So what makes a cottage garden truly magical? It’s all about choosing plants that create a lush, layered, and abundant landscape. Here, we share our top 20 must-have plants for Australian cottage gardens, each offering unique characteristics that can transform your next landscape project.
INTRODUCTION
Cottage gardens are beloved for their colorful mix of flowers, flowing textures, and a cozy, even a little bit wild feel. In Australia, cottage gardens can thrive with carefully chosen plants that suit our climate while capturing the traditional cottage charm. Ideal for plant lovers who enjoy a bit of informality, Australian cottage gardens are all about color, layered planting, and lots of variety.
Key characteristics of cottage gardens
A true cottage garden feels both natural and abundant. You’ll find plants mingling together, layered from tall blooms to low-growing ground covers, with a mix of shrubs, perennials and annuals that invite pollinators. Paths, trellises, and arches add structure, while fragrant blooms and textured foliage complete the look.
Why create a cottage style garden?
Cottage gardens are beloved for their relaxed, timeless appeal, blending vibrant colors, lush greenery, and a natural flow that feels both welcoming and enchanting. Here’s why incorporating cottage-style elements into a garden can be a wonderful choice for your next landscape project.
Inviting Atmosphere
Cottage gardens are designed to feel approachable and inviting, creating a welcoming and cozy atmosphere. The layered, informal planting style softens spaces and hard surfaces, making everyone feel at home.
Biodiversity
With a variety of flowering plants, including natives and pollinator-friendly species, cottage gardens help support local wildlife, attracting bees, butterflies and birds. This biodiversity is not only beneficial for the environment but also brings a lively, dynamic energy to the garden.
Seasonal Interest
Cottage-style gardens offer year-round beauty, with a changing tapestry of blooms and foliage colors as seasons progress. From the fresh pastels of spring to the rich, earthy hues of autumn, there’s always something to enjoy.
Versatility
Cottage gardens can work well in spaces of all sizes—from small front yards to expansive backyards. Their informal style is adaptable, allowing for a mix of shrubs, flowers, climbers, and ground covers to suit various layouts and design preferences.
Classic Aesthetic Appeal
The classic charm of a cottage garden can add value to a property, making it more visually appealing and desirable. The timeless look complements a range of architectural styles and landscaping themes, enhancing curb appeal and garden enjoyment.
20 MUST-HAVE PLANTS FOR A COTTAGE-STYLE GARDEN
So which plants are best for creating a charming cottage-style garden? Here are our TOP 20 picks for creating a lush and inviting cottage garden in Australia, carefully selected by our Plantmark team. We’ve included a mix of shrubs, climbers, grasses, and groundcovers that perfectly embody the cottage garden aesthetic.
Let’s dive in!
Salvia sp.
Sage
Sage is a versatile choice for adding fragrance, color and pollinator-friendly blooms to a cottage garden.
Characteristics: This herbaceous perennial grows upright with spikes of vibrant flowers in shades of purple, blue, and pink. Salvias are hardy and most of them are aromatic, releasing a pleasant scent when brushed, making them ideal for various climates and soils.
There are several colour options available when it comes to Salvia, from the deep blue of Salvia Mystic Spires, to the hot pink of Salvia Back To The Fuschia and the elegant white flower spikes of Salvia Mirage White.
Landscape Usage: Sage is excellent for garden borders and for filling garden beds with color. Its fragrant foliage and nectar-rich flowers attract bees and butterflies, making it a wonderful addition for encouraging biodiversity in the garden.
Achillea millefolium
Yarrow
Known for its delicate, fern-like leaves and flat clusters of small flowers, Achillea millefolium adds texture and resilience to the garden.
Characteristics: These hardy perennials grow to approx. 60cm-1m tall and produce flowers in shades of yellow, white, pink, or red. Yarrow is drought-tolerant and has a long blooming season, making it a reliable choice for garden beds and borders. Seen here is Achillea millefolium Pineapple Mango. just one of the beautiful choices available.
Landscape Usage: Achillea millefolium works well in cottage gardens, where it adds softness and depth to mixed plantings. It’s perfect for low-maintenance areas, attracting pollinators and providing visual interest across seasons. Also an excellent and long lasting cut flower.
