The current craze in gardening is called chaos and involves extreme gardening. Various people have different definitions of “chaos gardening,” but they are all influenced by nature’s untamed development and a hint of revolt against the order and neatness of conventional horticulture. All in all, it’s a positive step toward a more organic gardening style—an environmentally conscious method that considers animals and mimics the carefree, natural aesthetic of the countryside, which is produced by plants growing and blending together uncontrolled.
Last year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show included a lot of chaotic gardening, with a focus on exquisite naturalistic planting, blooms that self-seeded, and a more delicate look. On the other hand, vigorous weeds in display gardens were a sight to see and gardeners were urged to become more tolerant of them. Later, more on it.
As a horticultural reaction to environmentally conscious advancements in forestry and agriculture, the chaos movement has arisen. For example, the remarkable rewilding at Knepp in West Sussex and Suzanne Simard’s fascinating studies on tree networks demonstrate that plants thrive best when left to their own devices and that plants maintained in isolation are more vulnerable to disease and pests. This is already evident in a few well-known contemporary gardening techniques, such planting delicacies alongside companion plants and pairing roses with perennials. Gardeners are now being challenged to apply chaos gardening, a more advanced version of nature’s lesson. How you approach it will determine whether the ultimate product is a crazy hotchpotch jumble that requires a lot of effort, or a beautiful potpourri of surprises that saves time and draws in animals.
In summary, RHS gold medal winning gardener Cleve West says, “Chaos gardening isn’t a term I’m familiar with but I suppose it helps anyone looking for a snappy title to describe a more relaxed approach to the way we plant and tend our backyards.” This trendy term, which is currently trending on TikTok, actually means gardening in an informal way, ignoring planting schemes, and having no overall plan for our plots. It’s funny how we see the way nature goes about her business as chaotic, but our unique combinations of plants are considered normal. Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?
Chaos gardening does appear paradoxical when stated the way Cleve does. Nonetheless, it’s a younger generation-led movement that aims to break free from the conventional gardening’s stiffness and present it as something lively. Despite some personal reservations about the outcome, Cleve says, “I was heartened to be among a few designers experimenting with this more relaxed approach at Chelsea this year and I have to say that it was completely liberating and has inspired me to be more thoughtful with my interventions.” This is not to say that the greatest designers aren’t on board.
This year’s Chelsea Flower Show garden by Cleve was created to illustrate what happens when nature takes over an abandoned space—in this example, the footprint of a dilapidated Victorian home. Grasses and plants that we consider weeds have taken over piles of debris, but Cleve is pushing us to look beyond these stereotypes and see the beauty in this natural area where wildlife abounds.
He continues, “I was encouraged by the reaction from younger gardeners probably because they are more tuned in to the ongoing environmental crisis and better placed to understand the challenges we’re facing from a biodiversity point of view…after all they are the ones who stand to reap the shite-storm that will come their way if world leaders do not get their act together. Needless to say, the Centrepoint Garden ruffled a few feathers in the traditional camp and from some unexpected quarters (and I was cross that some of this detracted from the charity’s important message about youth homelessness in the UK).”
How to make a garden in chaos
The term “chaotic gardening” has several meanings. You may, of course, establish your own regulations, but consider the following:
Imitate nature
Look for methods to imitate nature’s expansive, flowing informality. This could be creating a miniature woodland garden with lots of greenery (like the wood melick grass and silver birch trees seen at Chelsea) or choosing a softer meadow look in sun by letting things self-sow, avoiding harsh lines and regimented planting, and using a mixture of natural-looking wildflowers and plants.
Blend and distribute
Putting all of your unused seed packets in a bowl (preferably with sand to facilitate planting) and then distributing them over the soil is one very particular definition of chaos gardening. Chaos theorists advocate for a mixed planting of ornamentals and veggies, however this is most effective with visually appealing foods (such as crimson kale, rainbow chard, and nasturtiums). You don’t have to use the remaining seeds; buying a variety is a terrific approach to find out what grows well in your soil. To lessen your influence on the environment, nursery owner and designer Tom Nielsen suggests planting a variety of plants and seeing what grows without assistance (in the form of watering and feeding).
Appreciate deterioration
Maximize the use of any existing structures or walls in your garden. Another major component of the chaotic movement is letting plants take over a ruin, as seen by the Chelsea garden designed by Cleve West and the newly restored Delos garden at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent by designer Dan Pearson. The charming scene of flowers self-seeding in and around stone is the beating heart of the ancient garden, which was originally inspired by the way wildflowers had taken root in the remains of the Greek island of Delos.
Be aware of the site.
Though we applaud unkemptness, it’s important to take a minute to be dull and think about your garden’s exposure to sunshine, rainfall, and soil conditions. For example, most poppies are sun-loving plants that need drainage, so it makes little sense to scatter poppy seeds over damp, gloomy borders. Dan has created a fantastic drought-tolerant planting plan at Delos that includes a lot of Mediterranean species and is surrounded by thick gravel mulch that keeps weeds out. Tom Nielsen’s garden in Somerset has a derelict home surrounded by a sea of poor soil, so he used drought-tolerant plants (such Eryngium pandanifolium and Althaea cannabina) to create an amazing realistic landscape. When implemented correctly, chaos gardening aims to save resources by using species that would naturally flourish without assistance.
Employ plants that self-seed.
