Creating a Vintage Flower Garden

Creating a vintage flower garden is a delightful way to evoke nostalgia and charm in your outdoor space. When selecting plants for this type of garden, it’s essential to choose old-fashioned flowers that were popular in gardens of the past. These blooms not only add beauty but also bring a sense of history to your landscape.

A Brief History of Flower Gardens

Flower gardens have been cultivated throughout the history of civilization. The earliest flower gardens were typically quite formal in design and associated with the upper echelons of society. There was a level of prestige associated with having a garden space dedicated to flowers. Those that could afford a flower garden would also have designers creating elaborate formal gardens and at least one gardener dedicated to tending the plants.

The earliest North American settlers had little time to waste on growing flowers as their focus was on basic food, shelter, and safety. In time, though, the trends of their native countries would be adopted in the New World including flower gardens which became a symbol of wealth and status. By the 1800s it was becoming more and more popular for homeowners to have a flower garden as well as their traditional “kitchen garden”.

Most of the flowers that became popular in North American landscapes were introduced via immigrants, particularly those who had access to the many new plants being introduced from the English. English plant hunters travelled the world looking for intriguing new plants that would eventually find their way into English gardens and conservatories. Eventually, enterprising growers in North America would establish plant nurseries to grow and sell flowering plants and seeds. This would ultimately bring down prices making flower gardens accessible to even homeowners with more moderate budgets.

The Transition to Hybrid Flowers

Humans have been selecting and encouraging plants with exceptional characteristics for centuries. Plants can naturally mutate or even cross-pollinate in nature bringing forth new, and sometimes improved varieties. By the early 1700’s intentional plant breeding was becoming more common, with numerous plant breeders actively crossing different plants in search of new and improved hybrids.

There’s lots to love about hybrid flowers. Plant breeders may spend years cross-pollinating certain flowers, waiting for seed to be produced, and then growing a new generation of plants in a quest to create improved versions of our favorite garden flowers. Their efforts pay off with the array of plants we now enjoy in a wider range of colors, bigger flowers, double petals, denser, more compact foliage, and better resistance to pests and diseases. But some gains are obtained at the expense of certain other plant characteristics, in particular fragrance.

Choosing Plants for a Vintage Flower Garden

Incorporating a mix of perennial and annual flowers will ensure that your vintage garden remains vibrant throughout the seasons. Annual flowers offer color all season long while perennial flowers keep things interesting as they come in and out of bloom at different times during the growing season.

Annual Flowers for a Vintage Flower Garden

Cornflower, Bachelor’s Button (Centaurea cyanus)

Cornflower is an annual plant, native to Europe, but is now an established wildflower in many parts of North America. It is common to see this plant along roadsides or growing amongst the weeds in abandoned spaces. When used in the garden, it adds a soft, meadow-feeling. Attracts bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.

Pansy (Viola x wittrockiana)

Pansies have been a garden favorite since the first hybrid varieties were developed from wild Viola species back in the 1800’s in England. The charming flat-faced flowers and array of colors continue to make pansies a popular choice for garden beds or container plantings. Pansies enjoy cooler temperatures and can be planted earlier in the spring than most other flowering annual plants. Also a good choice for baskets, pots, and window boxes. Wonderful for combination plantings.

Aster, China Aster (Callistephus chinensis)

Depending on variety, the long-lasting blooms of the chinensis species may resemble pom poms or daisies and come in a range of colors. Removing spent blooms will promote the most continuous flowering, well into autumn. Ideal choice for beds, borders, and cutting gardens. Perfect for all kinds of containers. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.

Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)

This old-fashioned favorite is sure to attract attention. Snapdragons bring bright colors to cool season gardens. They bloom all summer and tolerate frost. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets. The perfect choice for beds and borders. Looks great in rock gardens. Perfect for all kinds of containers. Wonderful for combination plantings.

Stock, Gilly Flower (Matthiola incana)

Stock are the perfect choice to transition the garden from spring into summer with their lush, clove-scented flower clusters delivering color and fragrance. Depending on variety chosen, blooms may be single or double and all varieties make for excellent cut flowers. Ideal choice for beds, borders, and cutting gardens. Perfect for all kinds of containers. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.