Tulbaghia violacea
Society Garlic
Oozing charm, Society Garlic adds both sophisticated beauty and functionality to the garden, with its delicate clusters of flowers and pest-repellent properties.
Characteristics: This hardy perennial herb grows up to 60 cm tall and produces lavender-pink flowers above its narrow, grass-like leaves. Tulbaghia violacea emits a mild garlic scent when crushed, which can deter some garden pests. The star-shaped flowers bloom nearly year-round in warmer climates and are a magnet for bees. Both heat- and drough tolerant, Society Garlic is an easy-to-care-for plant and a must-have for cottage-style gardens.
Landscape Usage: Society Garlic is a versatile perennial, adding a touch of elegant charm to summer garden beds, herb gardens and containers. Its fragrant foliage and colorful flowers add visual appeal, especially when mass planted or used to edge paths or garden beds. The leaves are edible and can be used as a substitute for garlic or chives in cooking, adding a subtle flavor to dishes.
Santolina chamaecyparissus
Cotton Lavender
Cotton Lavender is highly popular choice with our landscape customers! Loved for its silvery foliage and small yellow flowers, its a low-maintenance shrub, adding wonderful texture and pops of yellow to the landscape.
Characteristics: This Mediterranean plant grows about 50-60 cm tall and wide, with aromatic, feathery silver-gray leaves. It produces small yellow button flowers in late spring to summer and thrives in full sun and well-drained soil.
Landscape Usage: Cotton Lavender makes an excellent border or low hedge, adding year-round interest and colour contrast with its unique, silvery foliage. It’s drought-tolerant, perfect for xeriscaping, and works beautifully with other Mediterranean or native plants in cottage style gardens.
Chrysocephalum apiculatum
Yellow Buttons / Common Everlasting
With its bright yellow blooms and soft foliage, Chrysocephalum apiculatum brings cheerful cottage-feel and long-lasting color to gardens.
Characteristics: This low-growing Australian native has a mat-forming habit, growing to approx. 40-60cm high and 50-90cm wide. It’s covered in small, golden, button-like flowers that bloom profusely throughout the warmer months. The foliage is soft and silvery green, providing an attractive contrast to the bright flowers.
As often with our natives, Chrysocephalum apiculatum is a hardy and drought-tolerant plant that thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. There are several varieties available. For an option with attractive silver foliage check out Chrysocephalum apiculatum Silver Sunburst.
Landscape Usage: Yellow Buttons are ideal for ground cover or mass plantings in cottage gardens, offering a native alternative to Cotton Lavender. Its vibrant flowers and low water requirements makes it perfect for dry landscapes and wildlife-friendly gardens.
Gaura lindheimeri
Butterfly Bush
The Butterfly Bush is loved for its delicate flowers that flutter in the wind, adding movement to the garden.
Characteristics: Growing up to 1 meter tall, this bushy perennial has slender stems with delicate white or pink blooms. Gaura’s flowers resemble tiny butterflies, creating a soft and airy feel in the garden. A low-maintenance plant that requires minimal care one established.
Landscape Usage: Gaura lindheimeri works beautifully in mixed borders or cottage-style plantings, adding a graceful and natural look. Thriving in sunny spots, use it to add height and to attract bees and butterflies.
Lavandula sp.
Lavender
Lavender is a quintessential cottage garden staple, prized for its fragrant blooms and silvery foliage, adding both beauty and aroma.
Characteristics: Lavender reaches up to 1 meter in height, featuring narrow, fragrant, silvery-green leaves and blooms in shades of purple, blue, or white. There are several popular types, including English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), perfect for classic Lavender hedges; French Lavender (Lavandula pedunculata), known for its distinctive, butterfly-like petals; and Spanish or Italian Lavender (Lavandula stoechas), such as the popular Lavandula stoechas Avonview, each offering a unique fragrance and visual appeal.
Landscape Usage: Lavender is perfect for borders, garden edges, and mass plantings. It pairs well with roses, coneflowers [echinacea] and sage [salvia], adding color and attracting pollinators all summer long. Its scent can also help deter pests like mosquitoes. With low-water requirement, lavender is perfect for low-maintenance gardens and is an easy-to-care for, classic cottage garden plant.
