At first, it doesn't seem like a Colonial-style cottage garden should work. Colonial gardens, after all, were mainly utilitarian -- a place to grow vegetables and herbs tidily behind a white-picket fence. They often had a formal design or feel.

Cottage gardens are largely the opposite: They're lush, blowsy places that are anything but formal. Packed with plants, it's common to see annuals, perennials, and herbs spilling over, or even partially blocking, pathways. You'll often see structures such as a white-picket fence or an arbor in a cottage garden, though it's anything but formal.

You'll end up with a garden that's both pretty and practical.

Get more ideas by downloading our plan here, featured in the August 2010 issue of Better Homes and Gardens® magazine.

Click here to download a free labeled diagram of the garden shown here!