Gathering Landscape Ideas for a Natural Garden: Gardening

Helping You Become a More Successful Gardener

Creating a garden plan requires more than artistic skill – it relies on your observation and a creative spirit. You’ve probably already set some goals regarding how you want your natural garden to look, as well as how you’d like to use it. And after you’ve mulled over your possibilities, it’s time to get some ideas down on paper so your gardening dreams can become a reality.

Knowing how you want to use your new garden space – like this children’s playhouse set in a woodland – will help you plan it.

Don’t forget to include areas to rest, mingle and entertain. Use paths and patios to entice visitors to explore nature.

Remember to keep plants and garden features to scale with each other in your garden.

Plan boundaries where none exist. Incorporating changes in level and elevation help complete the illusion. Here, a fieldstone wall has just been completed that will hold a plating bed.

You can use “natural” walls to hide unnatural areas. Here, a massive stone wall in the Pacific Northwest is planted with glorious fiery azalea and feathery ferns. It hides a utility area beyond.

Visit supply outlets and garden centers to determine the availability of raw materials for your garden. Bring home samples to see what looks best in your space.

One of the key factors of any successful natural garden is that it blends effortlessly into its environment. Soften edges between various landscape areas, between your house and your garden, and between your landscape and its surroundings with the native plants you have in mind. Establish boundaries and levels, as well as use plant color, form, textures and natural materials, to enhance the function and beauty of your entire space

If you haven’t done so yet, finalize your garden theme. This helps determine your garden’s overall ambiance, and it’ll certainly influence your choice of plants, structural features, finishing materials and garden accessories. A garden theme is influenced by geographic region, specific location, home style and favorite plants.

Challenges

With a good site analysis under your belt, you should already be aware of any particular challenges your site presents. What’s left is figuring out how to tackle these challenges, as well as how to incorporate any existing features into your new natural garden.

If you’re working with an existing landscape, installing a natural garden may require you to remove older elements, like overgrown plantings, paths, decks and overtaxed irrigation systems. Because it’s often best to save an established tree or usable patio, you may want to consider ways to include existing features into your new style and theme. Think of ways to design around existing features. Lawns can be removed, made smaller or transformed into a meadow, while paths and masonry can be resurfaced or trees can be become the centerpiece of a shade garden.

Another challenge to deal with is the weather. Always design within the limitations of your climate in mind. This means spending some serious time in your yard, tracking the sun and wind at different times throughout the day and during different seasons. Using that information, establish ideal locations for various functions of your garden. A sheltered area free from wind, for example, is perfect for growing delicate plants, lounging and entertaining.

Scale

While you’re mulling all these ideas over and getting them down on paper, remember to keep your plan in scale with your home. Scale – the size of objects and space in relation to one another and to the landscape as a whole – influences both the dimension of your garden and its appearance relative to your site and home. Recognizing the scale of your garden means you’ll keep every element – features, hardscapes, plants and trees – in proportion to one another.

There’s actually an easy and inexpensive way to visualize the correct scale for all your garden elements: Take pictures of your site and make enlarged photocopies, then draw new planting areas and structural features to scale right on the enlargement. Mark space for individual plants, using their mature height and general form. Experiment with various sizes until you find a good balance among the different elements. (Of course, today’s landscape design programs make this job easy to do on the computer, too.)

Once you’ve got a good idea of what design elements you want where and about how large you’d like any structures or hardscape elements (like pathways or walls), head out to your yard and experiment. Lay down markers, string or hose to represent garden beds, and try using cardboard boxes for stepping-stones and other elements. Get a rough feel for them in the space.

Stand back and see if there’s anything missing. One thing that’s easily overlooked is boundaries to define your garden edges. Boundaries divide and define space, create privacy, delineate use and help create rhythm. They include paths, fences, walls, terraces, the outline of planting areas, and such structures as patios and decks. In a natural garden, these boundaries are often curved, rounded or uneven in design – and the edges are often softened by plantings. Examine your proposed boundaries and see if they’re what you want or if you’d like to modify them somehow before making your final decision.

Don’t forget fencing – an important yard accessory in many communities. Fencing and wall styles vary by region and community. Choose materials to match your garden theme and set the tone for your garden. Walls and fences are perfect backdrops for specimen plants or supports for vines. Once grown in, an informal hedge can make a wonderful living fence.

Paths, patios, terraces, fences and walls offer you a wonderful opportunity to add local materials to your garden. Think about the color, texture, durability and availability of all materials. Strive for harmony with the region, your home and your garden theme, and follow the easy steps shown in the pictures and described in their captions.

Once you’ve got your hardscape elements established, take a look at the overall scope of your project. This includes all aspects: planning, site preparation, lighting and irrigation installation, plant and material selection, building, planting, and ongoing care. While large garden projects can easily be done in phases, make an honest assessment of your ability and enthusiasm to take in on by yourself or whether you may want to consider hiring some help for parts (or all) of it – especially if you’re under pressure to complete it within a specific timeframe.

Facts

Before you can begin planting, you’ll need to design and install your framework of terraces, paths, utilities and planting beds. And don’t forget to consider the mature size of your plants!
Low-voltage lighting isn’t just for highlighting garden focal points at night. It’s also a safety issue. Lighting beautifully illuminates a landscape as evening falls, making it easy for you to get up and down garden steps and safely take sharp path turns – all the while showing you if there’s anything in your way.

Tips

Hillside sites and steep slopes are great showcases for natural garden plantings. To turn them into usable spaces, terrace them or use retaining walls. Use regionally appropriate materials like fieldstone to create natural-looking terraces. Wood, though more prone to decay than stone, is practical for some retaining walls and blends well with cottage, woodland and coastal garden themes. Another option is to build a wall of concrete blocks and cover it with facing stones for a natural look. Soften the edges of your terraces and walls with cascades of low-growing, horizontal and trailing plants.
Think about the purpose and function of your garden as time passes. As your family grows, its needs will change. A children’s play area today may be a fine location for a more contemplative patio area or water garden in a few years, so keep your options open.

Faqs

Q: How do I attract wildlife to my garden?
A: Natural plantings naturally bring in wildlife, but you can bring in more by setting out some good stuff. For example, attract birds to by providing year-round food sources with plants that yield nectar, fruit and seeds. Add feeders to supplement their diet. Maintain various feeding stations for different kinds of birds. Remember to also provide a water source, a powerful attractant to all types of birds.
Q: I’ve got big plans for my natural garden that go a bit beyond my own capabilities. Should I scale them back?
A: It’s important to honestly appraise your time, interest and physical abilities to install and maintain your garden. If your project is large or strains your confidence, consider seeking a landscape architect, designer, installation contractor or maintenance professional to help you rather than scaling back your plans (unless cost is an issue). You can also install your project in phases if that helps. Just be sure to choose a company that’s knowledgeable about the natural garden concept.

Next Steps

From Coastal Gardens to the Deserts & Tropics (a Natural Geography Lesson)
The first step in creating a natural garden is to let Mother Nature be your guide. Is your home seaside? Think coastal garden. Live in an arid region? Look to the desert. And if your weather’s hot and steamy, embrace that tropical garden paradise. Learn how…
How Does Your Natural Garden Grow?
As natural areas continue to disappear through urbanization, an increasing number of gardeners are inviting nature into their yards. This movement – called “natural gardening” – has three approaches. Learn what they are, then decide which are right for you – and your landscape.

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