Welcome to The Cottage Garden Society

If you are interested in plants, or enjoy exchanging gardening ideas and experiences with fellow gardeners, why not join The Cottage Garden Society?

You don't have to live in a cottage, or even in the country. Cottage gardens can be created in the small plots of modern houses or in the narrow gardens of older terraces. The traditional, informal style lends itself to any situation, rural or urban, large or small.

What is a Cottage Garden?

Originally, the purpose of the cottage garden was to provide food. It contained livestock, herbs, fruits and vegetables. Flowers were an optional extra and tended to be ones that had some practical value, such as seasoning food or repelling bugs. The cottager's small plot did not allow for any wasted space, so the garden was abundantly packed, but well tended.

The cottage garden later moved away from being an utilitarian space and became an area to be enjoyed. These days, food-crops and chicken-keeping are returning and environmental concerns are being incorporated by the conscientious cottage gardener.

Although there are no hard and fast rules as to what should be grown, the hallmarks of this style are informality, abundance and diversity. That means lots of colour, scent, bees, birds and butterflies, not to mention fruit, herbs, vegetables, frogs and hedgehogs!

Silver-Gilt Medal at Malvern

Many congratulation to designer Rebecca Lloyd and her helpers for the silver gilt awarded by the RHS to her display for CGS at the Malvern Spring Show. Thanks to Rob Baston for all his organisation too.

Mon 14th May 2012, 13:12

EVENTS: Look out for us at a number of events in May and June. On May 10th - 13th, it's the Malvern Spring Garden Show with Nick Hamilton presenting our KB designer, Becky Lloyd, with her award there at midday on Thursday. This will be followed by Builth Wells on 19th and 20th May. GWL happens on 13-17 June (more helpers needed) and our AGM is June 24th (more bookings needed!). See the Events pages for information on all these and more.

RHS Special Offer

Join the RHS for only £35.70 (normal price £51), plus receive a £5 RHS shop/garden centre voucher, if you pay by direct debit and join through The CGS. Let our treasurer, Maureen Hersee, know you want to join and not only do you get the special price, but our Society receives £5 for each new member joining in this way.

Water Saving

We've all heard about the water restrictions and, being gardeners, I'm sure we notice no rain more than non-gardeners do. Particularly badly off are those in the east and south of the country. There is a lot of information available on how to save water, see, for instance, Southern Water or Thames Water. Most obviously, install water butts, mulch your soil, let the lawn go brown - it will recover, don't use a sprinkler, and, if it all gets too dry, we'll have to think about the sorts of plants we're growing - water-lovers out, drought-lovers in!