it among drifts of zinnias, a long-time favourite that I've grown in far greater abundance this year because I love how beautifully they last as cut flowers. There's something really special about zinnias: no two blooms are ever quite the same. Threaded through the bed are echinacea and fennel too, their pink and buttery yellow flowers creating little flashes of colour that seem to catch the eye wherever you look.
The nasturtiums were one of my favourites last year and, to my delight, they've self-seeded all over the garden. There's something magical about plants choosing where they'd like to grow, and they've popped up in the most unexpected places. They seem to be thriving in the drier conditions we've had recently and, interestingly, the flowers have returned in much brighter shades this year. Last summer they were all soft, dusky tones, whereas this year they're wonderfully vivid. Whether that's down to the weather or something else entirely, I'm not sure, but I love the cheerful bursts of colour they've brought to the garden, and the lush green leaves tumbling over the wall opposite the kitchen. It certainly makes doing the washing up a little cheerier
The dahlias are really hitting their stride now, looking particularly lovely weaving their way amongst the older phlomis, which has almost finished flowering for the year. At this point in the season, it's the seed heads and foliage that begin to take centre stage, and I love how they bring just as much beauty as the flowers themselves.
Behind them, some of the rudbeckia has already gone over to seed rather earlier than usual. I never mind that, though. Their sculptural seed heads add texture and structure to the borders, and they'll continue to add interest into the borders over the weeks to come, carrying the garden gracefully from one season into the next.
This has become one of my favourite colour combinations in the garden. The fading, golden tones of the thalictrum sit so beautifully alongside the deep green and rich aubergine stems of the dahlia, creating a palette that feels both soft and quietly dramatic.
A dusky pink foxglove threads through the planting too, bringing everything together in the gentlest way. It's one of those corners of the garden just makes me inordinately happy.
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