b'Craftsman Steve Sygrove built The Gardeners Cottage five years ago. Debs vintage collection inspired its colour scheme of Resene Sugar Loaf and Resene Dell.The painter colour-matched it to an old enamel plate so it felt vintage, and I also wanted it to fit in with the surroundings, Above left: The inside of the shepherds hut is built with poplarsays Deb.accented with Resene Dell on the curved beams and chair and halfShe suggests using rustic furniture, old tools and watering strength Resene Dell on the wainscotting. The table, window seat andcans in the garden as other ways to add old English charm. window trims are Resene Sugar Loaf. Timber surfaces are protectedTrellises, gates, sheds and fences can add structure and colour with Resene Aquaclear. even when flowers arent in bloom. The two sheds and chicken Above right: The garden shed is accented with a red rose calledcoop in Puriri Lane are functional, but their Resene Pioneer Red Corsair, an excellent partner for the Resene Pioneer Red trims. Stainroofs and trims work with the vintage look. Deb also has an weatherboards in Resene WaterborneResene obelisk painted in vibrant aubergine purple, Resene Upstage. Woodsman Pitch Black, remembering toSugar Loafuse the Resene CoolColour version toI love the pop of colour it gives and the height; it creates a reflect more heat. Resenefocal point and was put there as a contrast to the orange and Chelsea Cucumber purple plantings.Opposite left: Deb and Clive moved intoReseneAs cottage gardens are often planted in annuals, which die Puriri Lane 13 years ago. Clive, whoUpstagemanages the nursery with Deb, says hisResene Woodsman off after a year, they can look tired at certain times, but that favourite part of the garden is his shed. Pitch Black comes with the territory, says Deb.how to start a cottage gardenCottage gardens have dense plantings of ornamental flowers and edible plants. Though the plant species are generally English in origin, they can grow well in hotter climates such as New Zealand and Australia under the right conditions. Cottage garden stalwarts include sweet peas, honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum, not the pest variety), dahlias, old-fashioned roses, achillea, larkspur, cosmos, foxgloves, poppies, hollyhocks, nicotiana and violets to name a few. While there are no rules to this unstructured garden style, think about planting flowers of different heights for interest and ensuring successional planting. Carefully plan your plantings so that you can have year-round seasonal interest and create a style that can basically manage itself once planted, suggests Deb. Use plants that self-sow to ensure that as the plants multiply, there will be no room for weeds, she adds. Right: Flowers clockwise from left: Deb says the climbing rose Corsair is a winner. The blooms hold forever and do not fade. Achillea millefolium is an easy-to-grow drought-tolerant flower which comes in more than 20 shades. Astrantia major is super hardy and fabulous for picking and drying. The penstemon PurplePassion blooms from mid-summer into autumn.Resene Pioneer Red68'