Grow Your Cottage Charm

Here's some expert advice on planting seasonal gardens for year-round display, indoors and out

- MERYL SCHOENBAUM

FEAST FOR THE EYES. This early-summer tablescape will delight guests as they dine while admiring floral arrangements set in bowls on the dining table.

A cottage and a cottage garden go together like a hand in a gardening glove. And when you decorate your home with flowers culled from your own garden, your floral displays become even more special and a source of pride.

Because of your already busy schedule, you might not think you have enough time to set aside to learn about, and nurture, the cottage garden of your dreams. However, a new book sets out to dispel the notion that a beautiful garden requires exorbitant amounts of time and effort to provide year-round delight for your home's interior rooms, as well as its landscape.