One of the most popular ways to lay out your garden is in the English or "cottage" style.  The English garden is typically laid out almost haphazardly, with a wide variety of plants, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables.  However, even though an English Garden may look as though someone scattered seeds in the wind, it is actually a complex and well planned collection of species artfully displayed.  If you are interested in planning your own English garden there are a number of things you should consider.

The basic principle behind an English garden is to have something blooming or otherwise showing itself off throughout the growing season.  This means that you will have to replant some annuals two or three times each season, but it also means that you should choose perennials that will bloom at different times of the year.

The species you choose for your English garden will depend greatly on the climate zone you live in, so if you are new to the area it is wise to ask around to see which flowers bloom at different times of the year.  Another component of the typical English garden is vines.  While it may seem like you can just let vines grow however you want, it is a good idea to train your vines as much as possible with arbors and trellises.

The goal of an English garden is to give the eye interesting shapes and colors to look at.  This means that you should choose a wide variety of different plant species, and you should avoid planting too many of a single species in one place.  Instead, plant two or three of each species in two or three places around your garden, and try to group different species that complement each other together in the same place.