Best Tall Flowers for a Dreamy Cottage Garden

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One of the secrets to creating a beautiful cottage garden is layering plants by height.

Tall flowers planted at the back of borders provide structure, add vertical interest, and create the lush, overflowing look that cottage gardens are known for.

Whether you’re designing a new flower bed or refreshing an existing border, choosing a mix of tall flowering plants can help create a garden that feels abundant and romantic from spring through fall.

Table of Contents

Here are some of the best tall cottage garden flowers for the back of borders.

Hollyhocks

No list of tall cottage garden flowers would be complete without hollyhocks.

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These classic cottage garden favorites can grow:

6 to 8 feet tall
Even taller in ideal conditions
In a wide range of colors

Hollyhocks create dramatic vertical accents and look especially charming planted along fences, walls, and the backs of flower beds.

If you’re growing hollyhocks, you may also enjoy reading What Not to Plant With Hollyhocks in Cottage Gardens.

Delphiniums

Delphiniums bring elegant spires of blue, purple, pink, and white flowers to the garden.

They typically grow:

4 to 6 feet tall
In upright clusters
Best in cooler climates

Their towering flower spikes create beautiful contrast against rounded flowers like peonies and roses.

Foxgloves

Foxgloves are beloved for their tall spikes of bell-shaped blooms.

These cottage garden favorites:

Reach 3 to 5 feet tall
Attract bees and pollinators
Self-seed readily

Plant them near pathways where their intricate flowers can be appreciated up close.

Joe Pye Weed

If you’re creating a pollinator-friendly cottage garden, Joe Pye Weed is an excellent choice.

Benefits include:

Heights of 5 to 7 feet
Large mauve flower clusters
Excellent butterfly attraction

Its airy blooms blend beautifully with traditional cottage garden flowers.

Sunflowers

Branching sunflowers add cheerful height and color to summer gardens.

Many varieties grow:

5 to 8 feet tall
Multiple blooms per plant
Excellent pollinator value

Their informal growth habit works perfectly in relaxed cottage garden designs.

Garden Phlox

Tall garden phlox provides months of colorful blooms during summer.

Many varieties reach:

3 to 4 feet tall
Large fragrant flower clusters
Excellent pollinator appeal

Phlox pairs beautifully with roses, peonies, and other cottage garden classics.

Climbing Roses

While technically not a flower for the border itself, climbing roses create stunning vertical interest behind garden beds.

They can be trained on:

Trellises
Arbors
Fences
Garden arches

For inspiration, see Storybook Climbing Roses for a Dreamy Cottage Garden and Dreamy Cottage Garden Roses to Plant This Year.

Verbena Bonariensis

This airy, graceful flower has become a favorite in modern cottage gardens.

It grows:

4 to 6 feet tall
On slender stems
With clusters of purple blooms

Because the stems are so open, you can see other flowers through them, creating a layered effect.

Tall Asters

Late-season asters provide valuable color when many summer flowers begin fading.

Benefits include:

Heights of 4 to 6 feet
Pollinator-friendly blooms
Fall color

Their daisy-like flowers add softness and movement to cottage garden borders.

Russian Sage

Russian sage offers:

Silvery foliage
Lavender-blue flower spikes
Heights of 4 to 5 feet

Its airy texture helps soften dense plantings and pairs well with roses, peonies, and ornamental grasses.

Peonies

While peonies aren’t the tallest flowers on this list, many mature varieties reach 3 to 4 feet and provide an important structural layer in cottage garden borders.

Their large blooms create a focal point in late spring and early summer.

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas can serve as beautiful flowering anchors at the back of cottage garden borders.

Many varieties grow:

4 to 8 feet tall
Large showy flower heads
Long-lasting blooms

They pair beautifully with roses, foxgloves, and peonies.

Designing the Perfect Cottage Garden Border

For the most natural cottage garden look, layer plants by height:

Back of Border

Hollyhocks
Delphiniums
Climbing roses
Joe Pye Weed
Tall asters

Middle Layer

Peonies
Hydrangeas
Garden phlox
Russian sage

Front Layer

Lavender
Nasturtiums
Self-seeding annuals
Low-growing perennials

For additional inspiration, see:

Tall flowers are essential for creating the layered, overflowing beauty that defines a cottage garden.

From towering hollyhocks and foxgloves to graceful delphiniums and climbing roses, these plants add height, texture, and charm to the back of borders.

By combining several tall flowering plants with mid-height perennials and low-growing flowers, you can create a cottage garden that looks full, colorful, and inviting throughout the growing season.

Follow my cottage garden flowers board on Pinterest.