Many of the heirloom plants common in cottage gardens are plants that lend themselves to easy seed collection. Read more about how to save, collect and even trade seeds with other gardeners becuase it is an inexpensive way to expand your plant collection!
Here are the next six heirloom cottage garden plants.
Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) – A native plant, as many cottage garden plants are, in Europe and North America, feverfew is a short-lived perennial that has lovely daisy like flowers all summer and fall. This heirloom plant first appears in gardening literature in 1860 so you can see that feverfew has been a mainstay herb in cottage gardens for centuries now! Feverfew, a member of the Aster family, prefers full sun and average soil and will grow to about 1’ x 1’. Feverfew flowers have white petals with large yellow centers that will self-sow in the garden readily, ensuring a steady supply of these cheerful plants.
Johnny-jump-up (Viola tricolor) – Another annual plant that lends itself readily to self-sowing, viola’s get their common name from their tendency to “jump-up” in unplanned spots. Violas prefer cool weather so expect spring and fall blooms on these tiny 4-8” plants. Johnny-jump-up grows well in sun-part shade and will spread seeds around your garden easily. The flowers of violas are edible and can be sugared for use as desert decorations or pressed for crafts.
Dill (Anethum graveolens) – Dill is one of the oldest cultivated herbs still in use today and with good reason. Not only an excellent culinary herb, this 2’ tall annual herb also produces lovely yellow flowers in broad clusters that make excellent cut or pressed flowers. Dill grows on a taproot so it is best to sow seed directly outdoors unless transplanting is done very carefully. Dill is another annual that often self-sows seed in the garden.
Garden Phlox (Phlox panuculata) – A very hardy perennial, garden phlox can withstand winters even in zone 3 and summer heat through zone 8. A midsummer blooming plant garden phlox grows to 4’ tall and prefers full sun and rich soil. ‘Old Cellarhole’ is a mildew resistant heirloom cultivar. Other heirloom garden phlox include ‘Bright Eyes’ and ‘Mia Ruys’ both of which maintain the sweet scented flower clusters that first caused gardeners to cultivate hardy phlox for cottage gardens as early as the 1700’s.
Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) – Columbine, or granny’s bonnet, is a perennial that has been cultivated by cottage gardeners as early as 1310. Wild columbine is hardy in zones3-9, prefers sun to part shade and grows 2’ tall. Red and yellow columbine flowers appear each spring on gently nodding flower stalks. Columbine hybridizes naturally and easily so don’t be surprised if self-sown volunteers don’t match the parent plants exactly; that is part of the charm of a cottage garden!
Zepherine Drouhin Antique Climbing Rose (Rosa ‘Zephirine Drouhin’) – A beautiful heirloom plant, this climbing bourbon rose has a lot to add to any cottage garden. Zepherine drouhin was first introduced in Bizet, France in 1868 and climbs to a full 15’ and more up trellis or wall with minimal support. Large fragrant pink flowers are highly scented but what makes the heirloom Zepherine drouhin most unique among roses are the nearly thornless canes. Hardy in zones 5-9, Zepherine drouhin tolerates part shade, pollution and poor soil better than any modern roses and will bloom more each year as the plant grows. Expect the rose plant to bloom its third year with one flush of flowers around May or June and sporadic blooming throughout the rest of the season. As the heirloom rose matures it will become more and more everblooming.
Don't miss Cottage Garden Plants Part 1
