How to create the perfect cottage garden

For property investors who are considering the point: “‘How can I encourage people to rent my cottage or villa?” creating an authentic cottage feel both in and around their property is likely to be a priority. Constructing an outdoor space that accurately reflects the homely feel holidaymakers who visit this type of property have come to expect will make your property stand out.

Like a woman who spends hours in front of the mirror creating that ‘undone look’ creating the perfect cottage garden can take a surprising amount of work. However, once you have achieved that rustic meadow feel, a cottage garden can be fairly easy to maintain.

While there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to creating that cottage feel, common features often include a gravel path, wooden gate, birdhouses and a bench allowing people to sit and admire their surroundings. A major consideration when planning what to include in this kind of space is wildlife. Flora and fauna should be planted with nature in mind rather than structure, so look out for flowers, bushes, trees and even herbs that will attract insects such as butterflies and bees.

You may want to layout your garden so plants are contained within borders, or let your lawn truly mimic an open meadow; either way you should aim to have plants at different levels to provide a feast for the eyes and a treat for wildlife visitors. In addition to planting flowers of different heights, using rock areas can help achieve this effect. Another option is to use trellises – both freestanding and against walls.