Stachys lanata
Lamb’s Ear
Lamb’s Ear adds soft, silvery texture to garden beds, with unique, velvety leaves that are hard to resist!
Characteristics: This low-growing herbaceous perennial has fuzzy, silvery leaves that stay close to the ground, creating a soft carpet-like effect. The foliage is grey-green with fine silvery hairs that makes Lamb's Ear soft to the touch and gives a textured look. In summer, tall flower spikes appear, showcasing clusters of small, tubular pink or purple flowers. Stachys lanata grows to approx. 30-45cm H x 45-60cm W and is both heat- and drought-tolerant.
Landscape Usage: Lamb’s Ear is excellent for borders, rock gardens, and adding textural contrast in plantings. It pairs well with purple and blue flowers, making it a charming addition to cottage gardens.
Cotinus coggygria
Smoke Tree / Smoke Bush
A standout feature shrub with a touch of drama, Cotinus coggygria is loved for its dramatic foliage and unique flower clusters.
Characteristics: This deciduous shrub grows up to 3-4 meters and is known for its rounded leaves, which can turn purple, green, or gold depending on the variety. In summer, it produces feathery, smoky plumes of pink or purple flowers, giving it an ethereal and 'smokey' look. At Plantmark we stock several varieties including Cotinus coggygria Grace, Cotinus Purpurea and the newly bred form Cotinus Golden Spirit with its standout golden foliage.
Landscape Usage: The Smoke Tree is perfect for creating a focal point in cottage-style gardens. Its vibrant foliage and unusual flowers add color, texture, and contrast, especially when planted among more traditional blooms.
Loropetalum chinense
Chinese Fringe Flower
Known for its vibrant pink blooms and striking purple foliage, Loropetalum chinense adds year-round color to the garden.
Characteristics: These evergreen shrubs can grow up to 2 meters tall and feature slender, arching branches with attractive foliage from dark green to deep burgundy. In spring, they produce fringed, pink flowers that contrast beautifully with its dark foliage. Popular varieties include Loropetalum chinense China Pink and Plum Gorgeous PBR.
Landscape Usage: Ideal as a low hedge, standalone feature, or in garden beds, Loropetalum chinense adds striking color to cottage gardens. With its year-round foliage and showy blooms, it’s perfect for creating a vibrant, lush backdrop and adding rich color contrast to surrounding greenery.
Argyranthemum frutescens
Marguerite Daisy / Paris Daisy
Argyranthemum frutescens add cheerful, daisy-like blooms that are perfect for filling garden beds with quick color.
Characteristics: This compact, bushy perennial bursts with daisy-like blooms from spring to autumn. Its delicate, fern-like, deeply cut leaves give it a soft texture. Argyranthemums come in both single and double flowers, offering a spectrum of colors from bright yellows to vibrant reds, pinks, purples, and whites. Seen here with cheerful yellow flowers is Argeranthemum Sunny Days, just one of the cultivars available at Plantmark.
Landscape Usage: Argyranthemums are perfect for mass planting in cottage gardens, where their abundant blooms add brightness and charm. They thrive in full sun and are ideal for edging, container gardening and filling borders with vibrant and quick growing color.
Hydrangea macrophylla
Mophead Hydrangea / Lacecap
Hydrangeas are loved for their large, showy blooms that add texture, depth and colour to shady parts of the garden. These classic blooms are charming additions to cottage gardens.
Characteristics: These deciduous shrubs produce large clusters of pink, blue, white, or purple flowers. The flower colour can change depending on the soil PH, with acid soil producing blue flowers and alkaline soils producing pink or red blooms. Flowers appear in summer and can last for weeks, with foliage often turning red or yellow in autumn.
Several cultivars are available at Plantmark such as Hydrangea macrophylla White, a beloved cottage garden classic, Hydrangea White Knight with unusual black stems, and Hydrangea MIss Saori as seen in the picture above. Looking for a sun-hardy Hydrangea? Look no further than Hydrangea paniculata Sundae Fraise PBR. This versatile Hydrangea can be grown in full sun and has attractive blooms that start off as green, then turning into white and finally into shades of pink.
