For the past few years, the speaker has been transforming their yard into a proper cottage garden. This is not the first cottage garden they have grown, as evidenced by their old videos showcasing the transformation of their previous nondescript lawn into a lush and wild cottage garden. The speaker likes to expand the garden slowly, working with what’s available around them, propagating plants from seed and cuttings whenever possible, and letting the plants find their own voice in the space. In this short series on garden design, the speaker shares tips on how to shape a dream garden into reality.
In this video, the focus is on structure, specifically how to organize the backbone of a garden into a beautiful and practical space. The speaker started with a side garden that links the front of the house to the back where the kitchen is. They envisioned an edible cottage garden and wanted to build several garden beds where they could raise salad greens and other vegetables. The speaker laid out the square beds on a grid, aligning them to the house, and then designed a vintage gazebo-like structure with removable chicken wire panels to house the most tasty greens. Eventually, they would subdivide the garden to separate rooms with fences, but this ensured added protection.
Structuring Your Garden
When designing a garden, it is important to consider the structure. The backbone of the garden should be organized in a way that is both beautiful and practical. In this video, the speaker focuses on how to create a sense of place in your garden by subdividing it into manageable chunks with walls, fences, or hedges.
The speaker started with a side garden that links the front of the house to the back where the kitchen is. The goal was to build several garden beds where salad greens and other vegetables could be raised. The beds were laid out on a grid and aligned with the house. The speaker chose a vintage gazebo-like structure with removable chicken wire panels to protect the most tasty greens from groundhogs and deer.
The speaker was inspired by French kitchen gardens called potage and English cottage gardens. The goal was to infuse the area with a sense of place. The speaker chose this spot as the hub for the garden because of its court-like appearance. The presence of the stonewall was perfect for creating an old-world feel. Walls and fences help subdivide a garden into garden rooms.
Sun exposure was also a crucial consideration. The speaker chose a property that sat on a southern-facing slope, which guarantees maximum solar exposure. The sunniest spots in the garden are the best spots to plant flowers and vegetables. The speaker placed protective beds in the middle to grow greens and some other veggies that appreciate a little bit of afternoon shade.
To provide easy access around the beds and to give the space a pleasant proportion, the paths were made at least three feet wide. Raised beds should be four feet wide by eight to ten feet long, allowing for easy access into the center of the bed without actually having to step on it. Beds that are against walls or fences can be three feet wide.
The speaker chose square beds that were a bit under 5 feet by 5 feet since they are square and accessible from all sides. The speaker also planned on using cheap six-foot fence boards, making construction and use simpler. The enclosures were designed with roof lines with baroque curves to look more like fancy antique bird cages.
The main path linking the back of the house to the front of the house was also considered. The speaker wanted to round out the corner with a path that had a sweep or arabesque. The current path was irregular and did not make sense, so the speaker planned on creating a regular and bad path.
By carefully considering the structure of the garden, the speaker was able to create a beautiful and practical space that reflects a sense of place.
Creating Garden Beds
In this section, we will explore how to create garden beds in a beautiful and practical manner. The speaker started with a side garden that links the front of the house to the back where the kitchen is located. The goal was to build several garden beds where salad greens and other vegetables could be raised. The square beds were laid out on a grid, aligning them to the house. They needed to be protected from groundhogs and deer that roamed the area.
After much thought and some sketching in 3D, the speaker settled on a vintage gazebo-like structure with removable chicken wire panels to house the most tasty greens. Eventually, the garden would be subdivided into separate rooms with fences, but this ensured added protection. French kitchen gardens called “potage” and English cottage gardens served as inspiration. The goal was to infuse this area with a sense of place.
The location of the new home in an old town near the mountains in a river valley already exudes a sense of place, so it was not hard for the speaker to work with it to highlight what’s already there. Even if one lives in a cut-in-pace suburb or among a row of tracked homes, the garden is the best opportunity to create a jewel-encrusted box that is one’s own and that declares that they have arrived somewhere.
The speaker chose this spot as the hub for the garden because of its court-like appearance. Walls and fences help subdivide a garden into garden rooms, and a cottage garden by design needs a more enclosed feel. Sun exposure was also a crucial consideration. This courtyard space faces south, but the house shades half of it in the afternoon. This means that greens that love partial shade can be planted near the house, and the space next to the stone wall can be left to grow sun-loving things.
