29 Ideas for Easy Cottagecore Flowers to Grow

If you love the farmhouse or cottage core style, you probably dream of a backyard full of beautiful old fashioned flowers. But who has the time to take care of huge cut flower beds during the entire growing season? Here are 29 ideas for easy cottagecore flowers to grow so you don’t have to stop by Trader Joes every week for fresh cut flowers.

This post contains affiliate links including Amazon Associate links for your shopping convenience. This is at no additional cost to you. All recommendations are my own because I believe in each product. See my full Privacy Policy here.

I believe busy moms can have beautiful, vintage-style flowers without the headache, without hours to tend said flowers (because you know we ain’t got no time for that).  Whether you have a couple pots or plot of dirt in front of your home, here are easy vintage style flowers that will give you loads of blooms.

Note:  I am in climate zone 7a (south central Midwest).   Certain flowers grow better in certain zones. These suggestions will grow easily in most zones, but you need to make sure they are suitable for your area.  Simply Google your city and “growing zone” to find your number for the best results for your cottage garden style. Or you could enjoy spending time in your local nursery for valuable insight on low-maintenance plants and varieties of flowers for your area.

Cutting Garden Flowers with Long Stems

These are the main flowers that make up the traditional cottage garden look. Lots of beautiful flowers in different colors that bloom through early and late spring, through summer and into fall. These particular flowers are chosen for a low-maintenance cottage garden idea. They are hardy annuals that easily produce seeds for next year or perennials that come back year after year.

These beauties are hardy and give SO MANY blooms in mid to late summer. So when the burst of spring color dies off, and you’re left with sweltering heat, these tall plants will burst forth with a long wave of color.  They spread like crazy too, so they will fill in an area and create less space for weeds to grow.

Peonies are a cottage garden favorite, known for their lush, beautiful blooms and romantic, ruffled petals. They are easy contenders for my favorite flower, and their fragrance is out of this world.

3. Daisies

Who doesn’t love a simple white daisy?  They are sweet and innocent and perfect for any space.  They will slowly spread, so if you need an entire space filled in, they will do great.  Keep cutting the flowers throughout the season for more blooms to appear.

4. Black-Eyed Susan

Black-eyed Susans are cheerful, low-maintenance plants that bring warm, golden hues to the cottage garden look from late spring through late summer. These short-lived perennials thrive in full sun, offer excellent disease resistance, and are a great cut flower choice, especially for adding rustic charm to your cutting garden or raised bed.

5. Iris

Iris comes in so many colors and is a burst of beauty in spring.  They don’t spread, but are great spring flowers that are perfect for cutting.  Also, their spiky leaves give good textural interest during the rest of the season. (Note, after several years, you can dig up the rhizomes and divide them for new plants.)

6. Echinacea (aka Purple Coneflower)

I think these are native in my area, and they grow great.  These purple flowers are not persnickety about being watered.  They also spread though not overwhelmingly so.   Let the heads go to seed (dry out on the plant) for the following year (or to share with a friend) or cut the heads off for continual flowering.

7. Hollyhocks

These can get very tall or you can also buy a dwarf variety. They are the quintessential old-fashioned flowers that are great fresh flowers for your indoor arrangements.

8. Foxglove

These herbaceous perennials bring vertical drama and bloom in early summer, attracting beneficial insects like bees.

9. Cosmos

A staple in cut flower varieties, cosmos come in a variety of plants and bloom colors. They’re annual flowers that thrive in hot summers with good drainage. Save the dead flower heads for free seeds the next year.

10. Zinnias

Sweet, easy peasy zinnias.   These are some of the only flowers I can grow from seed.  I sprinkle seed into the dirt in very early spring, and these bright blooms give me joy all summer long.  I love to clip one or several for vases around the house.

Low Profile Cottage Garden Flowers

Low-profile cottage garden flowers are perfect for softening garden edges, filling in between tall plants, or adding delicate charm to small spaces and raised beds. These shorter bloomers, like columbine, poppies and lavender create gentle layers of color and texture while helping to suppress weeds and support beneficial insects. When paired with taller focal points, these low-maintenance plants complete that lush, layered aesthetic typical of a traditional cottage garden.

11. Lavender

Aaaaah, the smell of sweet lavender in summer.  My only complaint that it doesn’t bloom all year long.  But the more you cut it, the more it blooms.  It’s simple, easy to care for and oh-so-fragrant.

12. Poppies

Though I do love the traditional red poppy, don’t get stuck only on that color. They come in pinks, purples, white, yellow and more. Poppies thrive in full sun, making them an ideal choice for that spring garden in your climate zone. 

These go-to easy plants will bloom from early autumn to late fall depending on the variety. To make sure you have blooms at the right time, trim the buds off until July 4.

14. Marigolds

Compact and bright, they’re perfect for a little spot that needs color, and they repel pests, too. Spread the seeds from spent flower heads for cheap and easy propagation the next year.

15. Larkspur

One of the best hardy annuals, larkspur brings height and elegance to your cut flower garden, perfect for succession planting.

16. Snapdragon

With long stems and a rainbow of different colors, snapdragons offer a touch of whimsy to cottage-style gardens. And who doesn’t remember squeezing these flowers as a child and making them “sing.”

17. Columbine

With its delicate, nodding flowers and airy foliage, Columbine fits perfectly in a cottage garden style. It performs well in partial shade or light shade, making it a lovely addition. The tiny seeds fall out of the spent flower heads for easy self seeding.

