Wild: The Naturalistic Garden

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Most of the plants are perennials or ornamental grasses. It’s a look that’s been made famous by the High Line in New York and the Olympic Park in London. Kelly Norris is an author, garden communicator, and advocate for biodiversity in the modern landscape. (photo: Courtesy of Kelly Norris) Image credit: Michelle Brandon Garden Design) What plants should you include in naturalistic planting?

WILD: The Naturalistic Garden by Phaidon - The Luxury Editor WILD: The Naturalistic Garden by Phaidon - The Luxury Editor

The seeds in spent flower heads are food for birds all winter, and beneficial insects, including pollinators, overwinter in hollow stems and plant debris, such as fallen leaves. So I caught up with him in his own garden and in a garden he created for a client. He has some very interesting tips for making the look work in a small or middlesized garden.

Allow me to share some ideas to help guide you on the path less manicured. Inspired by nature. Attuned to ecology. Do try this at home. This book showcases gardens across the globe, that when viewed together form an inspirational picture of ‘wild’, ecologically informed gardening ‘now’. What’s different and special about this compilation is that there is consistency in both vision and voice. Each location has its own unique take on the wild gardening aesthetic, yet the eye of the photographer, Claire Takacs, and insightful description and commentary by writer Noel Kingsbury is consistent. Kelly’s advice is to just keep planting, thoughtfully and intentionally. Your garden may be your art, but it’s art that is alive and part of the world. Many of the flowers are also chosen because they have good seed heads. That make it a very low maintenance look because there’s little or no deadheading. There are a lot of people tinkering with these ideas, each from different points of view. I always enjoy when you celebrate and elevate the work of those beyond just Oudolf.

Wild: The Naturalistic Garden by Noel Kingsbury, Hardcover Wild: The Naturalistic Garden by Noel Kingsbury, Hardcover

Crucially this not only makes the book but also helps the reader draw links and comparisons between the different gardens. Takacs is an artist who can intuitively predict the transitions of sunlight. Yet it is the consistency of her eye that is important. You could have a compilation featuring many different accomplished photographers and writers and it would inevitably be disjointed in voice and view.The current fascination with naturalistic style can be traced in part to the rise of the so-called New Perennial movement in planting design. This movement originated over 30 years ago in the Netherlands as an iconoclastic group of designers, plantsfolk, artists, and philosophers with Piet Oudolf emerging as its leading figure. I think in terms of triplets of plants,’ says Michael. He advises you to think about three main plant shapes when planning naturalistic planting.