Garden

I passed over $25 at the thrift store register… and left with everything I needed to give my garden a warm, vibrant refresh. Here’s how it unfolded! Thrifted & Refreshed: My Budget-Friendly Cottage Garden Update For me, garden thrifting is about more than spending less—it’s about spotting possibilities in overlooked items. That donated glass bowl? … Read more

Picture entering a garden where colorful blooms blend with thriving vegetables, while aromatic herbs cascade from the borders of delightful raised beds. This is more than a fantasy—it’s the charm of cottage-inspired gardening in raised beds! Combining vegetables, flowers, and herbs lets you design an area that is both attractive and highly productive. Raised Bed … Read more

Let me show you how to add a personal touch to your garden with these DIY plant labels crafted from air-dry clay. DIY Plant Markers: Creating Personalized Clay Garden Labels Do all your herb seedlings look identical after they emerge? Have you ever purchased a beautiful succulent and then forgotten its name just days later? … Read more

Imagine this: You walk outdoors with pruning shears in hand, taking in the fragrance of freshly cut lavender and zinnias so vivid they seem digitally enhanced. Forget wilted, supermarket bouquets that sag after three days—enjoy plentiful, free flowers cultivated precisely to your liking. How to Cultivate a Cutting Garden: Create Your Own Free, Fresh Bouquets … Read more

Five years ago, I created my own cut flower garden here at the Cottage. I was hoping to enjoy fresh bouquets, but I discovered something even more wonderful: strawflowers. During that first year, I planted them on a whim and quickly fell in love with their delicate, papery petals and vivid, jewel-like hues. The true … Read more

Each spring, a new wave of people decides that this will finally be the year they start gardening. Perhaps the seed catalogs began arriving in January. Maybe they spent a little too much on $18 grocery-store bouquets. Or maybe they recently purchased a home with a bright, sunny backyard and took it as a sign … Read more

From the herbs and blossoms to the vegetables, my New Hampshire garden resembles a 1776 kitchen garden far more than I ever imagined! This morning, I was browsing through my Old Farmer’s Almanac, essential reading for any genuine New Englander, and yes, I’m absolutely serious! (I’ve been enjoying the short poems at the close of … Read more

Zinnias are the flowers that first drew me into growing cutting gardens, and years later, they remain an essential part of my garden every summer. Here’s everything I’ve discovered about cultivating them successfully, including the varieties I continue to plant! Why Zinnias Belong in Every Cutting Garden I’ve planted zinnias every summer for many years, … Read more

Each January, I spread out my seed catalogs alongside the notes I scribbled in my garden journal and reflect on the past season. What succeeded. What failed. What I’ll change. And last year? I have plenty to share. Following 2024’s truly disastrous summer—the record-setting rain, the vegetables that surrendered, and the cut flowers that barely … Read more

4 Simple Step-by-Step Projects + Complete Care Guide For a fun and straightforward DIY activity, making your own air plant terrarium is an excellent project to try. Using only a handful of basic supplies and some imagination, you can create a living miniature landscape for your home or workspace. These delightful little plants need no … Read more