I don't think of it as any specific flowers, just a lush excess of flowers.

daisies, echinaceas, and tomatoes! LOL!

HW

As much as perennials are my favorites, I have to say my garden looks the most cottage when the annuals are peaking. First in spring are the sweet peas, Shirley poppies and larkspur with their companions, and now there are orange and yellow cosmos with red tall zinnia, short apricot zinnia, scarlet marigolds, sunflowers, alyssum and gailardia, mixed with tomatoes, cucumbers and melons. Soon a purple hyacinth vine will be blooming as well.

Wow, Debbie. That makes me want to rush out and buy, buy, buy! What little winter sowing I did this year helped out in my garden but I can see this winter sowing will have to include all the ones you mentioned.

Sprout, all the ideas above, especially the "lush excess of flowers" means cottage to me. I'm working now trying to move my flowers around to create a garden with hot colors like red, yellow and orange; and another garden with pastel colors like pink, white and softer purples (lavender). It's too hard to choose just one.LOL
Judie

This year the cottage most parts of my garden have beautiful pinkish cantaloupe colored snapdragns,tall peach leaved campanula in blue and white,, geum Avins, or Mrs Bradshaw and creeping wallflower, "wenlock beauty" as well as lots of night scented nicotiana. Honeysuckle and of course, "The Queens" my fuschia collection.

My climbing pink and white roses mixed with honeysuckle/jasmine over my stone wall. The fragrance in early summer makes you swoon.

Gigi

Butterflies, hummingbirds, and dragonflies...and everything that attracts them.

I've been working on adding flowers specifically for them, and I am starting to see results. The Swallowtails have been all over my zinnias, cosmos, salvias, in particular. Since I live in the migratory path of the Monarch butterfly, I am hoping to see a really nice showing this fall.

I have a couple of hummingbirds that seem to enjoy my esperanza and tropical hibiscus. I love it!

To me hummingbirds, butterflies and dragonflies bring life to a garden.

Marilyn

The Westerlands climbing the white arbor, the raspberry hollyhocks lining the picket fence and the kitties running with abandon from one tree to the next, chasing butterflies and lizards. : )

Oh, and the colander full of apricots gracing my kitchen island - home grown and oh so yummy!

Diana

The front verandah strewn with garden tools, magazine clippings, garden books, seed packages, rubber boots, flip flops, the dog, binoculars and bird book, chairs, plants, the kids' socks........all overlooking the "private garden" of roses, delphiniums, daylilies, trees, clematis, Lychnis "Morgenrot", Monarda didyma, hostas, hydrangeas, etc. etc. Just a "lush excess of flowers" like ntaylor says :o)

i would have to say the sight of my pumpkin plants necking with my shasta daisys

Hollyhocks, foxglove, rose campion, shrub roses and any and all decorations thrown in. Masses of loose flowers and lots of color.

Lots of flowers. Comfortable seating on the porch. A swing. Roses. A friendly dog...or two. Shade trees in the yard. Cheryl

tons and tons of blooms, of course, but also the little 'extra' touches that show you care...statues, birdbaths, arbors, trellises, gazing balls, windchimes, birdhouses, etc. Oh, and my gardening buddies, Stinky and Merlin!

hollyhocks,beebalm,morning glories,spider plants, daisies,columbine etc,etc birds,butterflies,cats and lots of seating areas to watch the flowers grow,cats play and birds eat and drink out of the bird baths I forgot to mention.

I would say the things that most make things feel cottage aren't as much flowers..but feelings for me....a calm relaxing feeling when I see a butterfly or moth soar off..or a bumble bee busy with his work..or the birds in and out at work at feeders and birdbaths..raising their families and not one bit worried about my presence or my pooches.....its the feeling I get as a ramble about my yard...for me, its not as much about flowers..or "a look" but more so of a feeling...