23 Gorgeous Shrubs, Flowers, And Plants For A Cottage Garden - Daisies, Sweet Peas, And Phlox!

Cottage gardens offer more than cozy aesthetics. They can also provide wildlife support, an extended blooming season, reduced water usage, and increased biodiversity! But which plants create that sought-after cottage garden charm? Here’s your ultimate guide to the 23 best plants for a cottage garden with all the details you need to make your own enchanted space.

Beautiful country cottage garden with beautiful flowers.

Sound fun?

Then grab your favorite garden shovel and follow me!

23 Best Cottage Garden Plants

Let’s dig into this treasure trove of cottage garden favorites, where each plant brings a special magic to create that perfectly imperfect paradise we all dream about.

1. Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum)

White Shasta Daisy flowers with green leaves growing under the sun.

These cheerful white blooms with sunny yellow centers are cottage garden classics that practically scream summer! They’re incredibly low-maintenance, provide many weeks of flowers that work beautifully in bouquets, and their sturdy stems stand tall against summer storms without staking.

USDA Growth Zone: 4 through 9.
Plant Height: 1 to 3 feet.
Colors: White flowers with yellow centers.
Flower Schedule: Blooms June through September.

Spent Shasta daisies can be left on the plant to form attractive seed heads that goldfinches love to visit in late summer.

2. Verbena (Verbena bonariensis)

Purple allium flowers growing tall in the cottage garden.

This airy, purple-flowering beauty adds vertical interest with its tall, slender stems that dance in the breeze. Butterflies adore it, and it has a magical way of weaving through other plants, creating that relaxed, slightly wild cottage look we all secretly crave.

USDA Growth Zone: 7 through 11. They are grown annually in colder zones.
Plant Height: 3 to 4 feet.
Colors: Purple or lavender flowers.
Flower Schedule: Blooms June through October.

Despite its delicate appearance, verbena is remarkably drought-tolerant once established, making it perfect for those hot, sunny corners where other plants struggle.

3. Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus)

Group of mixed and bright colorful lupins blooming in a flower bed.

With their dramatic spires of pea-like flowers in blues, purples, pinks, and whites, lupines add architectural interest to any cottage garden. They self-seed happily, creating natural drifts that look as though Mother Nature herself designed your garden layout.

USDA Growth Zone: 4 through 9.
Plant Height: 2 to 4 feet.
Colors: Blue, purple, pink, white, yellow, or bicolor flowers.
Flower Schedule: Blooms May through July.

As legume family members, lupines perform the remarkable trick of fixing nitrogen in the soil, gradually improving poor ground for their neighboring plants.

4. Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)

Beautiful hollyhock flowers growing in the garden.

These nostalgic giants bring old-world charm with towering stalks draped in saucer-shaped blooms. Perfect for the back of borders or against walls and fences, hollyhocks provide that quintessential cottage garden backdrop while attracting bees and butterflies by the dozens.

USDA Growth Zone: 3 through 8.
Plant Height: 4 to 8 feet.
Colors: White, pink, red, purple, yellow, or black flowers.
Flower Schedule: Blooms June through August.

The edible flowers can naturally color sugar or be added to salads for a stunning visual effect.

5. Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus)

Beautiful sweet peas flowers growing against a rustic garden fence.

Sweet peas bring romance to any cottage garden with their intoxicating fragrance and delicate butterfly-like blooms. They’re perfect for scrambling trellises and obelisks, adding height without taking up precious ground space, and making for the most heavenly-scented cut flowers.

USDA Growth Zone: 2 through 11, grown as annual in most areas.
Plant Height: Climbing vine, 6 to 8 feet.
Colors: White, pink, red, blue, purple, bicolor flowers.
Flower Schedule: Blooms March through June in warm climates, June through September in cooler areas.

Unlike their vegetable cousins, ornamental sweet pea flowers intensify their heady fragrance as the day warms, with the old-fashioned varieties offering the most intoxicating scents.

6. Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii)

Catmint flowers blooming in the spring garden alongside roses and hydrangeas.

This perennial workhorse offers waves of lavender-blue flowers that cats adore (hence the name) and deer avoid! Its aromatic silver-green foliage looks fresh all season, even after the first flush of blooms has faded, and a quick haircut mid-summer rewards you with a second spectacular show.

