If you want to create a dreamy cottage garden for yourself, but you aren’t sure which flowers you should plant, you’ve come to the right place.

I would love to share with you all the classics plus my favorites and my experience with each.

But honestly, the easiest way to achieve a cottage-style garden is to plant the flowers that give you the dreamy feel you are looking for – the ones you just LOVE.

Wispy, airy flowers that wave a bit in the breeze lend a wistfulness to the garden, old-fashioned favorites bring the love, and any type of rose will guarantee a touch of romance.

Let me tell you more about each of these plants, which ones are my favorites, and why.

Roses and romance go hand in hand. In a cottage garden, roses can ease the soul and lend a euphoric feeling. But keep in mind, roses can be high-maintenance.

In my garden, I love to use ‘Knock-Out’ roses because they produce massive amounts of blooms and are probably the easiest of all the roses to care for. You can see their color from a distance and they are equally stunning close-up.

I also have ‘Drift’ roses for the same reason. They are lower to the ground with a crazy amount of blooms. They can be used as a ground cover and are often planted on a sloping bed or hillside.

When people visit my garden, I get asked about my ‘Drift’ roses often.

I just planted a ‘New Dawn’ climbing rose on my trellis. She has gotten a slow start but I expect great things from her next season.

My big experiment this year has been with the ‘Reminiscent’ rose. They were spectacular at the nursery this spring, both in color and fragrance.

So stunning that I bought 2 and placed them front and center in my garden. They have produced beautifully and I look forward to all that is to come.

I am hoping that when you walk down the path of my cottage garden, they will cause you to slow your pace and “stop and smell the roses.”