English Cottage Garden Blueprint
This version keeps the inventory and other tabs you liked, adds a 1-foot reference grid for the main beds, includes planting-order steps, and keeps the plant cells color-coded only so the layout stays clean.
Annual
Perennial
Tender perennial
Annual / tender perennial
16 × 5 ft Pollinator Bed
6–7 hours sun • three planting rows • 16 one-foot columns across
Back row24" spacing • 8 plants • 8 row positions
Sunflower Evening Sun
Sunflower Tiger's Eye
Sunflower Lemon Queen
Sunflower Mammoth Russian
Sunflower Valentine
Delphinium
Delphinium
Lavatera
Middle row16" spacing • 12 positions • grouped into cottage-style drifts on the overlay
Cosmos
Cosmos
Zinnia
Zinnia
Blue Boy Cornflower
Bachelor Buttons
Cosmos
Zinnia
White Lace Flower
Blue Boy Cornflower
Bachelor Buttons
Lacy Phacelia
Front row12" spacing • 16 positions • 16 one-foot columns
Calendula
Linaria
Dianthus
Love-in-a-Mist
Alyssum
Coreopsis
Calendula
Linaria
Dianthus
Love-in-a-Mist
Alyssum
Coreopsis
Linaria
Dianthus
Mirabilis
Siberian Wallflower
Planting order 1Mark all 16 one-foot columns first, then mark the three working rows.
Planting order 2Plant tall structure first: sunflowers, delphinium, lavatera.
Planting order 3Plant the middle row at 16" centers, keeping the flowers intermingled in loose drifts.
Planting order 4Finish the front row last so you can adjust the edge for the prettiest color rhythm.
14 × 5 ft Cottage Bed
5–6 hours sun • three planting rows • 14 one-foot columns across
Back row24" spacing • 7 plants • 7 row positions
Hydrangea
Dahlia
Lily
Hydrangea
Dahlia
Kniphofia
Eryngium
Middle row18" spacing • 9 positions • grouped into soft perennial drifts on the overlay
Shasta Daisy
Milkweed
Columbine
Shasta Daisy
Creeping Daisy
Columbine
Shasta Daisy
Milkweed
Creeping Daisy
Front row12" spacing • 14 positions • 14 one-foot columns
Calla
Begonia
Coleus
Coreopsis
Pansy
Anemone
Calla
Begonia
Coleus
Coreopsis
Pansy
Anemone
Begonia
Coleus
Planting order 1Mark all 14 one-foot columns first, then mark the three working rows.
Planting order 2Plant the hydrangeas and all back-row structure first.
Planting order 3Add the middle row at 18" centers so the perennial rhythm is set.
Planting order 4Finish with the front row and adjust the shade-friendly colors for balance.
4 × 4 ft Mailbox Bed
Center focal point + 8 outer positions at 12" spacing
Mammoth Russian
1 plant
1 plant
Zinnia
Gazania
Calendula
Portulaca
Zinnia
Gazania
Coreopsis
Portulaca
3 × 3 × 3 ft Triangle Bed
Triangular grid with 6 planting spots at 12" spacing
Rows: 1 / 2 / 3 spots. Best planting order: delphinium first, then calla + phacelia, then gazania + portulaca + mirabilis across the front.
Delphinium
Calla
Lacy Phacelia
Gazania
Portulaca
Mirabilis
Window Boxes — 3 × 1 ft each
Each box uses 3 positions at 12" centers = 36"
Box 11 row × 3 columns
Alyssum
Dianthus
Alyssum
Box 21 row × 3 columns
Portulaca
Gazania
Creeping Daisy
Pots + Trellis
The 12-inch pots are mixed on purpose. The 6-inch pots stay mostly single-variety because that size gets crowded fast.
Seven 6-inch pots
Pot 1: Coleus Rainbow Mix
Pot 2: Begonia
Pot 3: Pansy
Pot 4: Anemone clump
Pot 5: Dianthus
Pot 6: Gazania
Pot 7: Alyssum
Two 12-inch pots
Pot 1: Marigold + Alyssum + Linaria
Pot 2: Marigold + Dianthus + Portulaca
Container variety rule: each 12-inch pot uses an upright center flower plus a filler and a spiller. That gives you the variety you wanted without overstuffing the root zone.
