Flowers
- perennials kept in pots & protected during the winter provide foundation plants that you can take to your new garden.

- add annuals that catch your eye (many annuals will continue to bloom all season and you can purchase a whole flat at your local discount store for under $5)

- green filler plants such as coleus - although coleus is considered a non-flower, the leaves come in beautiful shades of color. Coleus is also VERY easy to propagate

- seeds - you can find packets of flowers for under .70 at your local discount store (I buy mine for .10 each!) For a cottage garden look - simply scatter a mixture of seeds in your pots & keep them watered. You could use window box planters & line them up near the house for a "flower bed border" look, then you can use the window boxes on your new windows.

- Tea for 2
In the middle of your "garden" place a small round table & a couple of chairs. Dress the top of the table with a pretty pot of flowers or a small water fountain. Build your planters - and all of your other garden elements around this seating area. This will give you a "garden room" feeling for you to enjoy.

- Shade
If you don't already have some shade, you might consider adding a shady space to your garden for you to escape to during the hot sunny days this summer. You can achieve this by putting up a canopy (they have really pretty ones at the big super-marts this year for under $100) - or simply draping some gauzy fabric from the tree branches around your yard to give that romantic canopy feeling.

These are all ideas to give you a beautiful - but temporary cottage garden space. If you'll also notice, none of these ideas require digging or altering the grounds at all.

Happy Gardening!