Nasturtium, Indian Cress, Monk’s Cress (Tropaeolum majus)

A tasteful and tasty choice! The colorful and edible trumpet blooms of nasturtium are excellent for brightening annual combinations, and for spicing up salads with their peppery bite. Superb for baskets, containers and window boxes. The perfect choice for beds and borders, and planting in a vegetable garden.

Heliotrope, Cherry Pie (Heliotropium arborescens)

Its velvety blooms and lush, glossy foliage draw plant lovers to Heliotropium, but its fragrance really makes it a butterfly and gardener magnet! Historically known as a medicinal herb, it can be grown as a houseplant, certainly providing “good medicine” to your spirits through winter’s gray days. The perfect choice for beds and borders. Superb for baskets, containers and window boxes. Wonderful for combination plantings.

Dahlia (Dahlia hybrid)

Native to the mountains of Central America, Dahlias are a garden favorite throughout the world. The huge selection of varieties provides for a multitude of flower forms and colors to choose from. Dahlia tubers can be dug and stored for reuse, but careful attention to timing, moisture and potential fungal infection is needed. Ideal choice for beds, borders, and cutting gardens. Perfect for all kinds of containers. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.

Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)

Saucer-like blooms stand out against a backdrop of fine, airy leaves. Spanish missionaries gave it the name cosmos. Legend has it that the missionaries saw the symmetry of the petals as a symbol of the divinely ordered universe, the meaning of “cosmos” in Greek. Ideal choice for beds, borders, and cutting gardens. Cosmos look striking as a backing plant in mixed borders or filling out mixed plantings. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.

Cleome, Spider Flower (Cleome hassleriana)

Some plants have natural charisma and cleome is one of them. Spidery poufs of flower heads top tall stems in a striking display. The curious looking bloom clusters bring fragrance, soft color and lightness to gardens and large containers. Cleome plants bloom for months on end and provide hummingbirds with a season-long buffet. Ideal choice for beds, borders, and cutting gardens. Superb backing plant for mixed borders. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.

Calendula, English Marigold, Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis)

Masses of sunny yellow or orange blooms are produced well into autumn. Calendula is an excellent backup for your garden favorites that have shorter bloom times. Calendula often self-seeds, providing you with bonus plants that are easily enjoyed, or easily removed for sharing. An ideal choice for beds, borders, cutting gardens, and containers.

Common Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)

A favorite of gardeners and butterflies alike, Zinnias bring long-lasting, bright color and rich texture to any planting. Removal of spent blooms will assure the most prolific and ongoing floral display. Use in beds, borders, containers and window boxes. Provides long lasting cut flowers.

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Perennial Flowers for a Vintage Flower Garden

Bells of Ireland (Moluccella laevis)

Bells of Ireland is one of the best plants for adding vertical interest to a flower garden. The flowers are produced on tall sturdy spikes with each tiny bloom surrounded by a cup-shaped calyx. The resulting combination looks like a stem covered with green bells. Bells of Ireland is a must-have for anyone planning a cutting garden. The stems are long-lasting and add great height to flower arrangements.

English Rose (Rosa hybrid)

English roses are the result of efforts to combine the fragrance of Old-World roses with the hardiness, vigor, and repeat blooming that is typical of modern rose hybrids. The lush, densely-petaled flowers add elegance to cut arrangements and fill the air with their intoxicating scent. A classic favorite for planting in a foundation, border, or in a cottage garden.

Everlasting Sweet Pea, Perennial Pea (Lathyrus latifolius)

Fragrant, pea-type flowers bloom from mid-to-late summer. Winged stems produce soft foliage that clings effortlessly with many tendrils. For a truly cottage look let it ramble amongst your roses. Beautiful trained to fences, posts, latticework and trellises. A reliable groundcover for any location. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.

Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis)

Dainty, bell-like white blooms deliver a big burst of spring time fragrance. Fills-in quickly once established. Perfect as an under-planting for later maturing perennials. A reliable groundcover for any location. Effective under trees where lawn has difficulty establishing. Appropriate near water and in damp woodland settings.

English Primrose (Primula acaulis)

English primroses bring a welcome splash of color to the early season landscape. Colorful, sometimes fragrant flowers bloom during cool weather. Easy to grow and very rewarding. A beautiful choice for shady borders and woodland gardens. Perfect for all kinds of containers. Especially nice for mixing with spring bulbs.

