Tour a Charming English Cottage Garden

Take a tour of a lovely suburban Charlton, London home garden filled with perennials and, natch, plenty of English roses.

By: Felicia Feaster

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Regal Rose

British gardener Martha Oakes boasts an enviable slice of urban-meets-suburban land on which she grows a variety of trees, flowers and edibles in her Charlton, London neighborhood, including this Rosa alba 'Semi plena'.

Olive Tree

An olive tree and euphorbia grow side by side.

Espaliered

An espaliered sweet cherry tree.

Red and White

Iris and red campion.

All in the Mix

Stipa gigantea, buxus, myrtus, choisya and a tamarisk tree that has since succumbed to winter's frosts, says British gardener Martha Oakes.

Garden's Edge

A bench is tucked away beneath a lilac tree at the base of this suburban London garden.

Terrace Garden

Tulips and forget-me-nots are planted by the edge of the terrace.

Old Rose

London gardener Martha Oakes says that this rosa 'Souvenir du Docteur Jamain' is an old rose "with the most exquisite wine scent."

Private Space

A wall of ivy accented by a silver birch jacquemontil tree provides much needed privacy in this British home garden.

Pretty Poppy

Oriental poppies self-seed in Martha Oakes' garden, keeping her in bright blooms.

Top Tree

A bay tree is a lovely accent for this London garden.

Lilac Tree

A shady spot underneath the lilac tree.

Practical Garden Necessity

Even a utilitarian compost set-up somehow becomes more charming in an English garden.

Roses Rule

Every English garden must have roses. The side garden of Martha Oakes' pretty urban spread included rosa 'William Shakespeare' and 'Falstaff'.

Little Plot

Every space counts in a small urban garden. Here English gardener Martha Oakes has carved out a small bed defined by a hawthorn tree, perennial geranium and wallflower.

Happy Faces

Perennial geraniums punctuate this British garden.

Wallflowers and Perennial Geraniums

Wallflowers and perennial geranium bring a splash of color to this British garden.

Favorite Spot

English gardener Martha Oakes calls this garden nook with its small white poplar tree and silver-leaved elaegnus ebbingei is her favorite place to sit and drink coffee in the morning.

Potting Area

Pots of herbs and pelargonium sit next to California lilac on the back porch of this British garden.

Backyard Garden

This British garden affords enough open space for a game of croquet or an outdoor picnic but plenty of shrubs, trees and plants at its edges to give a sense of privacy from close-by neighbors.

Slow Fade to Summer

The last of the season's tulips and forget-me-nots share space with 'William Shakespeare' and 'Falstaff' roses. An early red hot poker peeks out from the fray.

Garden Staple

A pot of rosemary is handy for easy access from the kitchen.

Over the Hedge

A glimpse of ceanothus, or California lilac, is visible beyond the garden hedge.

Border Zone

A spray of lively color separates the terrace from the back garden.

Rose Bush

Rosa 'Madame Alfred Carriere' grows against the garden wall and trellis.

Ever-Hardy Ivy

Ivy grows on the garden wall, providing low-maintenance privacy in this urban garden.

Mixing It Up

Silver birch, hawthorn, perennial geranium and wallflower mix it up at garden's edge.

A Lady's Rose

Rosa 'Madame Alfred Carriere' grows in this charming small-space English garden.

A Writer's Rose

Rosa 'William Shakespeare' is a "repeat-flowering English rose with a gorgeous rich scent," says British gardener Martha Oakes.

Wallflower

Wallflower thrives in this English garden.

Hawthorn

Hawthorn lends a welcome dose of color to this English garden.

Silverberry

Silverberry (Elaegnus ebbingei) lends some lovely shade to this English garden.