Perfectly imperfect, wild gardens are all about working with nature instead of against it to achieve a lush, overgrown aesthetic.
A trend reminiscent of leisurely drives through the countryside, passing slender tufts of grass, scattered flowers and beautiful wildlife, a wild garden is everything your Pinterest dreams are made of.
How to grow a flourishing wild garden:
Welcome wildlife
Big or small, gardens can serve as a sanctuary that welcomes creatures of all kinds.
Butterflies, birds, bees and small mammals can make your garden their home if you make it a place they’ll want to inhabit.
Planting insect-friendly flowers like lavender will attract pollinators.
Bee hotels are nesting tubes serving a resting spot where busy solitary bees can bring pollen and nectar to their young, the little hotels are a wonderful way to show thanks to these amazing creatures.
If you’d like to see more birds stopping by, bird boxes, bird seed and water baths will do the trick.
Diversity
A wildlife garden can also be achieved on a greater scale but will require more planning and continuous effort.
The garden should have a diverse range of plant types to act as different habitats.
Experts recommend a balanced mix between ground cover (like lily of the valley and creeping lavender), shrub (hydrangea, marigolds and purple smoke bushes), understory (ferns and smaller trees), and canopy (tall trees, creeping vines and air plants like orchids).
Unpolished
Perfectly manicured lawns, trimmed hedges and flower beds thoughtfully planted look beautiful, but are far too polished for a wild garden. The more overgrown, the better.
This will appeal to the wildlife you're hoping to attract (wildlife loves unruly lawns, out of control vines and full, leafy branches).
However, that is not to say that your garden will not need occasional maintenance.
You'll still need to pick up fallen leaves, pull out weeds, water your flower beds and do the odd snip of dead leaves and rotting branches.
Doing so will give the impression of a wild garden, but it will still look pleasantly dense and thriving.
Viewing point
After all the effort put into turning your garden into an overgrown haven for all creatures, you’re going to want a place to soak up the bliss.
Choose furniture that will seamlessly blend into the surroundings, opting for natural materials like wood or wicker instead of plastic.
Slender French countryside garden furniture sets perfectly fit the moods of a wild garden. It’ll soon become your favourite place to hang out from birdwatching to outdoor lunches and picnics.
– IOL