Trellis strip
Morning Glory: 2 plants at 12" centers • Sweet Peas: 4 plants at 6" centers
Color Palette Plan — English Cottage Style
Soft transitions, mixed blooms, and enough structure to keep it readable instead of chaotic
Warm gold / yellow
Sunflowers, Calendula, Coreopsis, Gazania
Soft white
White Lace Flower, Alyssum, Shasta Daisy
Blue / violet
Delphinium, Cornflower, Phacelia, Linaria
Pink / rose
Zinnia, Dianthus, Cosmos, Dahlias
Cool foliage
Coleus, Hydrangea mass, Begonia foliage
16 × 5 bed flow
Golden sunflower canopy in back, then pink/blue/white pollinator mix in the middle, then a soft edge of alyssum, dianthus, linaria, and low fillers in front.
Golden sunflower canopy in back, then pink/blue/white pollinator mix in the middle, then a soft edge of alyssum, dianthus, linaria, and low fillers in front.
14 × 5 bed flow
Hydrangeas and structural perennials make the back feel anchored, while the front keeps a softer cottage edge with shade-tolerant texture and color.
Hydrangeas and structural perennials make the back feel anchored, while the front keeps a softer cottage edge with shade-tolerant texture and color.
Planting & bloom calendar
Approximate flowering windows so the garden stays colorful from spring through fall
| Plant | Bloom window |
|---|---|
| Pansy | Mar–May |
| Columbine | Apr–Jun |
| Anemone | Apr–Jun |
| Alyssum | Apr–Oct |
| Sweet Peas | Apr–Jun |
| Calendula | May–Sep |
| Dianthus | May–Sep |
| Linaria | May–Sep |
| Love-in-a-Mist | May–Jul |
| Blue Boy Cornflower | May–Aug |
| Bachelor Buttons | May–Aug |
| Lacy Phacelia | May–Jul |
| Siberian Wallflower | May–Jul |
| Lily | Jun–Aug |
| Hydrangea | Jun–Sep |
| Shasta Daisy | Jun–Aug |
| Delphinium | Jun–Jul |
| Begonia | Jun–Oct |
| Coleus foliage | Jun–Oct |
| Calla | Jun–Aug |
| Coreopsis | Jun–Oct |
| Gazania | Jun–Oct |
| Portulaca | Jul–Oct |
| Zinnia | Jul–Oct |
| Cosmos | Jul–Oct |
| Sunflowers | Jul–Sep |
| Mirabilis | Jul–Oct |
| Lavatera | Jul–Sep |
| Kniphofia | Jul–Sep |
| Milkweed | Jul–Sep |
| Eryngium | Jul–Sep |
| Morning Glory | Aug–Oct |
| Dahlias | Aug–Oct |
Early season color comes from pansy, columbine, alyssum, and anemone. Midseason momentum comes from daisies, delphinium, and coreopsis. Late summer drama comes from cosmos, zinnias, sunflowers, dahlias, mirabilis, and morning glory.
Master inventory cross-check
Every non-food, non-herb, non-fruit ornamental from your list is assigned somewhere
Calla
Bed B front row + triangle bed
Dahlia
Bed B back row
Dahlia 2
Bed B back row
Coleus Rainbow Mix
Bed B front row + 6-inch pot
Lily
Bed B back row
Calendula
Bed A front row + mailbox ring
Shasta Daisy
Bed B middle row
Begonia
Bed B front row + 6-inch pot
Columbine
Bed B middle row
Delphinium
Bed A back row + triangle bed
Anemone
Bed B front row + 6-inch pot
Pansy Swiss Giants
Bed B front row + 6-inch pot
Mirabilis
Bed A front row + triangle bed
Kniphofia
Bed B back row
Eryngium
Bed B back row
Hydrangeas (2)
Bed B back row
Portulaca
Mailbox ring + box 2 + 12-inch pot
Morning Glory
Trellis strip
Milkweed
Bed B middle row
Lavatera
Bed A back row
Cosmos
Bed A middle row
Creeping Daisy
Bed B middle row + box 2
Gazania
Mailbox ring + box 2 + 6-inch pot
Sunflower – Evening Sun
Bed A back row
Sunflower – Tiger's Eye
Bed A back row
Sunflower – Lemon Queen
Bed A back row
Sunflower – Mammoth Russian
Bed A back row + mailbox center
Sunflower – Valentine
Bed A back row
Zinnia
Bed A middle row + mailbox ring
Linaria
Bed A front row + 12-inch pot
Dianthus
Bed A front row + box 1 + 12-inch pot + 6-inch pot
Blue Boy Cornflower
Bed A middle row
White Lace Flower
Bed A middle row
Love-in-a-Mist
Bed A front row
Bachelor Buttons
Bed A middle row
Lacy Phacelia
Bed A middle row + triangle bed
Siberian Wallflower
Bed A front row
Alyssum
Bed A front row + box 1 + 12-inch pot
Coreopsis
Bed A front row + mailbox ring + Bed B front row
Sweet Peas
Trellis strip