Gardening Outside the Lines: The Chaos Method

Do you value creative expression and spontaneity more than consistent tidiness and order? Do you love surprises or have a bit of a rebellious side?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then chaos gardening may be for you. This casual, unfussy approach to gardening — which calls for scattering seeds over soil and seeing what happens — can also be a good fit for beginners who feel intimidated about mastering gardening processes. It’s a nice choice for people with limited energy or physical limitations, too, because it puts the pleasure of growing things and spending time outdoors within their reach.

Disorder can be a good thing

Chaos gardening has been surging in popularity. TikToks on this topic have been attracting millions of views, and last year, even the distinguished Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show included chaos gardens among its displays.

It could be that the timing is right. Chaos gardening, with its more hands-off, natural approach, aligns with the growing trend toward simplicity and minimalism in lifestyles.

It’s also possible that as people give chaos gardening a try, they’re finding it has even more perks than they imagined. For one thing, it can make your life as a gardener easier. Chaos gardens tend to require less weeding, watering, and general maintenance compared to traditional gardens. And the dense planting helps suppress weeds and retain moisture in the soil.

This approach contributes to healthy gardens, too. The root systems of the many plants you grow can improve soil structure and fertility by increasing organic matter and promoting beneficial microbial activity, which reduces the need for artificial fertilizers. Chaos gardening even acts as a form of natural pest control if you include seeds of plants that naturally deter pests.

On a broader scale, the diverse mix of plants in a chaos garden attracts pollinators and beneficial insects, which is good for the garden and the overall ecosystem.

Another plus: Gardeners, even those with little experience, have increased chances of successfully growing at least some crops in a chaos garden. The diversity of plants means that even if some fail, the odds are good that some will thrive.

And to many, the wild, unstructured look of chaos gardens is a thing of beauty.

So how does this work?

If you’d like to give chaos gardening a try, the process is fairly straightforward.

• Pick a spot: Select an area that gets lots of sunlight and has well-draining soil. If you want to start the garden in the ground, clear away any weeds and debris there. You can also use a raised bed for your chaos garden. You’ll want to fill it with high-quality, well-draining soil and add compost or organic matter to improve soil fertility and structure. The raised bed will give you better control over soil conditions, and it will be easy to access and maintain.
• Prepare your soil: Loosen the soil using a garden fork or spade to improve aeration and drainage. You don’t need to till deeply, just enough to break up compacted soil and mix in some compost.
• Aim for plant variety: Select the seeds you want. You can go with a mishmash of flowers, herbs, vegetables, and cover crops. While minimal planning is a principle of chaos gardening, we do recommend taking time to make sure the plants you choose are suitable for your climate and soil conditions. It’s also worthwhile to select plants that attract pollinators and predators of garden pests. Generally, plants like marigolds, sunflowers, and clover are great choices.
• Time to plant: No planting in neat rows for this garden. Scatter your seeds across the prepared area. Or, if you want, randomly transplant seedlings there. Aim for a natural look, similar to how plants would grow in the wild.
• Add mulch: Spreading a layer of organic mulch like straw, leaves, or wood chips over the garden area will help it thrive. Mulch retains moisture, suppresses weeds, and improves soil health as it decomposes.
• Water wisely: Water your garden thoroughly after planting. Going forward, water as needed, especially during dry spells. If the soil is dry about 6-8 inches deep, your plants will need water. The goal is to encourage deep root growth and resilience.
• Practice minimal intervention: Let the garden evolve naturally. Weed selectively, only removing those that compete too aggressively with your desired plants. Let beneficial insects and natural predators manage pests.

Not for everyone

If the idea of a messy, unordered garden doesn’t sound remotely attractive to you, that’s alright. Chaos gardening is just one option out of many for enjoying the gardening experience.