Cottage Garden-Christopher Lloyd

One of my favourite gardening books is Chrisopher Lloyd's 1999 publication Cottage Garden, a book I find myself returning to over and over for reference and imagery alike.

Mr.Lloyd discusses the history of the cottage garden proper, in addition to providing tips for plants to grow, animals to keep, and even traditional recipes.

I heartily recommend this title along with David Stuart's Gardening with Antique Plants. These two will make good bedfellows on any cottager's bookshelf.

Hope everyone in Blogland is having a wonderful holiday season. We cannot wait to get back to work in the garden.

Gardening With Antique Plants

I've finished reading David Stuart's Gardening With Antique Plants today, and I must say the book was among the better gardening books I've read as of late. It was beautifully photographed and quite informative!

Mr. Stuart organizes the book by a list of recommended antique plants for certain garden types; Cottage, Wildflower, Topiary, Rose, Kitchen and Container. The book is of considerable value to the cottager because the majority of the plant listings focuses on the tried-and-true varieties commonly used in the potager (that's a vegetable garden) and the flower garden.

Here are some of Mr. Stuart's recommend plants for a Cottage Flower Garden:

Bulbs and Perennials:

Acanthus (Bear's Breeches)
Alcea (Hollyhock)
Anemone
Aquilegia (Columbine)
Bellis (Daisy)
Dianthus (Carnation, Pink, Sweet William, China Pink)
Helleborus (Christmas Rose, Hellebore)
Hemerocallis (Daylily)
Iris
Lily
Paeonia (Peony)
Papaver (Poppy)
Primula (Primrose, Cowslip, Oxlip, Auricala)
Ranunculus
Tulips

Annuals

Antirrhinum (Snapdragon)
Calendula
Cheiranthus (Wallflower)
Lupines
Nasturtium
Nicotiana (Flowering Tobacco)
Sweet Peas
Violas/Pansies

Climbers

Clematis
Honeysuckle
Ivy
Morning Glory

And here are his suggestions for the Potager (Kitchen Garden):

Fruit Trees

Malus (Apple)
Mespilus (Medlar) (I had to look this one up. Not as common in American gardens)
Prunus Avium (Cherry)
Prunus Domestica (Plum)
Prunus Persica (Peach)
Pyrus (Pear)
Ribes x uva-crispa var. reclinatum (Gooseberry)
Vitis (Vine)

Vegetables

Allium Cepa (Onion)
Allium Porrum (Leeks)
Amaranthus
Brassica (Cabbages)
Curcurbita (Pumpkins and Squash)
Cynara (Artichoke)
Foeniculum (Fennel)
Lycopersicon (Tomato)
Phaseolus (Beans)
Pisum (Peas)
Spinacia (Spinach)

Kitchen Herbs

Allium (Chives)
Anethum (Dill)
Coriandrum (Coriander)
Mentha (Mint)
Ocimum (Basil)
Origanum (Marjoram)
Petroselinum (Parsley)
Thymus (Thyme)