This carefree trend is straight out of the English countryside.

Every spring, we aspire to build a bright, vibrant garden better than the one that graced our properties last year. We meticulously plan, carefully prune and edge, and dutifully water our favourite backyard flora, creating beautiful blooms all season long. 

This year, a burgeoning trend has us reconsidering our careful planning: chaos gardening. 

What is chaos gardening?

@esmeralda.athome The results from my chaos flower garden 🥹🌸🌼💐 #cutflowers #cutflowergarden #chaosgarden #suburbangarden #gardening #homestead #homesteading #suburbanhomestead #homesteadinthesuburbs ♬ vibey birds of a feather - Sunset Party

This seemingly unruly trend is actually rooted in sustainable gardening practices. Rather than developing your garden under a heavy hand, chaos gardening—sometimes called “intuitive gardening"—urges us to throw our plans to the wayside and let nature take the lead. 

Turn your entire yard into a chaos garden, or keep it contained to a specific area. This trend is especially great for newbies setting out to create their first garden.

How to chaos garden 

Simply take a handful of seeds, toss them into fresh soil, and voila! Whether you choose a wildflower mix, prefer to stick to a few florals, or want to throw in some vegetables, your new garden will look wild and whimsical. 

Don't forget to think about sunlight before you get started. Part of the fun of this trend is seeing what pops up in your garden, but it's still helpful to consider what parts of your yard will promote the best growth for your new plants.

What are the benefits of chaos gardening?

Chaos gardening is quick and easy. Not only does it eliminate time spent on plotting out specific plant zones, purchasing seeds (or reusing leftover packers) is a cost-effective way to garden.

Even better? Using native species in your chaos garden helps support pollinators and local wildlife by promoting biodiversity. 

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