Bearded Iris, German Iris (Iris germanica)

Large petals create a floral artistry of curves and color atop tall, sturdy stems. The germanica species does best in dry, sunny locations. A gorgeous choice for bringing a burst of drama to the garden or a vase. Ideal choice for beds, borders, and cutting gardens. Makes a dependable mixed border plant. Nice for larger patio containers. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.

Old-Fashioned Bleeding Heart, Lyre Flower (Dicentra spectabilis)

Bleeding heart produces arching stems of dangling heart-shaped blooms held high above decorative lobed foliage in spring. Best if sheltered from strong winds. Foliage may die back by midsummer, so plant amongst later maturing companions to fill the void. Beautiful in shady borders and woodland gardens.

Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)

This old-fashioned favorite adds nostalgic charm to the garden! Hollyhock produces tall, stately spikes of colorful flowers. Blooms may be single-petaled or dense, ruffled, ball-shaped flowers. Adds a touch of class to any garden planting. A perfect background plant for beds and borders or for planting along fences and walls. A terrific choice for butterfly gardens.

Garden Peony, Chinese Peony (Paeonia lactiflora)

Large, lush blooms bring grace, beauty and often fragrance to the late spring and early summer garden. Varieties are available that offer single, semi-double or double blooms in a range of shades. Excellent for planting along a fence, wall, foundation, or in a mixed flower border. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.

Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis sylvatica)

True garden classics, forget-me-nots invoke images of overflowing cottage gardens and spring woodlands come to life with their bursts of dainty blooms. When the blooms are gone, the mounds of demure foliage provide nice greenery to fill in between other flowering plants. This is a good companion for spring flowering bulbs. Perfectly sized for rock gardens and border fronts and it’s a great choice for naturalizing in woodland settings.

Garden Lupine, Big Leaf Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus)

This lupine species is native to Western North America. Dozens of tiny, pea-like blooms cluster on upright stalks in an attention demanding display. They thrive in light, acidic soil and cool summers. Makes a dependable mixed border plant and an ideal choice for a cutting garden.

Garden Phlox, Summer Phlox (Phlox paniculata)

The Phlox paniculata species is an upright growing phlox perfect for bringing color and height to mixed perennial plantings. Large, fragrant bloom clusters are produced from summer into autumn. Remove spent bloom clusters to encourage continued flowering. Effective in borders and cutting gardens. Ideal for specimen, foundations, and mass plantings. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.

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More Ways to Create a Vintage Garden Aesthetic

In addition to flower selection, consider other ways to enhance the vintage feel of your garden. Here are some ideas for creating a more extensive vintage garden aesthetic:

• Use traditional garden structures such as arbors or trellises adorned with climbing roses or wisteria. These elements can enhance the vintage aesthetic while providing vertical interest.

• Choose flowers that have fragrance whenever possible to get as close as you can to the sensual experience you would have enjoyed in a vintage flower garden.
• Line pathways with gravel or stepping-stones to create charming walkways that invite exploration.

• To further enrich your vintage flower garden, think about adding heirloom varieties of vegetables and herbs alongside your floral selections. This not only supports biodiversity but also pays homage to the kitchen gardens of the past.
• Add a topiary for an authentic Victorian era touch. Grow your topiary in an elegant urn to complete the vintage aesthetic.

• Include a water element such as a fountain or a small preformed fabricated pond.
• Incorporate antique or rustic décor elements such as weathered pots, birdbaths, or wrought-iron benches throughout your garden space.

These simple touches will help create a cohesive theme that transports you back in time while providing a serene spot to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature around you.

Flowers Passed Along Through the Generations

Many of the garden flowers we enjoy today are thanks to the many generations of gardeners and flower-lovers that came before us. By bringing along their favorite flower seeds from around the world, people were able to enjoy living reminders of their homelands, share seeds with others, and pass them along for future generations to enjoy.

Because fragrance was a key characteristic of many old-fashioned flower garden favorites, scent plays an important role in adding authenticity to your vintage flower garden. For maximum fragrance impact, consider adding fragrant flowering vines or shrubs to your vintage garden. Get ideas with our lists of sweet smelling vines and fragrant shrubs.