15 French Cottage Garden Ideas

If you love the romantic look of a French cottage garden, I have some great ideas for plants and design to share with you!

French cottage gardens are a mix of informal, free-flowing plants and more formal edibles and flowers.

They are a beautiful mix of formal and informal plants with a casual, romantic feel.

If you love the look of a cottage garden, but want a more formal look, read my post on how to create an English garden.

1. Use symmetry to create a formal garden.

French gardens are often designed with a central axis in mind.

This is the main line that runs down the center of the garden and is often flanked by symmetrical beds, paths, or other garden features.

In this garden, the central axis is defined by a beautiful wrought iron gate.

The gate is repeated in the arbor and the bed of white flowers on the opposite side of the garden.

This repetition helps to create a sense of balance and symmetry.

2. Plant a parterre garden.

Parterre gardens are a formal style of garden that originated in France.

These gardens are typically designed in symmetrical patterns and are often found in front of grand homes.

You can create a parterre garden with plants, flowers, shrubs, or even just mulch and stone.

You can also design your parterre garden in any shape you like, such as a circle, square, or rectangle.

3. Add a formal water feature.

Nothing says French garden like a formal water feature, like a fountain or a pond.

In this garden by landscape designer Debora Carl, a large, classic fountain is the focal point of a symmetrical design.

A formal water feature is a great way to add a soothing element to your garden, and to create a focal point.

In this garden, the fountain is the perfect backdrop for a pair of topiaries.

4. Plant a garden of all white flowers.

The French are known for their love of white flowers, and a garden filled with them is a classic look that’s timeless.

White flowers have a way of making a garden look more elegant and refined, and they also make a small garden look bigger.

There are so many different white flowers to choose from, so you can have a lot of variety in your garden even if you stick to just one color.

5. Make an all-green garden.

If you love the idea of a cottage garden but want to keep it simple, consider a green garden.

This design is all about the foliage, and you can use different shades and textures to create a beautiful, lush space.

Add in some flowering plants if you like, but you don’t have to if you want to keep it all green.

6. Add a touch of whimsy with a topiary.

Add a little whimsy to your cottage garden with a living topiary. A topiary is a shrub or tree that has been trained to grow into a particular shape.

You can buy topiaries in a variety of shapes and sizes, or you can create your own by pruning and shaping a shrub as it grows.

Topiaries are a great way to add structure and visual interest to your garden.

You can use them to frame a doorway or a garden path, or to create a focal point in the garden.

Topiaries are also a great way to add a touch of formality to a more relaxed, informal garden design.

7. Add a touch of French country with a lavender border.

Lavender is a staple in French gardens.

You can find the fragrant herb growing in long rows in the countryside,

or you can add a touch of French country to your cottage garden with a simple lavender border.

Lavender is a low-maintenance plant that is perfect for cottage gardens. It loves the sun and well-drained soil. Plus, it’s deer-resistant and drought-tolerant.

8. Plant a potager garden.

Potager gardens are a French tradition that combines flowers, herbs, and vegetables. The idea is to create a garden that is both beautiful and productive.

The key to a potager garden is to grow a variety of plants.

You can include anything you like, but the best potager gardens have a mix of annuals and perennials, vegetables, fruits, and flowers.

9. Add a touch of French country with a lavender border.

Lavender is a must-have in any French cottage garden. Not only does it look beautiful, but it also smells heavenly and is a great plant for beginner gardeners.

Lavender is a drought-tolerant herb that thrives in full sun. It can be grown in garden beds or containers and requires well-draining soil.

Lavender is also a great plant for attracting pollinators to your garden.

10. Plant a garden of all white flowers.

You can never go wrong with an all white flower garden. Just like a white room, a white garden is classic, elegant, and timeless.

An all white garden is a great way to make a small garden look larger. The white flowers will make the space appear to go on and on.

And the best part is, you can mix and match any white flowers you like.

11. Make an all-green garden.

This garden has a wonderful mix of greenery. You can see how much texture and depth it adds to the space.

If you want a garden that looks like it’s been there for years, mix up your plants and use a variety of green shades.

You can also mix in flowers, but keep them in the same color family to help the garden feel cohesive.

12. Add a touch of whimsy with a topiary.

Topiaries are a great way to add a touch of formality to your cottage garden.

They also add a bit of whimsy, especially when you choose a fun shape like a rabbit or a spiral.

You can find topiaries in all shapes and sizes at your local garden center, or you can try your hand at making your own.

It takes a bit of patience and skill, but the end result is worth it.

Topiaries also look great in containers, so you can move them around your garden to add interest where you need it.

13. Plant a potager garden.

A potager garden is a kitchen garden that combines vegetables, fruits, and herbs with flowers and ornamental plants.

The idea is that the garden is so pretty that you want to bring it inside to cook with.

In France, potager gardens are often laid out in a symmetrical pattern with paths and geometric or raised beds.

You can also mix plants in a more casual way in a cottage garden.

14. Add a formal water feature.

Cottage gardens are known for their informal designs, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add a formal feature.

A formal water feature, like a fountain or a water garden with a geometric design, is a popular element in

French gardens and can provide a striking focal point in your cottage garden design.

Choose a water feature that complements the scale and style of your garden,

and consider adding other formal elements, such as topiaries or symmetry, to create a cohesive look.

15. Plant a parterre garden.

Parterre gardens are a classic element of French garden design. They feature symmetrical beds filled with flowers, herbs, and low-growing shrubs.

You can plant a parterre garden with a formal design, or you can create a more relaxed look by using informal planting schemes in the beds.

The key to a successful parterre garden is to keep the beds well-defined and to use low-growing plants along the edges to soften the lines.

Conclusion

I hope you have enjoyed this collection of French cottage garden ideas. If you are looking to create a French garden or garden room, there are many elements in these examples that you can use. I hope you have been inspired to add a little bit of France to your garden.