To provide easy access around the beds and to give the space a pleasant proportion, the paths are at least three feet wide. As a rule of thumb, raised beds should be four feet wide by eight to ten feet long. This allows for easy access into the center of the bed without actually having to step on it. Because we can comfortably reach in with our arms about two feet, beds that are against walls or fences can be three feet wide as a compromise.
The speaker settled on the square design for the garden beds. They broke the 4-foot-wide rule, making them a bit under 5 feet by 5 feet since they are square and accessible from all sides. The cheap six-foot fence boards were used for construction, and the speaker devised roof lines with baroque curves to look more like fancy antique bird cages.
The bottom part made the proportions right by balancing the visual weight with the garden beds laid out. After laying out the garden beds, the speaker turned their attention to the main path linking the back of the house to the front of the house. The goal was to round it out with the path. It’s good to have a sweep and arabesque. The way the path is right now, it just makes no sense. It’s like a weird angle to the house, and it’s all irregular and bad. Therefore, the speaker decided to have a regular and bad path.
Creating a Sense of Place
When designing a garden, it’s important to create a sense of place. This means infusing the area with a cohesive, balanced, and specific arrangement of space that reflects the garden’s culture and history. A sense of place is something that is immediately recognizable and makes people feel like they have arrived somewhere.
To create a sense of place, it’s important to consider the location of the garden. The speaker in the video chose a spot with an old-world feel and a stonewall that helped to subdivide the garden into garden rooms. Walls and fences can help to create a more enclosed feel, which is ideal for a cottage garden.
Sun exposure is also a crucial consideration when designing a garden. For productive and colorful gardens, it’s important to have at least four to eight hours of full sun. To find the sunniest spots in the garden, the speaker suggests observing how snow melts in winter. The places where it melts first are the best spots to plant flowers and vegetables.
To organize the backbone of the garden into a beautiful and practical space, the speaker started with a side garden that linked the front of the house to the back where the kitchen is. The speaker envisioned an edible cottage garden and laid out square beds on a grid aligning them to the house. The beds needed to be protected from groundhogs and deer that roamed the area, so the speaker settled on a vintage gazebo-like structure with removable chicken wire panels to house the most tasty greens.
The speaker also planned on using the cheap six-foot fence boards to enclose the beds. To make the enclosures look more like fancy antique bird cages, the speaker devised roof lines with baroque curves. The bottom part made the proportions right by balancing the visual weight with the garden beds.
To provide easy access around the beds and to give the space a pleasant proportion, the paths were made at least three feet wide. The raised beds were made four feet wide by eight to ten feet long to allow for easy access into the center of the bed without actually having to step on it.
By following these tips, gardeners can create a garden that reflects their culture and history, and infuses the area with a sense of place.
Choosing the Garden Hub
When designing a garden, choosing the right location for the garden hub is crucial. The garden hub is the backbone of the garden, and it is where all the paths and garden beds connect. In this section, the speaker shares how she chose the location for the garden hub in her cottage garden.
The speaker chose a side garden that links the front of the house to the back where the kitchen is located. She envisioned an edible cottage garden and wanted to build several garden beds where she could raise salad greens and other vegetables. To protect the garden beds from groundhogs and deer that roamed the area, the speaker designed a vintage gazebo-like structure with removable chicken wire panels. This structure would house the most tasty greens and provide added protection.
The speaker was inspired by French kitchen gardens called potage in English cottage gardens. Her goal was to infuse the garden with a sense of place. She chose the spot for the garden hub because of its court-like appearance, which gave it an old-world feel. The presence of the stonewall was perfect, and walls and fences helped her subdivide the garden into garden rooms.
Sun exposure was also a crucial consideration for the speaker. Her last place had a less than ideal sun exposure, so she made sure to look out for a property that sat on a southern facing slope, which guaranteed maximum solar exposure. The courtyard space she chose does face south, but the house shades half of it in the afternoon. This means she can plant greens that love partial shade near the house and leave the space next to the stone wall to grow sun-loving things.