USDA Growth Zone: 4 through 8.
Plant Height: 1 to 3 feet.
Colors: Lavender-blue flowers.
Flower Schedule: Blooms May through September.

The aromatic oils in catmint’s foliage are a natural mosquito repellent, making nearby seating areas more comfortable on summer evenings.

7. Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

Lovely apricot foxglove flower spike growing in the cottage garden.

These woodland beauties bring vertical drama with their spotted, tubular bells that nod in the slightest breeze. They self-seed enthusiastically, popping up in unexpected places to create that perfectly imperfect cottage garden look, and hummingbirds can’t resist them.

USDA Growth Zone: 4 through 10.
Plant Height: 2 to 5 feet.
Colors: Purple, pink, white, yellow flowers with spotted throats.
Flower Schedule: Blooms May through July.

While all parts of foxglove are toxic if ingested, the plant has a noble medical history as the source of digitalis, a cardiac medicine that has saved countless lives.

8. Coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata)

Coreopsis snowberry flowers growing in the cottage garden.

These sunny, daisy-like flowers bloom from early summer through fall without deadheading! Their finely-cut foliage adds textural interest even when they’re not blooming, and they’re tough as nails, thriving in poor soil where other plants would throw a tantrum.

USDA Growth Zone: 3 through 9.
Plant Height: 1 to 3 feet.
Colors: Yellow, orange, red, or bicolor flowers.
Flower Schedule: Blooms June through September.

Native American tribes used coreopsis to make brown and yellow-orange dyes for textiles, and its thread-like foliage creates a misty, ethereal effect when backlit by morning or evening sun.

9. Cottage Pinks (Dianthus plumarius)

Cottage pink plants growing in the garden with bright pink blooms.

With their spicy clove fragrance and fringed petals in shades of pink, white, and red, these old-fashioned charmers form tidy mounds of blue-gray foliage. They’re perfect for edging paths where brushing against them releases their sweet scent, and their evergreen leaves look handsome year-round.

USDA Growth Zone: 3 through 9.
Plant Height: 6 to 12 inches.
Colors: Pink, white, red, bicolor flowers, often with fringed petals.
Flower Schedule: Blooms May through July.

Their spicy clove fragrance intensifies in the evening, making them perfect for planting near patios where you can enjoy their sweet perfume during alfresco dinners.

10. Clematis (Clematis spp.)

Gorgeous perennial clematis vines in the garden with stunning pink flowers.

These “queen of vines” transform fences and arbors into floral showpieces with star-shaped blooms in nearly every imaginable color. Different varieties of flowers are available in spring, summer, or fall (or all three!), so mixing types gives you months of vertical color without taking up precious ground space.

USDA Growth Zone: 4 through 9 (varies by species).
Plant Height: Climbing vine, 6 to 30 feet, depending on the variety.
Colors: Blue, purple, pink, red, white, or bicolor flowers.
Flower Schedule: Varies by type – early, mid, or late season bloomers available.

Gardeners often follow the “head in the sun, feet in the shade” rule for clematis, planting shorter perennials around their base to shade their roots while allowing the vines to climb into the sunlight.

11. Peony (Paeonia lactiflora)

A gorgeous blooming peony bush with lovely pink flowers in the garden.

These magnificent blooms combine outrageous beauty with incredible longevity – the plants often outlive their gardeners! Their lush pink, white, and red flowers offer an intoxicating fragrance that will stop visitors in their tracks.

USDA Growth Zone: 3 through 8.
Plant Height: 2 to 3 feet.
Colors: White, pink, red, or coral flowers.
Flower Schedule: Blooms May through June.

Peonies are also famous for their delightful glossy foliage, which looks handsome all season long.

12. Phlox (Phlox paniculata)

Bright pink phlox flowers growing in the garden.

These late summer stars create clouds of fragrant blooms that perfume the entire garden on warm evenings. Available in whites, pinks, purples, and bi-colors, they bloom precisely when the garden might otherwise look tired and mix beautifully with practically everything.

USDA Growth Zone: 4 through 8.
Plant Height: 2 to 4 feet.
Colors: White, pink, purple, red, salmon, or bicolor flowers.
Flower Schedule: Blooms July through September.

