Classic cottage alba combination
Crocus border combinations
Soft, romantic, and timelessly elegant, the Classic Cottage – Alba collection brings together a harmonious blend of perennials and biennials, perfect for creating a dreamy, traditional cottage garden.
With a mix of delicate blooms, graceful foliage, and season-spanning interest, this selection evokes the charm of an English country garden while offering a serene, airy palette that complements any setting. Whether used to brighten borders, soften hard landscaping, or enhance a wildlife-friendly space, these plants combine effortless beauty with classic cottage garden appeal.
With a mix of delicate blooms, graceful foliage, and season-spanning interest, this selection evokes the charm of an English country garden while offering a serene, airy palette that complements any setting. Whether used to brighten borders, soften hard landscaping, or enhance a wildlife-friendly space, these plants combine effortless beauty with classic cottage garden appeal.
Planting tips:
Prepare the bed well by digging in lots of composted organic matter before you plant. Where possible, plant in odd numbers, and cluster them together to give impact. Multiples of 3 work really well set out in irregular triangles for an organic feel, while larger numbers can be planted in mercurial clusters or drifts.
In bigger gardens, try to repeat your clusters through the border to create a sense of rhythm and cohesion. Also, when setting your plants out, check their eventual spread and make sure they’ve enough space to fill out. After planting, keep plants well watered for their first year, particularly during warmer weather, and feed them with a good, general purpose fertiliser through the growing season.
In bigger gardens, try to repeat your clusters through the border to create a sense of rhythm and cohesion. Also, when setting your plants out, check their eventual spread and make sure they’ve enough space to fill out. After planting, keep plants well watered for their first year, particularly during warmer weather, and feed them with a good, general purpose fertiliser through the growing season.
What's included:
Each combination contains the following plants. They are all supplied in 9cm nursery pots:
- Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora: From early summer, elegant spires arise from the rosette of foliage, bearing white, tubular flowers that open from the base of the stem upwards. Ideal for adding height to a partially shaded border or woodland garden, these short-lived plants will self-seed freely in the right spot, but the resulting plants may produce purple flowers. Grows to 1.8m.
- Geum 'Prinses Juliana': A stunning variety of avens with fiery orange flowers from June to September, held on wiry stems above pretty hummocks of puckered foliage. This easy-to-grow geum looks at its best among other 'hot' coloured flowers towards the front of a well-drained border in sun or partial shade. Grows to 60cm.
- Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna': Above the compact mound of aromatic, grey-green foliage, purple-black stems arise from early summer bearing rich, violet-blue flowers. A vibrant and long-flowering addition to the border, they look spectacular when planted with rich plums and pinks as well as smokey purples. Grows to 50cm.
- Alchemilla mollis: Attractively scalloped, bright green leaves, which catch water droplets (that look like quicksilver), and from June to September, it produces a frothy haze of tiny, chartreuse yellow flowers. Tough and tolerant of a wide range of conditions, once established it can also cope with drought - which makes it the perfect addition to low-maintenance/high impact planting schemes. Grows to 50cm.
Flowering period:
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Position:
Full sun / light shade
Rate of growth:
Average
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness:
Fully hardy
-
This perennial dies back to below ground level each year in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again in spring.
4 plants | 1 of each
£40.96
£10.24 each
In stock
(shipped within 2-3 working days)
(shipped within 2-3 working days)
12 plants | 3 of each
£122.88
£10.24 each
In stock
(shipped within 2-3 working days)
(shipped within 2-3 working days)
Standard Delivery£5.95
Named Day Delivery£10.95