Landscape Usage: Hydrangeas are ideal for shaded areas, where their blooms add interest and a pop of color. They work well as foundation plantings, under trees, or as focal points in garden beds and borders. Or use as a cut flower and bring the cottage charm indoors!
Roses
Roses are classic cottage garden plants, known for their exquisite blooms, variety, and fragrance. A rambling rose garden is a must have for a cottage-style gardens!
Characteristics: Roses come in many types, including hybrid tea roses, climbing roses and floribunda roses. They offer a range of colours and fragrances, with blooms that can vary in size, form, and petal count. Many varieties are also repeat-blooming, providing color throughout the growing season. Roses are also suprisingly resilient and though, just make sure they are planted in a spot with adequate sun.
Landscape Usage: Roses are incredibly versatile, ideal for borders, climbing up trellises and walls, creating stunning flowering groundcovers (like Flower Carpet Roses), or serving as standalone shrubs. They’re perfect for bringing a romantic charm to cottage gardens and pair beautifully with lavender and daisies. Topiary roses are also popular for adding structure and framing focal areas.
Brachyscome multifida
Cut Leaf Daisy / Rocky Daisy
Brachyscome multifida is an Australian native perennial that brings a touch of beauty with its cute, daisy-like flowers.
Characteristics: This low-growing perennial produces a mass of purple, pink, or white daisy-like flowers on delicate stems in spring and summer. Its finely cut foliage adds a soft, airy look to the plant. Prefers full sun to part shade and as many natives, prefers well drained soil.
Landscape Usage: Ideal for rock gardens, borders, containers and ground cover, Brachyscome multifida thrives in sunny spots and requires minimal maintenance. Its bright blooms make it a fantastic choice for adding a pop of color to cottage-style gardens.
Trachelospermum jasminoides
Chinese Star Jasmine
Chinese Star Jasmine is a fragrant climber that fills the garden with its delightful scent and star-shaped flowers - perfect for that cottage garden ambiance!
Characteristics: This evergreen climber spreads to around 3 meters, producing masses of white, star-shaped flowers in late spring and summer. Its glossy green leaves add year-round interest, turning bronze in cooler weather. An easy-to-grow climber, Trachelospermum jasminoides thrives in full sun to semi shade and can be used as a groundover too!
Other Jasmines we love include Asiatic Jasmine [Trachelospermum asiaticum], and variegated Chinese Star Jasmine [Trachelospermum jasminoides Tricolor] For a quick growing, vigorous climber that rapidly covers unsightly features, why not try Pink Jasmine [Jasminum polyanthum] But remember to plant with care, as this climber can be regarded as invasive in some areas.
Landscape Usage: Trachelospermum jasminoides is perfect for covering fences, trellises, and arbors. Or why not use Star Jasmine as a fragrant groundcover. Its sweet scent and attractive foliage makes it a popular choice for cottage gardens, creating a fragrant feature when used as a natural screen.
Hardenbergia violacea
Happy Wanderer / Native Wisteria
Hardenbergia violacea is a beloved Australian native climber with masses of show-stopping blooms in winter and early spring.
Characteristics: This vigorous, hardy climber can spread up to 4 meters, producing clusters of purple, pea-like flowers from winter to early spring. Its dark green foliage creates a dense, lush evergreen covering on trellises and fences. Popular varieties include Hardenbergia Happy Wanderer, with deep purple blooms and Hardenbergia Free N Easy with masses of white blossom.
Landscape Usage: Hardenbergia violacea is perfect for adding vertical interest to cottage gardens. It’s an ideal choice for creating a native-inspired cottage garden, attracting bees and offering a striking floral display during its bloom season.
Thymus serpyllum
Wild Thyme / Creeping Thyme
Creeping Thyme is a versatile ground cover with fragrant foliage and pretty, pink flowers that add charm to paths and rock gardens.
Characteristics: This low-growing herb reaches only 15 cm in height and spreads quickly, forming a dense mat. It produces tiny pink or purple flowers in summer, and the leaves release a pleasant aroma when walked on.
