Your Ultimate Guide to Commonly Asked Cottage Gardening Questions – Updated for 2026

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 for years, I hope these answers help you create a garden you truly love. If I missed one of your questions, be sure to leave it in the comments. It may be included in my next FAQ update!

How do you prune and treat your roses?

Healthy roses begin with proper pruning. I prune my roses in late winter February here in Zone 6b just before new growth begins. Always use clean, sharp pruners—I personally love Felco pruning shears because they make clean cuts that heal quickly.

For my English David Austin roses, I generally reduce the plant by about one-third, removing:

• Dead or damaged canes
• Weak, crossing branches
• Growth that points toward the center

This opens the plant for better air circulation and stronger growth.

Throughout the growing season I:

• Fertilize in early spring when new growth begins.
• Fertilize again after the first flush of blooms.
• Deadhead regularly.
• Remove diseased foliage immediately.
• Water deeply rather than frequently.
• Spray only when necessary if disease pressure becomes high.

My favorite companions around roses are nepeta, salvia, lavender, and alliums, which not only look beautiful but also help create a healthier garden ecosystem.

Which flowers attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds?

A pollinator-friendly garden is one of my favorite parts of gardening.

Some of my favorites include:

Butterflies

• Purple Coneflower Echinacea
• Phlox
• Millenium Allium
• Lavender
• Salvia
• Verbena
• Butterfly Bush
• Zinnias
• Cosmos

Bees

• Nepeta
• Catmint
• Lavender
• Alliums
• Salvia
• Borage

Hummingbirds

• Salvia
• Bee Balm
• Foxgloves
• Cardinal Flower
• Coral Bells
• Petunias
• Fuchsia containers

The more variety you plant, the more wildlife your garden will attract.

What are your favorite companion plant combinations?

One of the biggest secrets to a beautiful cottage garden is layering plants with different heights, textures, and bloom times.

Some of my favorite combinations are:

• Pink David Austin Roses + Purple Clematis
• Nepeta + Roses + Foxgloves
• Salvia + Roses + Lavender
• Sarah Bernhardt Peonies + Alliums
• White Hydrangeas + Lavender + Boxwoods
• Coneflowers + Russian Sage
• Hydrangeas + Japanese painted ferns and wineberry coral bells shade
• Brunnera + Astilbe + Hosta shade

I always recommend choosing a color palette first. Mine centers around soft pink, lavender, purple, white, and touches of blue, which creates a timeless English cottage feel.

Purple Clematis and Pink Roses

Nepeta, Salvia, and Pink Roses

Nepeta, Foxgloves and Pink Roses

Annabelle Hydrangea, Millienum Alliums and Supertunia Silverberry

Why are my Peonies not blooming? They grow but do not have flowers.

There are several common reasons:

• They’re planted too deep the eyes should be no more than 1 inch below the soil
• Not enough sunlight 
• Too much nitrogen fertilizer
• Young plants often take several years
• The buds were damaged by a late frost

One of my favorite gardening memories is growing divisions from my grandmother’s peonies. Those plants have moved with me for over forty years.

Can you name some tall flowers for a cottage garden?

Height creates drama and gives the garden its layered look.

Some favorites include:

• Larkspur
• Foxgloves
• Delphiniums
• Globe Master Allium
• Ambassador Allium
• Verbascum
• Hollyhocks
• Lupines
• Tall Snapdragons
• Dahlias
• Sunflowers
• Joe Pye Weed

How do I keep such a sharp edge on my garden beds?

Nothing makes a garden look more polished than a clean edge.

Every spring I redefine every bed using a spade shovel. I cut down about 4 inches.  I do not mulch up to the cutting I let the dirt dry out I usually touch them up with a garden weeder again several times  if needed.

It is one of the least expensive improvements you can make, yet it has one of the biggest visual impacts.

Why don’t you have weeds?

I promise I have weeds too!

Here’s what works for me:

• Apply Preen in early spring after mulching.
• Reapply in fall.
• Mulch every year with good organic mulch.
• Pull weeds while they’re small. Use a good weeder. I use this tool which is a must have.
• Plant close together.  Cottage garden style
• Never let weeds go to seed.

What are some common mistakes to avoid in your garden?

Mistake #1: Not Knowing Your Zone

You must know your zone! Mine is 6b. Look at the tags before buying and check the zone range. It is really important to read the tags to make sure you are planting with the correct lighting conditions. My sun garden gets at least eight hours of sun.

Mistake #2: Size Matters!

Another critical factor is understanding the eventual size of the plants. A well-thought-out garden avoids overcrowding, particularly with perennials that start as small beginnings and take about three years to reach maturity. This is crucial for creating a harmonious balance, allowing room for the perennials to mature and integrate seamlessly with annuals.

