Characteristic of the cottage-garden is the superabundant presence of flowers. Every little piece of soil will be used. There is no obvious structure, except that there have to be lots of flowers throughout the season. Natural materials are used to create a cosy ambiance. Wooden fences and gates, pergolas, wooden water-butts, italian pottery, winding garden-walks made of flagstones or handmade bricks.
Hundreds of flowering plants will dominate the growing season. Native species are frequently used, as well as hardy annuals and perannuals like satin-flower, foxglove, lupin, violet and pansy and everything appreciated. Somewhere in the garden there will always be an area for vegetables, where all kinds of herbs, flowers and vegetables are growing together in harmony.
Even a pond would fit in. The 'frame' of the garden is given shape by  hedges, which ought to be cut rounded, and roses, lots and lots of roses. Shrub-roses, climbing roses, wild roses and everything in between.
The cottage-garden mainly is a superabundant garden,  an "organized chaos". Trying to achieve this, there has to be done much more work than people would think. In consequence the cottage-garden is quite a laboreous garden.  But for people who like gardening, that wouldn't be a problem at all.