Plants that self-sow relieve you of part of the labor and provide interesting plant combinations. Frequently, they resemble wildflowers or are wildflowers themselves. Huge spaces were left in the Delos garden so that self-seeders, such as field poppy, nigella, clary, annual grasses, and white laceflower, may colonize and produce a carefree, organic aesthetic. These self-sowers will take root in the clefts left by the stone and gravel since they like light and drainage.
Modify
See where the seeds sprout up. To prevent them from taking over, choose what to retain and then get rid of the surplus. For simple removal, it’s advisable to harvest certain plants while they’re young, like fennel. This kind of editing, which has been done for years at Great Dixter’s mixed borders in East Sussex, will take place at the Delos garden. The Dixter gardeners harvest an abundance of their own self-sowers, such as red orach, poppies, evening primrose, and teasels, which are particularly popular among goldfinches. Only a few number of the hundreds of seedlings that often emerge are kept since the orach is so large.
Is wildlife better off with chaotic gardening?
Yes, if it mimics nature by giving birds additional shelter plants. Yes, if the skeleton seedheads are retained throughout the winter to enable insects to hibernate. It is untrue, nevertheless, to state that weeds and wildflowers provide pollinators with superior nutrition, since many common garden plants also serve as excellent nectar sources. For example, bee expert Dave Goulson’s plant ratings system gives four stars for insect attractiveness to Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’, while dandelions get three stars and ox-eye daisies receive two stars. Many of the native wildflowers he suggests, like marjoram (Origanum vulgare) and viper’s bugloss, are not invasive, so welcome them (and the bees and butterflies they entice) with open arms. Other stellar border favorites, like lavender, eryngium, nepeta, allium, and cardoon, also score very highly with bees.
How to choose plants for a chaotic garden
In the contemporary garden, polite weeds have their place. Field poppies, for example, may be let to self-seed, sending a flash of red across borders, and ivy can be clipped often to keep it under control as wildlife-friendly ground or wall cover (unless it’s close to your roof tiles). The attractive and beneficial viper’s bugloss and foxgloves were two more well-behaved weeds at Chelsea.
Naturalistic plants have a rustic appearance that gives them a beautifully untamed, modern vibe. Bees love them, which include white borage, Angelica archangelica, and Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’. Instead of double or triple blooming cherry blossoms, go for the more untamed versions of popular garden plants: Geranium pyrenaicum f. albiflorum, which grows well among roses, instead of the traditional border cranesbill; and rattlesnake master instead of Miss Willmott’s ghost. Additionally, choose plants that resemble weeds but won’t take over. For example, grow petite roses with single flowers (like Kew Gardens) to mimic the nectar-rich solitary blooms of dog roses and brambles.
For the disorganized gardener, self-seeding plants—also referred to as volunteers in the US—are the greatest buddies. Here are a few noteworthy ones:
Self-sowing for influence
The airy, purple Verbena bonariensis, the enormous golden spires of Verbascum olympicum, and the silvery thistle Onopordum acanthium can all help you achieve spectacular height. And sprinkle hot-pink Lychnis coronaria, glossy-orange Eschscholzia californica, and the jewel-like reds and purples of opium poppies around the garden to add color.
Self-sows for an eerie appearance
Introduce billowing grasses (like Stipa tenuissima and Briza maxima), nectar-loving plants (Dave Goulson suggests Phacelia tanacetifolia) to entice insects, beautiful weeds (like cornflowers) that won’t go to waste, and allow paving and wall cracks to become colonized (like Erigeron karvinskianus does).
Self-sowing umbrellas
Many plants, such as the witchy wands of foxgloves, the lemon crêpe-paper blooms of Meconopsis cambrica, and the cottage-garden bonnets of Aquilegia vulgaris and Campanula persicifolia, will self-sow in semi-shade or shadow.
Which plants in a chaotic garden should be avoided
One definition of chaos gardening is the use of mostly wild or native plants, including weeds. Upon witnessing some of the voracious weeds advised at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, many gardeners would have shuddered in horror: brambles, dandelions, creeping buttercup, ox-eye daisies, nettles, and – cue the screaming – ground elder. Ground elder grows in hell, I’m sure of that, perhaps next to bindweed.
It’s better to avoid entertaining (or inviting) these criminals in flowerbeds unless you want to spend the rest of your life weeding. Some may be beneficial to animals in designated informal parts of a big garden, but in the ordinary border, they grow quickly, often suffocating or threading through the roots of other plants, even perennials, to the point of impeding or even killing them, or just making a lot of work for themselves.
Dandelions are supposed to be grown on lawns to produce nectar, but they quickly spread into borders and are difficult to get rid of, so why not let clover grow in the grass instead? Mown into wavy white streams, it looks nice, can withstand drought, and is preferred by pollinators over unkempt dandelions. The claim is that while pulmonaria is a more garden-friendly option for borders and has a greater nectar content, dandelions open sooner than clover and provide springtime nectar. It’s preferable to keep nettles’ untamed roots contained in a container if you wish to plant them for their admirable benefit to butterflies. Although brambles are also excellent for animals, you may not want to court them since they are such bullies and their nectar is just as sweet as many well-behaved jewels (like lavender).
Echoing nature while steering clear of the most stubborn weeds that will need endless labor is the rational, sane conclusion to chaos gardening. Put another way, choosing orderly chaos over the trend of having your garden appear like a roadside verge can benefit animals and provide a stunning, modern, natural aesthetic.
