If you’ve been following Old Castle Cottage for a while, you’ve probably noticed that many of the same gardening questions come up again and again. I absolutely love answering them because if one person is wondering, chances are hundreds of others are too! Whether you’re just beginning your gardening journey or you’ve been digging in the dirt…
A simple end of September checklist to prepare your cottage garden for fall and for a more beautiful spring. September always feels like a gentle turning point in the garden. The afternoons may still be warm, but the mornings are cooler, the light is softer, and the first leaves are beginning to fall. While it…
Every spring, one of my favorite harvests besides a rose or peony it’s rhubarb. The rhubarb growing at Old Castle Cottage is especially meaningful because it came from a division of my husband’s grandmother’s plant. Every time I see those beautiful ruby-red stalks pushing through the soil, I think of her and the generations before…
Dreaming of cottage garden roses covered in flowers from early summer through frost? A simple rose care routine can make all the difference. Every year, readers and garden visitors ask how I achieve continuous blooms throughout the season, and the answer isn’t complicated it’s all about consistent care at the right time. In this post,…
If you’ve ever walked into a garden center in May and filled your cart with whatever is in full bloom… you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common mistakes I see, especially with beginner gardeners. Everything looks incredible this time of year. Tables are overflowing with color, plants look lush and healthy, and it’s…
There’s a moment every year usually after a long New England winter when the light changes just enough, the birds return, and you feel it. Well, that time was last week for me in my zone 6b garden …we had a false Spring with temperatures in the 70’s. I saw gardeners online planting their gardens….
There is something absolutely whimsical about alliums rising above a cottage garden bed. Their globe-shaped blooms float like little fireworks above roses, nepeta, and peonies, structured yet whimsical at the same time. If you’ve followed along at Old Castle Cottage, especially in my posts on Everything You Need to Know About Alliums and The Whimsy…
If you’ve ever dreamed of a garden filled with billowing flowers, winding paths, climbing roses, and blooms that feel as though they’ve always belonged, you’re already drawn to the magic of a cottage garden. Cottage gardens aren’t about perfection. They’re about abundance, charm, and creating a space that feels lived-in, loved, and layered with beauty…
Peonies are one of the most enduring plants in the cottage garden. Their billowing blooms, sturdy presence, and remarkable longevity make them feel less like a trend and more like a legacy plant something planted once and enjoyed for generations. Actually, mine are divisions from my grandmother’s house planted over 65 years ago that I…
If you’ve ever dreamed of an English-style cottage garden one filled with billowing blooms, winding paths, and flowers that feel as though they’ve always belonged you’re not alone. Cottage gardens are one of the most beginner-friendly garden styles because they celebrate abundance, imperfection, and plants that are generous by nature. The key isn’t having every…
A journal from Old Castle Cottage. There’s a quiet space between one year and the next that I love the most. It isn’t loud or celebratory. It’s reflective. Honest. Still.This year, instead of making resolutions or lists of things to accomplish, I found myself thinking about what I no longer want to carry forward. The…