To provide easy access around the beds and to give the space a pleasant proportion, the speaker allowed the paths to be at least three feet wide. As a rule of thumb, raised beds should be four feet wide by eight to ten feet long. The speaker broke the 4-foot-wide rule, making them a bit under 5 feet by 5 feet since they are square and accessible from all sides.
The speaker used pressure-treated wood for the garden beds, as it was the only material that fit into her budget. She made sure to design the enclosures with roof lines with baroque curves to look more like fancy antique bird cages, so they wouldn’t look like ugly cages like last time. The speaker is very pleased with the way the design turned out, and it exceeded her expectations.
Lastly, the speaker turned her attention to the main path linking the back of the house to the front of the house. She wanted to round it out with a path that had a sweep and arabesque, as the current path made no sense and was irregular. By carefully choosing the location of the garden hub and designing it with intention, the speaker was able to create a cohesive and balanced space that exudes a sense of place.
Subdividing the Garden
The speaker started with a side garden that links the front of the house to the back where the kitchen is. The speaker envisioned an edible cottage garden and wanted to build several garden beds where salad greens and other vegetables could be raised. The square beds were laid out on a grid, aligned to the house. The beds would need to be protected from groundhogs and deer that roamed the area.
After much thought and some sketching in 3D, the speaker settled on a vintage gazebo-like structure with removable chicken wire panels to house the most tasty greens. Eventually, the garden would be subdivided to separate rooms with fences, but this ensured added protection. The speaker had in mind French kitchen gardens called “potage” and English cottage gardens as inspiration. The goal was to infuse this area with a sense of place.
Walls and fences help subdivide a garden into garden rooms. A cottage garden by design needs a more enclosed feel, so if the house is out in the open grass, then adding some fences or hedges or even a wall to partition the space into manageable chunks can help make the space feel full with denser planting. The speaker was lucky enough to have a ready-made semi-enclosed space ready for use.
Sun exposure was also a crucial consideration. The speaker made sure to look out for a property that sat on a southern-facing slope, which guarantees maximum solar exposure. This courtyard space does face south, but the house shades half of it in the afternoon. This means greens that love partial shade can be planted near the house, and the space next to the stone wall can be left to grow sun-loving things.
To provide easy access around the beds and to give the space a pleasant proportion, the speaker allowed the paths to be at least three feet wide. As a rule of thumb, raised beds should be four feet wide by eight to ten feet long. This allows for easy access into the center of the bed without actually having to step on it. Beds that are against walls or fences can be three feet wide as a compromise.
The speaker settled on the square design for the garden beds. While the speaker could have fit in two to three rows of rectangular beds, the speaker wanted tall protected beds with removable panels to protect against potential deer. The speaker broke the 4-foot-wide rule, making them a bit under 5 feet by 5 feet since they are square and accessible from all sides. The speaker also planned on using cheap six-foot fence boards, while using pressure-treated wood.
The speaker did not want the enclosures to look like ugly cages, so the speaker devised roof lines with baroque curves to look more like fancy antique bird cages. The bottom part made the proportions right by balancing the visual weight with the garden beds laid out. The speaker turned their attention to the main path linking the back of the house to the front of the house. One of the areas the speaker looked forward to having complete is this corner. The speaker wants to round it out with the path.
Considerations for Sun Exposure
When designing a garden, one crucial consideration is sun exposure. The amount of sunlight a garden receives is a limiting factor for growing flowers and vegetables. A garden ideally needs at least four to eight hours of full sun for productive and colorful growth.
To find the sunniest spots in a garden, one can observe how snow melts in the winter. The places where it melts first are the best spots to plant flowers and vegetables. The last places to melt should be left alone as they are not ideal for most gardens.
In the case of the speaker’s garden, the courtyard space faces south, but the house shades half of it in the afternoon. As a result, the speaker can plant greens that love partial shade near the house and leave the space next to the stone wall to grow sun-loving plants.
To make the most of the available sun exposure, the speaker placed protective beds in the middle of the courtyard. These raised beds have removable panels to protect against potential deer. The speaker broke the rule of making raised beds four feet wide, making them a bit under five feet by five feet since they are square and accessible from all sides. The speaker also used cheap six-foot fence boards to construct the beds.
