Earlier this month we spent a blissful week on Cape Cod and made it to the island of Nantucket for a day visit. It was great to see in person some of the houses I’ve swooned over for years through the blog and social media and I returned inspired to add a touch of Nantucket to our own little cottage garden. One of the most remarkable details on the island, and on Cape Cod in general, was the stunning curb appeal of so many homes. Window boxes are an art form on Nantucket (you’d be pressed to find one you didn’t like) and the prettiest houses were the ones with the most colorful front yards, no matter how big or small. We fell in love with the architecture and quiet charm of Cape Cod and since our return I’ve been trying to break down that distinct Nantucket look and figure out ways in which I can add some of its charm to our own house and garden. Here’s what I have so far, none of it breaking news, but all of it feasible with some effort and expense.
1. Color. Whether large or small, a front yard is a great opportunity to plant flowers that will bloom throughout the summer months and create a symphony of colors and scents that will grab the attention of anyone passing by. I used to be very careful about keeping yellow out of my garden but this year I made an exception and I cannot believe what a difference it’s made. We planted some yellow day lilies and they’ve been wonderful mixed with the pink echinacea, the purple bellflowers and the Shasta daisies.
2. Efficient space planning. In a place like Nantucket where space is at a premium, efficient planning is key to creating a stunning front garden. Nantucket Harbor has some of the cutest front yards, some of them literally only several feet in width and length, but even the smallest patches of dirt were cleverly filled with flowers that best framed the architecture of the house and made a welcoming impression. Some great plants to choose from for that enchanting cottage garden feel are echinacea, cosmos, hollyhocks, day lilies, salvia, hosta, clematis, and daisies. And of course, the hardworking annuals: petunias, inpatients, geraniums etc.
3. Structure and focal points. One of the most important aspects of landscape design, in my opinion, is structure and the presence of a focal point. Gardens on Nantucket are not only well-appointed but also very structured – picket fences and garden gates (painted white or left to age in their natural finish) are great ways to delineate and define an outdoor space, while arbors (usually covered in roses or clematis), trellises, benches and well-chosen patio furniture create pockets of coziness and interesting detail in a garden where the body can rest while the eyes take in the beauty of the landscape.
4. Window boxes. I have never seen one I did not like. Adding window boxes is such a simple way to elevate a home’s curb appeal and it they work their magic on cottages with or without a large front yard. There are many different styles to chose from at different price points, but I prefer the simple ones that are nothing more than a white box supported on brackets. I am not above DIY so we may attempt making our own later this year.
5. Colorful front doors and / or shutters. Last but not least, many houses on Cape Cod and Nantucket have the look and feel of a carefree summer home and one of my favorite architectural details were the painted front doors & shutters. While our house still needs a fresh coat of paint, in the future I may consider borrowing a Nantucket blue-gray for our front door and shutters. The mix of aged cedar shingles, white trim and blue doors or shutters is irresistible.
What do you think, ladies and gents? Do you have any other tips/ tricks on ways to make our homes look and feel more like a Nantucket summer getaway? Let us know in the comments below! To visit some enchanting Nantucket cottages, make sure to check out the following Café Design stories:
A Nantucket Cottage by Kevin Isbell
Exploring the Portfolio of Nantucket House Antiques
A Colorful Nantucket Cottage by Gary McBournie
Beautiful post! Thirty five years ago I visited Nantucket and will always remember the gardens and window boxes.xo
A trip down a memory lane as I made my first trip to Nantucket three years and was smitten! Good luck as you add Nantucket touches to your garden. Thanks for the post.
Hydrangeas! Everywhere you look, there are gorgeous hydrangeas blooming. And even homes with very little or no front yard to speak of have hydrangeas in pots, which always looks so charming. And a sweet nautical touch in the way of onion lights and/or door knockers? No detail seems too small to pay attention to.
Love all your observations, Eva — you definitely captured the charm of that enchanting island.
Went on a girl’s trip to Nantucket. It is an incredible place and as your pictures show the gardens are beautiful. We were there when the Hydrangeas were at their peak and my bloom envy was over the top. I have planted lots of varieties around our house here in N. C but just not the same.
Nantucket is so charming and magical at the same time. A couple more focal points, to capture the “look of Nantucket gardens,” is to have crushed shell walkways and a collection of few vintage iron flower stands throughout the garden, filled with clay pots of annuals or shrubs that can planted in the ground in the fall. Two plants that may also complement cottage gardens are Baby’s Breathe and Love-Lies-Bleeding, which has long beautiful pink tassels when in bloom.
Eva, thank you for another beautiful post. Jane xo