When Laura from @lauras_little_cottage_garden moved into a new-build with a blank canvas garden, she had no idea that a whole new chapter was about to begin! As well as a new home and a new baby, Laura decided to study for an RHS Level 2 qualification and became a career-change gardener. The proud owner of a thriving cottage garden and busy allotment, find out what she’s trying for the first time this year…
How did you get into gardening?
Images courtesy of Laura Woolley
I’m a career change gardener, creating a cottage garden aesthetic in my small (fairly) new-build plot in Milton Keynes. I also have an allotment plot which I use to grow cut flowers for arranging at home, alongside a little bit of fruit and veg.
Our small garden (11m x 9m) was a blank canvas when we moved in, and during maternity leave with my first son I really got stuck into trying to transform the space. I started growing a few things from seed and from there I became totally hooked!
After being made redundant during the national lockdown, I decided it might be a good opportunity to retrain. I attended Shuttleworth College one day a week to study my RHS Level 2 qualification. Following that I became a member of the WFGA, and completed my WRAGs certificate at Kingsbridge Farm. I’ve now been trading as a self-employed gardener for 3 years and I absolutely love it!
What inspires you in the garden?
Images courtesy of Laura Woolley
I’m passionate about providing for pollinators and creating a safe habitat for local wildlife. If the garden is filled with bees, butterflies and birds, it makes the space feel full of life and is much more enjoyable! We currently have a family of great tits in our nest box and it’s so lovely to watch them nest building whilst we sit and eat our breakfast.
I’m completely hooked on growing from seed! I find so much joy in nurturing life and witnessing the transformation of a seed into a flower or vegetable. You can also grow some exceptionally beautiful varieties that you just can’t find in the garden centres.
I also love the challenge of gardening each of the different areas. I have a deep shade area that I enjoy trying to make as interesting and flower-filled as possible. In stark contrast, I also have container areas that are in full sun and tricky to get right! I love being forced to come up with new ideas about what might work best in these different situations.
What do you like to grow?
Images courtesy of Laura Woolley
I use the garden as an opportunity to surround myself with my favourite colours and scents. I have a colour palette of pink, peach, purple, and white; roses are my favourite because of their delicious scent. I think fragrance is so important to the senses, so to sit in the garden surrounded by beauty and scent is the best feeling!
I also love to grow cut flowers because locally and organically grown blooms are better for the environment. I find a lot of joy in cutting and arranging flowers; it’s such a mindful act, and it brings me a moment of calm in a busy world!
What’s your favourite gardening style?
Images courtesy of Laura Woolley
Cottage gardens are my absolute favourite – I love the abundance of pollinator-friendly plants packed into a small space, making it feel even more intimate. They’re also more informal, and I love that wild look when everything’s in full swing (usually in late summer).
This style suits me because packed borders means I never need to weed and that’s a huge bonus! I absolutely love cottage garden plants such as Roses, Foxgloves, Aquilegia, Alliums & Hardy Geraniums to name just a few! I also really like that cottage gardens allow you to incorporate upcycled or vintage pieces as planters, adding character to new-build plots.
I embrace the self-seeders in my garden, saving me the time and energy of growing from seed and planting out. These are stronger, more vigorous plants better suited to my growing conditions, and I’m here for it!
What are you most proud of?
Images courtesy of Laura Woolley
I think I’d have to say that I’m most proud of my spring bulb display and my hellebore collection. Hellebores are a huge passion of mine. I absolutely love that they give you that floral hit in the depths of winter, just when you need it most. They come in such a variety of different shapes and colours – the frilly doubles are my favourite! Every time I see a variety I don’t have I end up buying it and, for that reason, I’ve got a large number of them in my garden.
Spring is my favourite season so I like to welcome it with a bang! I like to have lots of spring bulbs right by my back door where I can admire them. I really enjoy planning my spring bulb display every year and find it so rewarding when they come into bloom. I like to include early and late flowering varieties in my bulb displays so that I can extend the season for as long as possible. I cram as many bulbs into the container as possible, without them touching, so that my displays have the biggest impact. My favourite varieties are the late double tulips, which look like peonies. In fact, I have a thing for all double flowers; they’re so beautiful!
What are your future plans?
Images courtesy of Laura Woolley
I haven’t got any immediate future plans for the garden, but I’m trying a few new things at the allotment this year. I’m finally making sense of my extra large beds by dividing them up with some simple brick paths. This means that I won’t be compacting the soil by walking across it anymore, and the smaller spaces will be used to grow different crops or flowers in each season.
I’m also trying some darker coloured dahlias this year! Usually, I like to stick to my pastel shades, but I think the darker shades will bring something extra to my autumn arrangements. I’m excited to watch them grow and work them into my mantle vase.
What’s your top gardening tip for beginners?
Images courtesy of Laura Woolley
My top gardening tip for beginners would be to invest in your soil! Improving soil health is the best thing you can do for your garden. I make sure I mulch all my beds and borders once a year and it makes such a difference! The thick layer of organic matter gets dragged down into the soil by the worms over time, improving the soil structure. Plants grown in healthy soil are stronger and better able to fight off pests & disease. Mulching also helps the soil to retain moisture, something that’s becoming more and more vital during these increasing periods of drought.
I would also encourage anyone starting out to grow the plants they love. Your garden should make you happy, so focus on your favourite colours, textures, flowers, shrubs, trees etc & build a garden that fills you with joy!
Grow like Laura
Image: Dahlia ‘Orange Turmoil’ from Thompson & Morgan
If you’d like to grow the plants and flowers Laura showcases on her Instagram page, here are some of her favourites:
Follow Laura at @lauras_little_cottage_garden to see her garden grow and change through the seasons. For more inspiration, our full series of Featured Gardeners contains a wealth of hugely knowledgeable growers who are also worth a follow.
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