Their honey-sweet fragrance intensifies at dusk, attracting sphinx moths (sometimes called “hummingbird moths”) that hover like miniature hummingbirds as they feed on the nectar.

13. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Beautiful bushes of fragrant lavender flowers blooming.

This Mediterranean beauty brings silvery foliage and purple spikes that create a sensory delight, releasing their calming fragrance with every brush of your hand. It’s perfect for edging paths or starring in herb gardens, and the dried flowers bring the garden indoors year-round.

USDA Growth Zone: 5 through 9.
Plant Height: 1 to 3 feet.
Colors: Purple, blue, pink, or white flowers.
Flower Schedule: Blooms June through August.

To intensify lavender’s essential oil production (and thus its fragrance), plant it in poor, alkaline soil rather than rich garden loam – stress encourages more pungent perfume.

14. Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

Gorgeous bee balm flowers growing in the cottage garden.

With shaggy, colorful blooms that look like fireworks, this native plant is a pollinator magnet that hummingbirds cannot resist! Its aromatic leaves make a delightful tea, and its ability to thrive in damp spots makes it perfect for those tricky areas where other plants sulk.

USDA Growth Zone: 4 through 9.
Plant Height: 2 to 4 feet.
Colors: Red, pink, purple, or white flowers.
Flower Schedule: Blooms July through September.

The crushed leaves smell like Earl Grey tea because they contain the same aromatic compound (bergamot oil) that flavors the popular tea variety.

15. Campanula (Campanula persicifolia)

Lovely campanula flowers growing in the backyard cottage garden.

These charming bell-shaped flowers in blues and whites combine delicate beauty with surprising toughness. They spread gently to form pretty colonies that bloom for weeks in early summer, and their upright habit makes them perfect partners for more billowy cottage garden plants.

USDA Growth Zone: 3 through 8.
Plant Height: 2 to 3 feet.
Colors: Blue, purple, or white bell-shaped flowers.
Flower Schedule: Blooms June through August.

The common name “bellflower” comes from the perfect bell shape of each bloom, which produces a soft tinkling sound when stirred by summer breezes.

16. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Gorgeous red and yellow yarrow flowers growing in the garden.

Yarrow is a tough-as-nails beauty with flat-topped flower clusters in yellows, pinks, and whites above ferny foliage. It thrives in hot, dry conditions where other plants would wither, makes excellent cut and dried flowers, and has been used medicinally for centuries.

USDA Growth Zone: 3 through 9.
Plant Height: 2 to 3 feet.
Colors: White, yellow, pink, red, or salmon flat-topped flower clusters.
Flower Schedule: Blooms June through September.

The Latin name Achillea references the Greek hero Achilles, who supposedly used yarrow to staunch the bleeding of his soldiers’ wounds – a use still found in modern herbal medicine.

17. Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)

Pink and white cosmos flowers growing in the garden.

These airy annuals practically epitomize cottage garden charm with their feathery foliage and daisy-like blooms in pinks, whites, and magentas. They bloom non-stop from summer until frost, seed themselves discreetly for next year, and create that perfect carefree look that cottage gardens are famous for.

USDA Growth Zone: Annual in all zones.
Plant Height: 2 to 4 feet.
Colors: White, pink, magenta, or burgundy flowers.
Flower Schedule: Blooms June through frost.

The name “cosmos” comes from the Greek word for “harmony” or “ordered universe,” reflecting how the perfectly spaced petals create a sense of balance.

18. Roses (Rosa spp.)

Gorgeous pink rose shrub growing in the organic cottage garden.

No cottage garden is complete without roses, preferably old-fashioned varieties with intoxicating fragrances and relaxed growth habits. Look for disease-resistant types like ‘Generous Gardener’ or ‘Lady of Shalott’ that offer repeated blooms without fussy care, creating that timeless romantic atmosphere.

USDA Growth Zone: 4 through 10 (varies by variety).
Plant Height: 1 to 20 feet, depending on type (shrub, climbing, etc.).
Colors: Red, pink, white, yellow, orange, purple, or multicolor flowers.
Flower Schedule: May through October for repeat-bloomers.

