Embrace The Wild! The Ultimate Guide To Chaos Gardening
If you’re not new to gardening, then you know that nothing is foolproof. Sometimes no matter how carefully you sow the seeds, how regularly you water, and how well you weed, plants simply don’t grow to your expectations. That’s just how nature is, so don’t be too tough on yourself. No matter how experienced of a gardener you are, gardening is always a mix of ups and downs. That’s why it’s not surprising that chaos gardening is gaining all this popularity. This trend is all about letting go and letting nature take the reins. So, if you’re interested in having a colorful garden without doing too much work, this method is for you.
This trend is all about letting go and letting nature take the reins
In this article
What Is Chaos Gardening?
Chaos gardening is this year’s big garden trend. This method of gardening is all about purposeful disorganization. Usually you would take all your seeds and make space for each of them. Making sure you plant certain crops together, while leaving space for others, and so on. However, this new trend is all about forgetting these rules and letting “chaos” take over. It’s a great way to use leftover seeds and create something beautiful and unexpected. It’s a low-stakes experiment, in a nutshell. Some seeds may not germinate, while others may thrive. You never know until you try it.
This method of gardening is all about purposeful disorganization
The Benefits and Setbacks
Like with everything, this trend also has its pros and cons. It’s a super fun concept and it’s quite simple to do, but you also need to take some other things into consideration before you start scattering those seeds. We will share with you both the good and the bad, so you know what you are getting yourself into before you start this fun experiment.
It’s a super fun concept and it’s quite simple to do
#Benefits
- It’s low maintenance. Sowing seeds, nurturing them, transferring them, and so on can be really time-consuming. With this type of gardening you skip all of this. Plus, once plants are more established they become more self-sustaining.
- You create amazing biodiversity. This type of gardening encourages the growth of a variety of plant species, which helps provide habitat for wildlife, like pollinators and beneficial insects.
- It is aesthetically pleasing. The untamed, natural, and colorful appearance of chaos gardens is extremely aesthetically pleasing. Not only that but it creates a unique and beautiful landscape in your own backyard.
This type of gardening encourages the growth of a variety of plant species
#Setbacks
- Lack of control. You will have to let the chaos take hold. With this gardening method you don’t have so much control how things will turn up looking or which flowers there will be more of, etc.
- Seed waste. Not all seeds you are planting will be comfortable in the environment they are put, so you need to keep in mind that some seeds will go to waste. To avoid this as much as possible choose seeds that are compatible with your natural environment.
- Care is a bit tricky. Since there will be a mix of different plants watering and fertilizing may be a bit tricky. You will need to pay attention to how plants react and change your routines and methods accordingly.
- You will need space. Chaos gardening isn’t really suited for small spaces as plants will get crowded and will suffer due to it.
Since there will be a mix of different plants watering and fertilizing may be a bit tricky
How To Plant a Chaos Garden
Okay, now we know the good, the bad, and the ugly of chaos gardening. So, it’s time to finally get our hands dirty. This trend is all about letting go and letting nature take the lead. Trust the process and let go of unrealistic expectations. Do this as a fun experiment and enjoy the process!
Trust the process and let go of unrealistic expectations
#Gather your seeds
The first thing you need to do is gather any half-used seed packets you have lying around. If you don’t have any go to the store and pick freely. Anything you find appealing will do – perennials, annuals, veggies, fruits, herbs. Then mix everything together.
Pick your seeds
#Choose the planting spot
Next, you need to find the perfect planting spot. Most flowers and veggies will need full sun conditions, which means at least six hours a day of pure direct sunshine. Well, it depends on what plants you have chosen. If you have gotten only shade-loving plants, then a shady spot it is! If you don’t have any space in the garden you can also use containers. But if you do use containers, you won’t be able to grow as many plants.
Most flowers and veggies will need full sun conditions
#Spinkle time
Once you have the perfect spot, it’s time to sow! Either prepare the soil by turning it over with a shovel or take a rake and scratch up the top few inches. Then, simply sprinkle your seed mix over the spot.
Either prepare the soil by turning it over with a shovel or take a rake and scratch up the top few inches
#Some maintenance
Well, nothing can grow without a bit of maintenance. Make sure you are watering your seeds after planting them. Get rid of any weeds that appear. Move seedlings if they are growing too close to one another, and so on. Keep an eye out until the plants start to establish. Then there will be much less maintenance to be done.
Make sure you are watering your seeds after planting them
#Wait and enjoy
Finally, simply wait and see what happens! It’s always interesting to see which plants will come through and what mix will be created. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the little chaos garden you and Mother Nature created together.
It’s always interesting to see which plants will come through and what mix will be created
This was everything you need to know about chaos gardening. We hope you found this article useful. Now you can create the chaotic garden of your dreams with minimal efforts.
This was everything you need to know about chaos gardening
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