While using pressure-treated wood is not ideal, it was the only material that fit into the speaker’s budget. To make the enclosures look less like ugly cages, the speaker devised roof lines with baroque curves to look more like fancy antique bird cages.
In summary, when designing a garden, one should consider the amount of sun exposure the space receives. Observing how snow melts in winter can help find the sunniest spots in the garden. The speaker’s garden design included protective beds in the middle of the courtyard to make the most of the available sun exposure.
Planning for Plant Placement
When designing a garden, it is important to consider the placement of plants. The speaker in the video emphasizes the value of expanding the garden slowly and working with what is available around you. Propagating plants from seed and cuttings whenever possible can be a cost-effective way to add to your garden.
The speaker started with a side garden that links the front of the house to the back where the kitchen is located. They envisioned an edible cottage garden and laid out square beds on a grid, aligning them to the house. The beds needed to be protected from groundhogs and deer that roamed the area, so the speaker settled on a vintage gazebo-like structure with removable chicken wire panels to house the most tasty greens.
To subdivide the garden into garden rooms, walls and fences can be used. A cottage garden by design needs a more enclosed feel, so if your house is out in the open grass, adding some fences or hedges or even a wall can partition your space into manageable chunks. This will help you make the space feel full with denser planting.
Sun exposure is a crucial consideration when planning for plant placement. The speaker made sure to look out for a property that sat on a southern-facing slope which guarantees maximum solar exposure. A quick way to find out the sunniest spots in your garden is to observe how snow melts in winter. The places where it melts first are the best spots to plant flowers and vegetables.
Raised beds should be four feet wide by eight to ten feet long. This allows for easy access into the center of the bed without actually having to step on it. Beds that are against walls or fences can be three feet wide as a compromise.
The speaker placed their protective beds in the middle, allowing for easy access around the beds and giving the space a pleasant proportion. They also allowed the paths to be at least three feet wide, making it easier to mow the grass with a standard mower.
In summary, when planning for plant placement in your garden, consider expanding slowly, propagating plants from seed and cuttings whenever possible, and subdividing the garden into manageable chunks using walls and fences. Additionally, consider sun exposure and the size of raised beds and paths for easy access and maintenance.
Pathway Construction
The speaker started with a side garden that links the front of the house to the back where the kitchen is. The speaker envisioned an edible cottage garden, so they wanted to build several garden beds where they could raise salad greens and other vegetables. The speaker laid out the square beds on a grid aligning them to the house. To protect the beds from groundhogs and deer that roamed the area, the speaker settled on a vintage gazebo-like structure with removable chicken wire panels to house the most tasty greens.
The speaker had in mind French kitchen gardens called “potage” in English cottage gardens as inspiration. The goal was to infuse this area with a sense of place. Walls and fences help subdivide a garden into garden rooms. A cottage garden by design needs a more enclosed feel, so if the house is out in the open grass, it’s important to add some fences or hedges or even a wall to partition the space into manageable chunks. This will help make the space feel full with denser planting.
The location of the speaker’s new home in an old town near the mountains in a river valley already exudes a sense of place, so it’s not hard for the speaker to work with it to highlight what’s already there. Even if someone lives in a cut-in-pace suburb or even amongst a row of tracked homes, their garden is their best opportunity to create a jewel-encrusted box that is their own and that declares they have arrived somewhere.
The speaker chose the courtyard space as the hub for the garden because of its court-like appearance. The speaker wanted it to have an old-world feel, and the presence of the stonewall was perfect. The sun exposure was also a crucial consideration. The speaker made sure to look out for a property that sat on a southern-facing slope, which guarantees maximum solar exposure.
The courtyard space does face south, but the house shades half of it in the afternoon. This means the speaker can plant greens that love partial shade near the house and leave the space next to the stone wall to grow sun-loving things. The speaker placed the protective beds in the middle, which would be perfect for growing greens and some other veggies that appreciate a little bit of afternoon shade.
