Naturalistic Gardening

Using Native Plants & Eco-Friendly Methods to Create a Sustainable Landscape/Garden that Pleases You & Critters Too!

Take a moment and think about being in your garden or backyard last summer. Did you see as many butterflies as in years past? As many types of birds? Did unseasonably hot temperatures wither and scald your plants? Did torrential rains hammer your flowers, pool over roots, or bounce off the soil causing dry conditions a day or two later?

As gardeners, we are most likely to answer yes to all of these questions, acknowledging our awareness and acceptance of the increasing effects of climate change and the loss of biodiversity. Our personal experience in our own gardens has shown us that weather is not the same as it once was and, every year, we are seeing fewer critters. Dismal, yes, but can we, as individual gardeners, make a difference?

Ecologist and horticulturalist Doug Tallamy and other researchers tell us the answer is yes – that what we plant can increase biodiversity, that how we plant can nurture ecosystems and reestablish green corridors for migrating butterflies and birds, and that how we maintain and nurture our planted spaces can help to heal our earth. Gardeners, Tallamy encourages, can become climate change warriors!

The contemporary trend towards naturalistic gardening and landscape design addresses these concerns with a new approach. Gardening in a more natural way is all about taking a whole-system focus and caring for our plantings in as ecologically-sound and sustainable ways as possible.

Using more native plants is only one facet to this new way of doing things. Naturalistic gardening challenges traditional methods of designing, planting, maintaining and managing our planted spaces. Natural garden designs can be both formal and informal, making this new approach accessible to all types of gardens and landscapes. And all gardeners, whether beginners or very experienced can incorporate this new approach into their landscapes and answer Tallamy’s call to be part of the climate/biodiversity solution.  

This six-part series will provide a general description of naturalistic design and gardening, including:

  A Whole-System Approach: Move beyond traditional gardening to create ecologically sound and sustainable landscapes.

  Native Plant Mastery: Discover the best sun and shade natives to reestablish green corridors for birds and butterflies.

  Design for Any Style: Techniques for incorporating naturalistic planting into both formal and informal garden designs.

  Vertical Layering: Learn how to design and plant in layers to maximize biodiversity and garden health.

  Climate Resilience: New practical methods for maintenance and management that help your garden thrive despite unpredictable weather.

  Year-Round Beauty: Expert tips on planning for seasonality so your natural garden remains functional and striking in every phase.