‘Vintage’ has never been so modern! From vintage cocktails, to vintage dresses, to vintage interiors, the fashion world is harking back to yesteryear for inspiration and there is no reason why your garden can’t do the same.
Vintage plants making a revival
Like all things, blooms go in and out of fashion, and with vintage being so on trend right now, modern gardens are looking back at traditional flowers. These include pretty flowers like Foxgloves, Dianthus (which is one of the world’s oldest cultivated flowers) English Primroses, Hollyhocks and Peonies. Roses, of course, should not be overlooked and are easier to look after than you may think. Modern plants can also be used to great effect especially when mixed with more traditional flowers.
Cottage Garden Planting
Vintage borrows very heavily from the 50’s and earlier, to an era which prized a traditional cottage garden very highly, making cottage gardens popular again even in a non-cottage house! Style wise, think slightly fussy with a touch of romance and use pretty dainty flowers, but lots of them to create the look. Daisies, Delphiniums and Roses are a classic place to start with planting and use winding paths with garden gates to create curves and borders.
Vintage Accessories
Troughs, crates and worn-out tins can all be used as planters or water feature bases in a garden to create a vintage vibe. If you have a place to sit or eat in your garden get some vintage flower patterns to turn into outdoor cushions and napkins. If you really want to decorate your garden consider getting old milk churns, a traditional bicycle, vintage wheelbarrows or stepladders filled with flowers can look stunning. Old mirrors attached to garden walls can add extra depth and light and bunting is a real old fashioned favourite. Vintage garden style should probably have a ‘make do and mend’ approach so a battered watering can filled with beautiful plants, or a rustic painted shed could just do the trick!
Allotment Fantastic
Growing your own is not only very economical, it is a very vintage approach to a garden. If you have a little space, consider including a bed for home grown veg and be amazed at how different it tastes to the supermarket. Getting vintage style signs to label your produce can add to the look or grow something that links to the past – like heritage carrots!
You can also add animal-friendly items to your garden; shabby chic bird houses and old fashioned bird baths can add focal points and style, fruiting shrubs such as pyracanthus look great and can provide food and shelter for a host of different species.
Vintage Garden Party
Once you have got your garden to look stunning, invite friends and family to come over and enjoy it. Quick vintage updates like mismatched traditional crockery, and vintage lemonade served in pitchers, can only add to the vintage vibe you have created. Try serving a Victoria sponge on an old fashioned cake stand and some classic cocktails to really get your guests talking about your vintage garden.