To provide easy access around the beds and to give the space a pleasant proportion, the speaker allowed the paths to be at least three feet wide. As a rule of thumb, raised beds should be four feet wide by eight to ten feet long. This allows for easy access into the center of the bed without actually having to step on it because people can comfortably reach in with their arms about two feet in beds that are against walls or fences can be three feet wide as a compromise.
The speaker devised roof lines with baroque curves to look more like fancy antique bird cages. The bottom part made the proportions right by balancing the visual weight with the garden beds laid out. The speaker turned their attention to the main path linking the back of the house to the front of the house. They wanted to round it out with the path. The speaker liked the formal geometric shapes of the beds, and they create pattern and rhythm, but it’s also good to have a sweep, an arabesque. The way the path was before just made no sense. It was like a weird angle to the house, and it was all irregular and bad. So if the speaker was going to have a regular and bad path, they wanted to make it look good.
Designing Protective Beds
When designing a cottage garden, protective beds can be an essential element to protect your plants from animals and pests. The speaker in the video chose to create protective beds for salad greens and vegetables in a side garden that linked the front of the house to the back where the kitchen is. The garden beds needed to be protected from groundhogs and deer that roamed the area. After much thought and sketching, the speaker settled on a vintage gazebo-like structure with removable chicken wire panels to house the most tasty greens. The speaker’s goal was to infuse this area with a sense of place, taking inspiration from French kitchen gardens called “potage” and English cottage gardens.
To provide easy access around the beds and to give the space a pleasant proportion, the speaker allowed the paths to be at least three feet wide. As a rule of thumb, raised beds should be four feet wide by eight to ten feet long, allowing for easy access into the center of the bed without actually having to step on it. Beds that are against walls or fences can be three feet wide as a compromise. The speaker chose to make the protective beds a bit under 5 feet by 5 feet since they are square and accessible from all sides. The speaker also planned on using the cheap six-foot fence boards to construct the beds.
To make the enclosures look more aesthetically pleasing, the speaker devised roof lines with baroque curves to look more like fancy antique bird cages. The bottom part of the protective beds balanced the visual weight with the garden beds laid out. The speaker was pleased with the way the design turned out as it exceeded their expectations.
Overall, protective beds can be a practical and beautiful addition to a cottage garden. By carefully considering the size, shape, and materials used in the construction, you can create a functional and aesthetically pleasing space that protects your plants and adds to the overall design of your garden.
Linking the House to the Garden
When designing a garden, it is important to consider how it will connect with the house. In this video, the speaker shares his experience of creating a side garden that links the front of his house to the back, where the kitchen is located. He envisioned an edible cottage garden and wanted to build several garden beds where he could raise salad greens and other vegetables.
To protect the garden beds from groundhogs and deer that roamed the area, the speaker designed a vintage gazebo-like structure with removable chicken wire panels. The design was inspired by French kitchen gardens called “potage” in English cottage gardens. The speaker wanted to infuse the area with a sense of place, which he describes as a cohesive, balanced, and specific arrangement of space that exudes a feeling of belonging.
To subdivide the garden into garden rooms and create a more enclosed feel, the speaker used walls and fences. He chose a spot as the hub for the garden because of its court-like appearance and old-world feel, with the presence of a stonewall that was perfect for the purpose. Sun exposure was also a crucial consideration, with the speaker selecting a property that sat on a southern-facing slope to guarantee maximum solar exposure.
The speaker placed the protective beds in the middle to provide easy access around the beds and give the space a pleasant proportion. He allowed the paths to be at least three feet wide to make it easier to mow the grass with a standard mower. Raised beds should be four feet wide by eight to ten feet long, allowing for easy access into the center of the bed without stepping on it.
The speaker designed the beds to be a bit under 5 feet by 5 feet, making them accessible from all sides and allowing him to reach the center without any difficulty. He used cheap six-foot fence boards to construct the enclosures, adding roof lines with baroque curves to look more like fancy antique bird cages. The design turned out to exceed his expectations, with the bottom part balancing the visual weight with the garden beds laid out.
The speaker turned his attention to the main path linking the back of the house to the front of the house, with one of the areas he looked forward to having complete being the corner. He wanted to round it out with the path and create a sweep and arabesque. The current path was irregular and did not make sense, so the speaker planned to have a regular and bad path.