Landscape Usage: Perfect for filling gaps between stepping stones or edging garden beds, Creeping Thyme is drought-tolerant and requires little maintenance. An excellent choice for adding a soft, fragrant carpet in cottage gardens.
Viola hederacea
Native Violet
Native Violet is a charming ground cover with delicate purple and white flowers, bringing a soft, natural look to the garden.
Characteristics: This Australian native grows low to the ground, spreading quickly to form a dense mat. It produces small, heart-shaped leaves and delicate, violet-colored flowers, making it a beautiful choice as a lawn alternative and for growing between stepping stones.
Landscape Usage: Native Violet is ideal for shady areas, where it can provide a lush, green carpet beneath trees or along pathways. Its delicate flowers and low-growing habit make it perfect for softening edges in cottage-style plantings.
Pennisetum advena Rubrum
Purple Fountain Grass
A stunning ornamental grass, Purple Fountain Grass is prized for its rich burgundy foliage and graceful, arching flower plumes.
Characteristics: This perennial grass grows to around 1.5 meter tall, forming a clumping habit. Its striking burgundy leaves contrast beautifully with soft, feathery flower plumes that range from pinkish to purple, appearing in late spring and summer.
Landscape Usage: Perfect for adding movement and texture to cottage gardens, Purple Fountain Grass works beautifully in borders, as a statement in pots, or as a soft backdrop to vibrant flowers. Its rich color adds depth to garden designs, making it an excellent choice for accent planting.
Sedum spectabile Autumn Joy
Showy Stonecrop / Succulent
Known for its low-maintenance nature and seasonal interest, Sedum Autumn Joy is a standout herbaceous perennial that transitions beautifully through the seasons.
Characteristics: This succulent-like plant features fleshy green leaves and clusters of pink star-shaped flowers that deepen to a rich bronze in late summer and autumn. It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil.
Landscape Usage: An excellent choice for sunny cottage gardens, Sedum Autumn Joy is perfect for borders, rockeries, and as a low-maintenance filler plant. Its flowers attract pollinators, adding biodiversity to your garden while providing year-round visual appeal with its changing colors and textured foliage. A wonderful low-water-usage plant for the garden.
FAQs
What are the essential elements of a cottage garden?
Lush plantings, variety, layers, and an informal layout are key. Paths, arches, and lots of color also add to the cottage garden charm.
Can I have a cottage garden in Australia’s warmer regions?
Yes! Many cottage garden plants can handle warm climates, and you can use drought-tolerant options suited for Australian conditions.
How do I attract bees and butterflies to my cottage garden?
Include flowering plants like lavender, sage, and yarrow. Their nectar-rich blooms are perfect for attracting pollinators.
Which plants are low-maintenance for a cottage garden?
Consider using plants with low-water requirements such as Sea Lavender [Limonium perezii], Lavender or native plants such as Yellow Buttons, and Hardenbergia for low-maintenance, drought-tolerant beauty. Also consider planting densely, as it means there is less space for weeds to grow!
How can I make my cottage garden look fuller?
Plant in layers, mix textures, and avoid too much symmetry. Grouping similar plants together can also create a lush, abundant look.
Can I create a cottage garden with Australian native plants?
Absolutely! While traditional cottage gardens often feature classic European plants, Australian native plants can be used effectively to create a beautiful cottage-style garden. Many natives, like Brachyscome multifida (Cut Leaf Daisy), Hardenbergia violacea (Happy Wanderer), and Viola hederacea (Native Violet), bring vibrant colors, unique textures, and support for local wildlife, enhancing the garden’s natural charm. By using native plants, you can achieve a cottage-style look that thrives in Australian conditions while celebrating the beauty of local flora.
Conclusion
Creating a cottage-style garden in Australia is a wonderful way to celebrate both native and traditional plants, blending them to create a lush, vibrant space. By incorporating our must-have plants, you’ll have a garden that feels timeless, fragrant, and full of life.
But of course it's hard to limit the list to just 20 plants! Let us know in the comment below if we didn't include your favourite cottage garden plant on our list.
Have a questions? Let us know in the comments below. Our Plantmark team would love to hear from you!
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