18. Hostas

Happiest in shade or partial shade, these are super easy and fill in an area with large green leaves for a garden’s version of “white space.”  Once you get a plant, each year in the early spring, you can cut it in half with a spade and plant the new (free) plant somewhere else.

Climbing Flowers

Climbing flowers are a romantic and essential feature in any traditional cottage garden, perfect for trailing over arbors, fences, or the sides of charming garden sheds. Favorites like sweet peas, clematis, climbing roses, and honeysuckle add vertical interest and fill the air with fragrant flowers, creating dreamy focal points throughout the growing season.

19. Sweet Peas

These fragrant flowers bloom in early spring and make a great cut flower. Give them a head start indoors and plant in well-drained soil. Their delicate petals and romantic scent are a cottage garden favorite.

20. Climbing Rose

Taking a little more time and care to get this beauty started is worth it.  It’s a pretty simple rose that will climb wherever you train the vines to go.  It gives such a perfectly vintage scent with it’s pink flowers.  AND it’s perfect for cutting.

21. Clematis

Clematis is a beloved climbing flower in cottage-style gardens, known for its stunning, star-shaped beautiful blooms in a variety of colors. With the right support and well-drained soil, it will happily twine up trellises or arches, creating magical vertical accents. Clematis thrives in full sun with its roots kept cool and shaded—making it a perfect companion for low-profile cottage garden flowers planted at its base.

22. Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle brings an irresistible fragrant flower element to the cottage garden look, especially when grown over fences or pergolas where its sweet scent can be fully enjoyed. The delicious smell will make you never want to leave the garden.

Bushes with Beautiful Flowers

Bushes with beautiful flowers are the backbone of a lush, layered cottage garden look, offering structure, seasonal color, and often delightful fragrance. Yes, they take longer to get started, but they will be mostly care free once established. Shrubs like lilacs, spirea, forsythea, and roses are not only visually stunning but also incredibly versatile—perfect for defining borders, filling corners, or anchoring garden beds. Many of these shrubs bloom from early spring through late summer, attracting beneficial insects and providing an abundance of fresh flowers for arrangements.

23. Lilacs

Lilacs are a quintessential choice for any traditional English cottage garden, known for their fragrant flowers and soft, beautiful blooms that arrive in early spring. They thrive in full sun and bring a sense of romance and nostalgia to cottage-style gardens.

24. Spirea

Spirea shrubs are a low-maintenance plant option with pretty blooms that add structure and soft color to garden beds. Their natural shape complements the relaxed look of a cottage garden, especially when planted near natural materials like stone paths or wooden fences. I prefer the old fashioned white spirea rather than the short red variety.

25. Forsythea

Blooming in a burst of golden yellow in early spring, Forsythia is often one of the first things to flower in the growing season. Its vibrant color brings warmth to the cottage garden look and pairs beautifully with other early blooming shrubs and perennials.

26. Butterfly Bush

This ideal choice for attracting beneficial insects is loved for its long panicles of beautiful flowers in different colors, especially purple. It thrives in full sun and is a great pick for a low-maintenance cottage garden idea that supports butterflies and bees. This is a great summertime bush after bushes like lilac and forsythea have finished.

Edible Plants for Cottage-Style Gardens

Edible plants are a natural fit for cottage-style gardens, where beauty and practicality go hand in hand. Think beyond traditional veggies—herbs like thyme, chives, lavender, and sage double as filler plants with fragrant flowers, while classic fruits like strawberries, raspberries, and fruit trees such as apples or plums bring that romantic country living touch. Many of these edibles thrive in raised beds or woven in between flower beds, offering both form and function throughout the growing season. Not only do they attract beneficial insects, but they also bring fresh, flavorful harvests right to your back door—proving that cottage garden style can be both dreamy and delicious.

Don’t forget about herbs like mint, cilantro, basil and dill when you want a garden.  These low maintenance plants are an ideal choice for filling in space in your flower garden and giving you much needed fresh herbs for your summer cooking!

You don’t have to have a vegetable garden to enjoy some homegrown veggies.  These can be put in your flower garden or on your porch for visual beauty as well as yummy goodness.  Just make sure they get full sun so they can grow to their full potential.   Also, have good support around the tomatoes so your beautiful garden doesn’t turn into a jungle around July.

29. Fruit Trees

Incorporating fruit trees into a cottage garden adds both beauty and utility, contributing to that country living charm. Underplanted with filler plants or cut flower varieties, they provide dappled light and structure throughout the life cycle of the garden. Sure, sure they take a long-term view when it comes to gardening. But they also offer the added benefit of providing food!

Try one to three of these easy flowers (vegetables) for busy moms.  Make it a family project of planting some zinnia seeds and seeing them come up.  Whether you live in an apartment with potted plants on the deck, in a suburban home that needs curb appeal or are loving a farmhouse full, these beautiful blooms, filler plants and fragrant bushes will give your space a feel of true country living.  It’s the journey of growing something beautiful that makes it fun and lasting.

Read More Gardening Tips:

How to Design a Cut Flower Garden From Scratch

70 Best Garden and Outdoor Items to Buy at Garage Sales

70 Funny & Inspiring Vegetable Gardening Quotes

Pin for Later 29 Ideas for Easy Cottagecore Flowers to Grow