Fill your cottage garden with copper-orange Dahlia 'G.F. Hemerik', russet-red Helenium 'Luc', and lavender-blue Catmint 'Walker's Low'. These flowering perennials bring cheerful color from early summer into fall, combining compact dahlias, taller sneezeweed daisies, and aromatic catmint in a beautiful, pollinator-friendly border beside a winding stone path.
Imagine strolling along a weathered stone path beside a cottage garden glowing with copper-orange dahlias, fiery sneezeweed, and soft lavender-blue catmint. Bees move between the flowers, while silver-green foliage spills naturally over the paving stones. This colorful planting combines the warmth of late-summer flowers with the relaxed charm of a traditional cottage border.
Three flowering plants create the display: Dahlia ‘G.F. Hemerik’, Helenium ‘Luc’ (Sneezeweed), and Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ (Catmint). Their contrasting flower shapes, generous bloom periods, and complementary colors produce a cheerful, pollinator-friendly border with interest from early summer into autumn.
Main plants used: Dahlia ‘G.F. Hemerik’, Helenium ‘Luc’, and Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’.
The beautiful contrast between warm orange flowers and cool lavender-blue catmint gives this border its personality. Dahlia ‘G.F. Hemerik’ produces cheerful, single copper-orange flowers with golden centers. Unlike larger dahlias, this compact cultivar grows approximately 18-20 inches tall, making it especially attractive near the front of the border.
Behind it, Helenium ‘Luc’ contributes rich, warm-toned daisies in shades of orange-red, russet, and gold. Its prominent central cones and branching flower stems add texture and height, extending the warm color display through late summer.
Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ brings a completely different character. Its lavender-blue flower spikes rise above aromatic, gray-green foliage, forming generous mounds that soften the stronger colors of the dahlias and Helenium. Attractive to bees, it can produce another flush of flowers after trimming.
The combination works because the flowers contrast in both shape and color. Catmint creates a soft, cool-colored foundation, while the copper dahlias and richer Helenium flowers provide warmth and movement. The irregular stone path and lush background planting complete the relaxed cottage-garden atmosphere.
Create a colorful cottage border with copper-orange dahlias, warm russet Helenium flowers, and generous drifts of lavender-blue catmint, arranged naturally beside a winding stone path.
Approximate visual proportions, not exact plant quantities.
Position Helenium ‘Luc’ toward the middle and rear of the border, where its taller stems can rise above the surrounding flowers. Place compact Dahlia ‘G.F. Hemerik’ in repeated groups toward the foreground for copper-orange color. Weave Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ along the stone path and between the flowering groups, allowing its lavender-blue stems to spill naturally over the edges. Keep the planting informal, with irregular groups rather than rigid rows.
Late spring to early summer brings the first lavender-blue Catmint flowers, followed by copper-orange Dahlias in midsummer. Helenium ‘Luc’ adds richer russet and golden tones during summer and into early autumn. With regular deadheading, Dahlias continue blooming until frost, while trimmed Catmint may produce fresh flowers later in the season.
| Hardiness |
4 - 8 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones |
1 - 8 |
| Climate Zones | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest | Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall |
| Maintenance | Average |
| Water Needs | Average |
| Soil Type | Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Showy |
| Attracts | Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds |
| Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders |
| Garden Styles | Butterfly Garden, Informal and Cottage, Pollinator Garden |
| Hardiness |
4 - 8 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones |
1 - 8 |
| Climate Zones | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest | Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall |
| Maintenance | Average |
| Water Needs | Average |
| Soil Type | Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Showy |
| Attracts | Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds |
| Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders |
| Garden Styles | Butterfly Garden, Informal and Cottage, Pollinator Garden |
Recreate this garden. Specify the percentages you would like to have of each plant and input the dimensions of your garden space.We'll give you a shopping list so you know how many plants you need.
| Plant | Quantity | |
|---|---|---|
| Dahlia 'G.F. Hemerik' | N/A | Buy Plants |
| Helenium 'Luc' (Sneezeweed) | N/A | Buy Plants |
| Nepeta racemosa 'Walker's Low' (Catmint) | N/A | Buy Plants |
Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
Join now and start creating your dream garden!
Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
Join now and start creating your dream garden!
