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19 Dreamy Cottage Gardens

These cozy backyards are the stuff of fairy tales.

When I was in third grade, my aunt bought me a Thomas Kinkade puzzle of a riverside cottage surrounded by a sunlit garden. I probably worked and reworked that puzzle 100 times — or at least until the printed paper started to curl up from the edges of the pieces. That's when my obsession with cottage gardens began.

These days, my childhood fascination hasn't waned, and I often find myself wishing I was sipping coffee and reading a book in one of those Kinkadian havens. (Probably because I live in a second-story apartment with a 3' x 7' balcony.) So, until I get a place of my own, I'll be drooling over dreamy cottage gardens. Keep scrolling to see some of my favorites.

Lilac Pond

Designer Andrew Grossman carved this charming little pond out of lovely lilacs, water hyacinth and other pond-friendly plants. All that's missing is Christopher Robin with his fishing pole.

Bed Head Backyard

You know those people that wake up looking effortlessly beautiful? This backyard is them in garden form.

Same backyard, different view. I love how the climbing roses and rope fence frame the entryway.

Lush Window Boxes

Sarah Wilson / Getty Images

No room or time for a full-fledged garden? Hack the cottage look by filling a few barnwood window planters with fluffy cabbage, dusty miller, purple pansies and trailing ivy.

Yellow Roses + White Picket Fences

Provided by Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce

Beautiful is an understatement. These yellow David Austin roses have me daydreaming of summer afternoons in Martha's Vineyard.

Cozy Nook

Imagine curling up to read a book on this sweet bench at the end of a wisteria-lined path.

Fairy Tale Folly

This cozy garden gazebo is right at home in a bed of lush roses, begonia and ornamental grasses.

Black-Eyed Susans

Image courtesy of Graham Landscape Architecture. Photo by Eric Kvalski

This dreamy field of blooms is totally reminiscent of Tom Hanks' and Meg Ryan's iconic meet-up at the end ofYou've Got Mail.

Cottage Curb Appeal

Looking for an easy curb appeal trick? Plant colorful, bushy blooms and fragrant climbing roses along the outside and inside of your fence line.

Front Porch Sitting

Who said a cottage garden was restricted to the flower bed?

The Secret Garden

Image courtesy of Lynn Coulter

I imagine Frances Hodgson Burnett would approve of this rose-clad walkway.

An Avian Refuge

If I were a bird, I'd totally live in this field of daisies and lilies.

Ivy-Covered Alcove

Even though it isn't technically a garden, this greenery-bowered passageway is giving me all the cottage feels.

Beauty Overflowing

I could spend all day admiring how Grace Design Associates paired mounds of white climbing roses with plant-lined Arizona flagstones.

Hardscape + Landscape

This outdoor space has the best of both worlds: a little bit of garden and a little bit of entertaining space. I'd love to cozy up to that fire pit, too.

Green Thumb

If you spend enough time in this lush green space, you may spot a fairy or two lurking about.

Wistful Wisteria

Kenny Collins, The Collins Group, Inc.

Want to make your brand-new outdoor structure look like it's been there for ages? Just frame it with some wisteria.

Pride and Prejudice

Am I the only one getting major Elizabeth Bennet vibes from this English-inspired garden?

A Fairy-Tale Setting

Although it looks like it was plucked right out of a princess movie, this charming abode is actually located in suburban Atlanta. Raise your hand if you'd totally live here. (Raises both arms!)