What is naturalistic gardening?
And how the concept will transform your relationship with the outdoors
Diverse landscapes
Recently in Oregon, enjoying a splendid reunion with longtime friends, I found myself immersed in an old and familiar landscape. I spent many years in Oregon, specifically going to university and working in small scale organic gardening. It was also the birthplace where I came to discover a deep and life-long passion for herbalism, permaculture, bread baking, arts and craft, as well as naturalistic gardening. Farm to table wasn’t a catch phrase or a style, it was simply a way of life. One with long days, dirty shoes, and lots of experimentation in the kitchen.
Meander through the neighborhoods. Deliberately go into places that have been left alone, free of disruption. Go into the woods, the parks, the wild spaces.
While walking in the woods, along the rivers, and out to the ocean I was reminded how being outside and familiarizing myself with the flora of an area is foundational for naturalistic gardening. Naturalistic gardens are what I like to call, gardens that take their inspiration from what easily grows in a specific climate and environment. In a sense it’s a way to recreate the narrative that is growing all around us is a more intimate and managed way. It’s not an exact replica of the surrounding ecosystem but a nod to what grows naturally by cultivating layer upon layer of plants – from trees and shrubs, to perennials and ornamentals, to groundcovers and emergents.
Sometimes going out reminds us to go within
Actively placing yourself in your local ecosystem is one of the most effective ways to deepen your understanding of this concept. Meander through the neighborhoods. Deliberately go into places that have been left alone, free of disruption. Go into the woods, the parks, the wild spaces. It’s an insightful exercise of witnessing nature in her natural glory.
The more I’ve walked the world, the more I realize that, yes, there is a tremendous variety of plants, yet they repeat themselves over and over. Sometimes you’ll see the same plant in completely different locations. They may look a little different but that is expected. The environment in which they grow will have different variables contributing a kind of unique distinction which makes that place special. There’s also a similarity in the pattern of how plants organize themselves. They invented networking.
They’ve both been incredible teachers on how I can translate their creative stories into my own garden story.
At this point I’ve lived in New Mexico far longer than I lived in Oregon, however I always love walking amidst the wet woods and thick grasses of the Northwest. The heavy, wet, clay soils of the area are polar opposites from the lands here. Saturated and dense versus porous and striated. Upon returning I realized how much I miss the weight and moisture underfoot and the canopy above. The depth and diversity of layers beginning with the towering douglas fir, the alder, vine maple, flowering dogwood, the rare pacific yew, down to the evergreen huckleberry, thimbleberry, wild rose, and salal, and even lower still with the false lily of the valley, wild ginger, and moss. It’s a jewel box of wonder.
In comparison, the height of the Southwest woods are slightly more compact. Inherent in their intelligence they know that kneeling down close to the rocky ground will protect them from the sweltering heat and wind. The same layering system also exists. It’s a practical, albeit ancient reaction to protect, commingle, and support a system of ecology – a life web. Sometimes I even feel a little claustrophobic in the Pacific woods having, over time, adapted to the expansive sky and the wide open range.
I don’t like one more than the other. They’ve both been incredible teachers on how I can translate their creative stories into my own garden story. It’s the perfect example of how, even though the differences are glaring, I love them equally for the truth of what they are. It’s also fascinating that given enough time in any location we too can transform.
Garden Design and Planning
Plant by plant, begin creating your own intimate ecosystem, either in a patio, a balcony, or an expansive backyard for you to enjoy. Schedule time to discuss and map your signature naturalistic garden.