We can all agree that a garden that’s easy to care for is the best kind of outdoor space. You don’t have to put much time or effort into keeping it green all year round, and as long as you’ve got time to prune back the branches and get rid of dropped leaves, you’ll create a lovely and incredible environment boosting vista.
But people often equate this simple look with a boring, timid landscape that doesn’t encourage many critters. A neat garden suggests that very thing: there’s no chance for nature to be itself!
We’re here to challenge that perception and show you just how easy it can be to make your garden wild like a jungle but still neat and easy to maintain. The two can go hand in hand! All it takes is a bit of clever landscaping and some patience to watch the fruits of your labors flower and grow.
Designate Sitting Space
When creating a wild yet neat garden, the first thing to do is designate some sitting space. You want to be clear from day one where you can spend your time and relax while the sun shines. You can then focus on the landscape around it, which will make it much easier to know where your wilderness garden can grow and where it should be contained.
By starting with the sitting space, you also make sure you have enough room to fit all of your patio furniture. Table and chairs, recliners, a permanent BBQ, and if you want to string a hammock, this will also make it a lot easier to find both points to hang it from – that’s not something you want to fight the branches for later on!
Use Trellises to Control Climbing Plant Growth
Climbing plants add a lot to an outdoor space. They can decorate fence panels, sheds, summerhouses, and even the red brick or vinyl siding of your own home. It’s a great, dynamic look to aim for that immediately conjures up an image of the jungle. And even better than that, if the climbing species is of an evergreen variety, your space is never going to look boring again.
However, if you need to be sure where the plants are going to grow, use trellises to keep them where you want them. Get them wrapped around a trellis then move the trellis where you want the coverage – simple! You achieve that wild look you’ve always been after without having to sacrifice any space you’re unwilling to give.
Keep Lawn Edges Neat
Most gardens have a lawn, and if you want to have a usable garden that’s great for spending time in, you’ll have your own lawn pride of place as well. You don’t need to landscape it out in order to get a properly wild looking outdoor space!
And while it’s perfectly fine to have plenty of wildflowers and overgrown bushes and a rock garden around it, keep this bit of greenery neat. Most of all, pay special attention to the edges.
Buy yourself an eco-friendly lawn mower that you can use once a month and go round the edges, to keep this wastage to a minimum without disrupting too much. Keep them in place with this bit of regular maintenance and your garden will get the best of both worlds; with the right tools, you won’t have to worry about the fumes you’re putting out either.
Build Plenty of Wildlife Homes
A wild garden is nothing without plenty of wildlife species in it. That’s why you should build plenty of habitats for the critters that find their way in and out of your garden. From bees to toads to badgers and birds, if you create a safe garden with their needs in mind, they’ll all spend time there.
And most of these species will have no problem living in the same area, even if they’re part of each other’s food chain. As long as there’s space for them to rest when they’re tired, access to water, and plenty of pollen (and insects) to feast on, they’ll come to call your garden home. Once you’ve set up these spaces, it’ll be years before they break down again!
Remember, the moment you spot a familiar bird on the bath or see bees swarming the hotel, you’ll feel all the more satisfied about the work you’ve put in.
Sprinkle Wildflower Seeds Around
We mentioned doing your research into what you should plant to bring in more wildlife, but wildflower seeds are great for creatures of all kinds. They also look lovely when they’re all growing together, and seeing as most wildflower seed packets are purposely unlabeled, you never know what you’re going to get.
What could be wilder than that? What could bring a more wild look and feel to your garden than throwing these seeds around and waiting for them to sprout? All kinds of colors and petal types could come up, and seeing as plenty of pollinators will crowd in to enjoy the new source of nectar, all of your work will be done in one go. Now that’s what we call neat and easy!
Bring Planting Off the Ground
And now on to our final idea! Make sure you plant off the ground from time to time. Raised beds give you a lot of room to experiment with your plants, but combine those trellises we talked about earlier with some hanging baskets and window boxes (if you don’t have any already). When you do, your garden will have plants below, at, and above eye level, and that makes for a wonderfully wild look that lasts.
Are you looking to make your garden a bit more wild next year? It’ll look great and have an amazing impact on your local area as well. So, plan out where you want everything, use tools that won’t hurt the wildlife, grow wildflowers in their droves, and hang up a few planter baskets for a beautiful leveled look.
