The Contemporary Cottage Garden

A guide to combining the classic cottage garden style with new techniques and plants that meet the needs of modern times.


In The Contemporary Cottage Garden, longtime gardener Pamela Hubbard expertly walks the gardener through what it takes to grow in the cottage garden style—where flowers and vegetables are intermingled in a casual display of colorful brilliance—while also meeting the needs of the modern world in an era of increased weather extremes. An abundance of beautiful photos by Rob Cardillo highlights Hubbard’s cottage garden in Pennsylvania, where she has integrated invaluable techniques for cottage gardening in a contemporary way. Gardeners at any stage of their gardening journey will find invaluable insight on:

• Gardening for increased biodiversity and pollinators
• Creating a cottage meadow garden
• Designing a gravel garden for drought-prone areas
• Creating rain gardens for wet areas and fire-wise gardens for arid regions
• Gardening to reduce stress and promote healing
• Instilling a love for the environment in children by creating a children's garden
• Creating a sensory garden

...and more! The cottage garden style has been practiced across time, and Hubbard extends its bountiful possibilities through a modern, ecological lens.