Of the most inspiring and amazing garden design trends of the past year, welcoming wildlife has to be the most iconic. A highlight by the Financial Times of London of in-vogue design trends noted the joy and design quality that can be promoted through the use of natural landscapes. However, whereas old-style gardens relied on the use of synthetic materials, pesticides, and other chemicals, natural gardens demand the use of natural principles to maintain them.
Keeping out pests
Without pesticides, gardeners must find another way to promote the health of their gardens. The USA has black widows, brown recluses, hornets and fire ants to contend with in the health of their garden. The best way to contend with pests and invasive species is through the encouragement of natural predation in the garden. Inviting ladybugs, lacewings, hedgehogs, frogs, and birds will add true biodiversity and help to keep the ecosystem balanced. Patience is key – it can take over a year for a natural system to be established. As BHG highlights, however, with a profile of an amazing colonial-style carefully designed garden, these measures will reap the rewards.
Balancing water use
American homes waste a huge amount of water. According to the EPA, the total wasted daily comes to more than showering and washing clothes combined. At last year’s Royal Chelsea Flower Show, UK, principles of water conservation were showcased, chiefly leaning on using local plants and water-resilient species such as aloe vera matched with smart – and attractive – landscaping to help preserve the water table. Secondly, being smart with water usage, and carefully planning how much the garden will require, will help to preserve water and produce a natural landscape.
Wider ecosystems
Small biodiverse gardens are of huge benefit to biodiversity goals. However, they cannot achieve full change on their own -especially if adjacent properties continue to perform in a non-eco-friendly manner. One step that gardeners can take is to create havens for creatures from the next property across, and so on. This also gives an opportunity to create new styles and designs in the green area.
Enabling plants to live as they should in the natural world, and building your garden around that principle, can have brilliant results. Natural gardens are all the rage, and their blend of natural decoration and the landscapes that engender that sort of demand combine to stunning effect.