Rose hips (the lovely fruit that follows after the bloom) contain more vitamin C than oranges by weight and make delicious teas and jellies, especially from rugosa varieties.

Read More – The 21 Best Herbs For Homestead Gardens!

19. Delphinium (Delphinium elatum)

Gorgeous blue flowers growing in the backyard cottage garden.

These stately spires in heavenly blues, purples, pinks, and whites create the vertical exclamation points that every cottage garden needs. Their impressive height draws the eye upward, and though they may need staking, their breathtaking beauty more than justifies the extra effort.

USDA Growth Zone: 3 through 7.
Plant Height: 3 to 6 feet.
Colors: Blue, purple, pink, or white spire-shaped flowers.
Flower Schedule: Blooms June through July with possible rebloom in fall.

True blue flowers are rare in nature, and delphiniums offer some of the most electric blue blooms available to gardeners.

20. Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)

Gorgeous hydrangea flowers growing in a small cottage garden.

Hydrangea flowers offer massive blooms that change color based on garden soil pH – blue in acidic soil, pink in alkaline. They provide structure and flowering shrub backdrop for other cottage garden plants, and their dried blooms bring garden magic indoors through winter.

USDA Growth Zone: 5 through 9.
Plant Height: 3 to 6 feet.
Colors: Blue, pink, purple, white, or green flowers (color often influenced by soil pH).
Flower Schedule: Blooms June through October.

Dried hydrangea blooms maintain their color for years when harvested at just the right moment – wait until they develop a slightly papery feel and begin to take on vintage hues before cutting.

21. Salvia (Salvia nemorosa)

Purple salvia flowers growing in a lovely cottage garden.

These spiky purple bloomers are perfect for any cottage garden, flowering for months with minimal care and standing up to heat and drought when other plants have given up. Bees and butterflies flock to them, and a quick haircut after the first flush rewards you with a repeat performance.

USDA Growth Zone: 4 through 9.
Plant Height: 18 to 36 inches.
Colors: Purple, blue, pink, or white spiky flowers.
Flower Schedule: Blooms May through September with deadheading.

The genus name Salvia comes from the Latin “salvere,” meaning “to heal,” reflecting its long history in herbal medicine, while its aromatic foliage deters deer and rabbits from garden browsing.

22. Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)

Lady Mantle shrubs growing in the backyard cottage garden.

This charming plant features scalloped leaves that collect morning dew like diamonds, creating a magical effect in early light. Its frothy lime-green flowers are perfect for softening edges and connecting other plants, and it thrives in those problematic semi-shady spots where other plants struggle.

USDA Growth Zone: 3 through 8.
Plant Height: 12 to 18 inches.
Colors: Chartreuse-yellow frothy flowers.
Flower Schedule: Blooms June through September.

Medieval alchemists collected the morning dew that beads so beautifully on a lady’s mantle’s pleated leaves, believing this “celestial water” had magical properties for eternal youth and turning base metals into gold.

23. Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.)

Purple chrysanthemum flowers growing in the backyard garden.

These late-season stars burst into bloom just when the garden needs a fresh infusion of color. Their daisy-like flowers in purples, pinks, and whites attract late-season butterflies and pollinators, extending your garden’s beauty and wildlife habitat well into fall.

USDA Growth Zone: 3 through 8.
Plant Height: Roughly 1 to 6 feet, depending on variety.
Colors: Blue, purple, pink, or white daisy-like flowers.
Flower Schedule: Blooms August through October.

The name “aster” comes from the Greek word for “star,” and these late-season bloomers provide essential nectar for monarch butterflies fueling up for their long migration to Mexico.

Conclusion

A rural and rustic country cottage style garden with white wooden picket garden fence.

The most enchanting cottage gardens embrace beautiful chaos. Let plants self-seed, mingle, and occasionally surprise you. Your garden should make visitors slow their pace, take deeper breaths, and even hear the distant echo of a bygone era when gardens weren’t just outdoor spaces but sanctuaries of beauty, fragrance, and peace.

What about you?

Are you going to grow a cottage garden this year?
Do you agree that you can turn cottage gardens into chaos gardens?
What are your favorite cottage garden plants?

Thanks for reading.

Have a great day!