How to Create a Natural Garden
When planting bulbs or plants in the garden, follow two basic principles: the first is to plan where everything will be organized. Follow a grid or perhaps use visual cues from the architecture of your home and yard. The second is to “naturalize” your yard, to make it appear as if everything happened naturally, blown in by the wind, bees and birds, rather than intentionally.
Add plants in large groups
When you encounter plants in nature, you will rarely see just one species. Rather, you will see groups of the same trees, shrubs or plants. The same should be true for your yard. Instead of adding focal plants if you only have one or a random selection of plants, focus on a few types of plants and purchase them in bulk. Even in a small yard, you should have two to four of the same species, and they don’t have to be the same age or size. If possible, don’t add just one thing.
Choose from different sizes, heights and textures.
While walking through the woods may seem like everything is at about the same height (a bunch of tall trees), what’s actually happening is called retelling. Trees are not all the same height. As they compete for sunlight, some are crowded out, while others may outgrow the competition. There is also an understory consisting of shrubs and plants growing at lower elevations, as well as ground cover plants close to the ground. Each “layer” plays an important role in the ecosystem, filtering sunlight for the plants below and providing shade, anchoring the soil to prevent erosion and protecting the roots of larger trees while providing shelter for wildlife that helps maintain the system.
Your garden should have the same variety. When choosing plants, make sure you vary the height and shape of the plants rather than focusing the yard on a few focal points.
Random distance is critical for naturalization.
One of the most difficult aspects of naturalizing is resisting the urge to plan where to place your plants. You should adjust to sunlight or shade and try to give each plant enough space to grow. But spacing each plant evenly apart or creating a grid will look planned.
A good example of how to plant is this method for bulbs. When you buy bulbs, throw them on the ground. Bulbs will naturally be arranged randomly, and if you plant each bulb where it falls, you will maintain that randomness. Over time, the bulbs will fill the space; in some cases, some bulbs will not be able to come back. Since the pattern is random, it won’t look weird or be immediately noticeable. You can use the same method with larger plants by taking several tennis balls and throwing them together on the ground. Plant the plant where tennis balls land.
Layer over time
The great thing about naturalizing is that over time, your yard will tell you what it needs. Plants will compete with each other for sunlight; some will become stronger and some will become weaker. You can move plants that need extra space to grow, as well as divide plants that are doing well and help populate another area of the yard.
Don’t let naturalization stop you from continuing to layer new colors and textures over time. You should continue to check the garden each season, looking at it from different angles to see which areas need help. When you are going to expand this area, do it with some randomness, in multiples, and try to integrate these plants into the larger area of the yard as well.