Mistake #3: Not Paying Attention to Plant Height

Height really matters when planting perennials so it is really important to read the tag and not just look at the plant itself. Some perennials look the same but come in different heights. It is important that you plant the shortest varieties at the front of the border and gradually progress to the tallest at the back, incorporating a mix of flowers and shrubs. 

Mistake #4: Only Shopping for Plants in the Spring

We all love to go to the garden center in Spring when we are ready to start our garden and we fall in love with all the beautiful perennials in bloom. However, it is a good practice to go to the garden center in early Spring, late Spring, and early Fall to see what is blooming. This will ensure that your garden has different bloom times. If you go to the garden center in Spring and purchase all your flowers for your garden you will not have color throughout the entire growing season.

How do you keep your garden blooming all season?

I choose plants that bloom in succession.

Spring

• Tulips
• Daffodils
• Alliums
• Peonies
• Iris

Early Summer

• Roses
• Nepeta
• Salvia
• Foxgloves
• Delphiniums

Mid Summer

• Hydrangeas
• Phlox
• Coneflowers
• Shasta Daisy
• Lavender

Late Summer

• Dahlias
• Zinnias
• Rudbeckia
• Sedum
• Japanese Anemones

Fall

• Asters
• Ornamental grasses
• Autumn Joy Sedum
• Panicle hydrangeas

How often should I water?

Water deeply rather than daily.

Most established perennials need approximately 1 inch of water per week, including rainfall. Newly planted shrubs and hydrangeas need more frequent watering during their first growing season. I always recommend watering the soil—not the leaves—and watering early in the morning whenever possible.

What is the best mulch?

I use sweet Peet but if you can’t find it I prefer shredded hardwood mulch because it:

• Retains moisture
• Helps suppress weeds
• Improves the soil over time
• Looks natural in a cottage garden

Avoid piling mulch against the base of shrubs and trees.

Should I fertilize in the summer?

Yes but selectively.

I continue feeding:

• Annual containers
• Hanging baskets
• Roses after their first flush
• Heavy feeders like dahlias

I generally stop fertilizing most hardy shrubs and perennials by late summer so new growth has time to harden off before winter. Also, do not fertilize when it’s very hot.

How do you make your garden look professionally designed?

This is probably my most frequently asked question. The answer isn’t buying more flowers. It’s adding structure first.

Every beautiful garden begins with:

• Evergreen shrubs
• Boxwoods
• Trees
• Arbors
• Obelisks
• Trellises
• Stone paths
• Garden edging

Flowers come second.

Think of flowers as the accessories not the foundation.

How do you prevent black spot on roses?

Good air circulation is your first defense.

I also:

• Remove infected leaves immediately.
• Water at the base.
• Avoid overhead watering.
• Clean up leaves in fall.
• Keep plants properly spaced.
• Spray only if necessary.

Healthy plants are naturally more resistant. Here is a post I wrote on all rose problems.

What are the easiest cottage garden flowers for beginners?

If you’re just getting started, I recommend:

• Nepeta
• Salvia
• Coneflowers
• Black-eyed Susans
• Alliums
• Peonies
• Shasta Daisies
• Hydrangeas
• Lavender 
• Catmint
• Veronica
• Roses yes roses! Start with knockout types

When should I divide perennials?

Most perennials benefit from division every 3–5 years.

I usually divide:

• Hostas
• Nepeta
• Daylilies
• Shasta daisies
• Siberian iris

The best time is early spring or early fall, depending on the plant.

What flowers bloom the longest?

Some of my longest performers include:

• David Austin Roses
• Nepeta
• Salvia
• Hydrangeas
• Zinnias
• Dahlias
• Coneflowers
• Verbena
• Million Bells
• Supertunias

Deadheading regularly will extend blooming even further.

What gardening tools can you not live without?

If I could only choose a few, they would be:

• Felco pruning shears
• Hori Hori garden knife
• Grandpas weeder
• Garden kneeler
• Hose with watering wand
• Leaf rake

You can find them here.

What advice would you give someone starting their very first garden?

Start smaller than you think. Don’t try to create your dream garden all at once. Choose plants that fit your conditions, learn how they grow, and expand each year. Gardens aren’t created in a season they’re created over time. Some of my favorite areas today took years to become what they are now. And honestly, that’s one of the things I love most about gardening.

The best gardens aren’t perfect they’re personal.

They evolve, change, surprise us, and teach us patience. Every season brings something new to learn, and that’s what keeps me inspired year after year.

Thank you for being part of the Old Castle Cottage community. I hope these answers help you feel more confident in your own garden. If you have a question you’d like me to answer in a future post, leave it in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.