A thoughtful garden is to the Cotswold cottage what a frame is to a painting. As is the architecture, so too are the gardens and other features of these honey-stone homes amongst some impressive scenery. Real garden design honours a place and its natural rhythms to create spaces that are timeless.
Native Planting: The Foundation
Native species make for a good plant choice in Cotswold gardens. The scent of the local countryside sings with hawthorn, blackthorn and wild cherry. A subtler take on the perennial border: foxgloves, delphiniums and clematis for a Cotswold feel rather than something too punchy. It is a low maintenance approach, it supports local wildlife and best of all it means that you are honouring the landscape. See some stunning examples with Cotswolds Guided Tours from cotswoldtour.co.uk/cotswolds-private-tours/classic-cotswolds-guided-tours/
Dry Stone Walls and Boundaries
Dry stone walls mark garden borders with a real difference rather than fences. These boundaries mature, gain character and blend naturally into the overall developed landscape. They are also wildlife corridors, supporting insects, birds and small mammals.
Wildflower Meadows Over Manicured Lawns
Modern Cotswold gardens have a meadow planting style. Wildflower drifts constructed from cornflowers, poppies and ox-eye daisies look natural but calculated. It is low-maintenance, attractive and ecologically beneficial.
Hardscaping That Belongs
Local stone that should resonate with the paths, patios and terraces. Old Cotswold stone or similar can be made to match the house and will unify your garden with appropriate hard landscaping. Older surfaces wear well; they acquire a patina that seems natural.
Outdoor Living With Purpose
Seating, herb and vegetable gardens provide practicality. Such practical aspects feel genuine to the life of an open garden in the rural Cotswolds — gardens for use, not prettiness.
The real Cotswold garden is not contrived — it advances naturally from the land, stone and custom.
