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Yellows, creams and blues
Central feature: A rose arch planted with the yellow rose 'Golden Showers' and dark blue Clematis jackmanii.

Subsidiary shrubs: Creamy yellow broom (Cytisus x Praecox), blue and silver Caryopteris x clandonensis for summer and autumn colour, plus lavenders (Lavendula) and Russian sage (Perovskia 'Blue Spire').

Herbaceous: Campanulas (all kinds), lupins (Lupinus), sneezewort (Achillea 'The Pearl'), blue or white columbine (Aquilegias), Delphiniums, or such blue crane's-bill as Geranium 'Johnsons's Blue'.

Fiery hues
Central feature: Large specimen of Kerria Japonica or a crab apple (Malus) such as 'John Downie'. Alternatively, furnish a pole or arch with red climbing roses such as 'Danse de Feu' or 'Scarlet Fire'.

Subsidiary shrubs: Spiraea ('Gold Flame'), cotton lavender (Santolina), shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla 'Red Ace'), Cape figwort (Phygelius Aequalis), St John's wart (Hypericum 'Hidcote').

Herbaceous: Oriental poppies (Papaver), sneezewort (Achillea 'Moonshine'), golden rod (Solidago), bright red Penstemons, dark red pinks or carnations (Dianthus) and coneflower (Rudbeckias). Add vivid annuals such as Californian poppy (Eschscholzia) and Mexican sunflower (Tithonia), both orange or red annual poppies (Papaver).

Specials: Chocolate cosmea (Cosmos), Anisodontea.

Romantic pinks
Central feature: An old apple tree. Failing this, try Butterfly bush (Buddleia 'Pink Delight' or B. 'Lochinch') as a central plant, or a rose pillar again, this time furnished with pink roses 'New Dawn or 'Albertine'.

Subsidiary shrubs: Wormwood (Artemisia 'Powis Castle'), rock roses (Cistus 'Silver Pink' and C. purpureus), Fuchsias, Hydrangea, tree mallow (Lavatera).

Herbaceous: Stonecrop (Sedum spectabile 'Autumn Joy'), pink Penstemons, germander (Teucrium Chamaedrys), pink paeonies (Paeonia), carnations (Dianthus 'Doris'), Phlox.

Specials: Nerines, for autumn pink.

Specials for fragrance
Fragrance is an essential part of the cottage garden experience. Be sure to include at least three of the following plants in your scheme:

Summer: Jasmine (Jasminum officinale) - climber. Lavender (Lavandula), rosemary (Rosmarinus), chocolate cosmea (Cosmos), roses (Rosa), Phlox.

Autumn: Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera Japonica 'Halliana') -flowers from midsummer onwards, late flowering lilies (Lilium), Viburnum (Viburnum x Bodnantense).

Winter: Snowdrops (Galanthus) and aconites (Eranthis).

Spring: Wisteria, mock orange (Philadelphus), early Dutch honeysuckle (Lonicera 'Belgica').

Shade plants
Almost every garden has at least one shaded area, and in a cottage style, this is perfect for developing a woodland feel.

Try to assess the level of shade - deep shade is more difficult to plant for than a spot which receives a little sunshine for part of the day - and plant accordingly.

Plants marked with an * are suitable for dense or light shade.

Winter: Winter jasmine (Jasminum*).

Spring: Kerria*, Forsythia, rock cress (Arabis), columbine (Aquilegia), bleeding heart (Dicentra).

Summer: Cape figwort (Phygelius), firethorn (Pyracantha), bellflower (campanulas - some), crane's-bills (Geranium - some), foxglove (Digitalis).

Autumn: Hollies (Ilex*), laurel (Laurus*), Skimmia, Virginia creeper (parthenocissus*).

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