My English-Style Naturalistic Planting: A Dry Garden Experiment

What This Approach Is

For a few years now, I've been running one section of my garden as what's often called an English-style naturalistic planting. Instead of neat rows, I let perennial plants compete and blend into each other. The goal isn't a tidy design, it's something closer to an ecosystem.

The Permaculture Connection

This ties directly into permaculture's core idea: put the right plant in the right place, then step back. Once perennials settle in, you're not replanting every year. Their root systems go deep, and that's what keeps them standing even in a dry spell.

What I Do, and What I Don't

Right now I'm not planting anything new in this section. I just let the existing perennials self-seed, spread and dry out on their own. My intervention is minimal, I keep a few overly aggressive spreaders in check and keep the path edges clear. Otherwise I leave it alone.

The Current Dry Phase

What you see in the photo is the late-summer dry phase. Round spiky seed heads, brown stalks, faded yellow daisy flowers. It looks more dried-out and textured than lush and green. But I don't think it's ugly, I see it as the garden's resting state. The dried seed heads feed birds, and the gaps give shelter to insects.

From the Garden

At first, leaving it this alone felt strange to me too, I caught myself wondering if it just looked neglected. Over time I realized this isn't neglect, it's a different kind of care. I don't water it, I don't fertilize it, I barely prune it, and yet this section gets a little richer every year.