3 Garden Design Principles for a More Natural Looking Garden

1. Use Native Plants

Using common landscaping plants like hydrangeas, hostas, and boxwoods is a dead giveaway that your garden was planned by a human. Native plants are plants that are found locally in nature and are aclimitized to your local climate. These plants often require less maintenance and provide more resources to local wildlife. Native plants can take your garden from a rigid, planned landscape into a simulation of nearby wildlife conservation areas.

Some of my favorite native plants that are local to my area (Whitby, Ontario) are staghorn sumac, wild columbine, big bluestem grass, white spruce, and lowbush blueberries.

2. Plant in Repetitive Clusters

Rarely in nature will you see a certain type of plant standing by itself. Rather, you will likely see it growing in clusters of similar plants. For example you may see a group of 20 trilliums grouped together in one spot and another cluster of 20 trilliums 10 feet away from the first cluster. A good way to design your garden is to use a neutral plant like an low growing ornamental grass as a base layer. Then, choose a few more interesting plants like perennial flowers or shrubs to plant out in clusters among the base layer of grass. Planting in clusters like this give the impression of your plants being bigger and fuller.

3. Break Up Plantings with Other Elements

Finally, break up large groups of plantings with other elements like rocks, deadwood, and water features. These types of features can give your eyes a break from a vast sea of green and give your garden much needed interest. Not only are these features fun to look at, but they can also provide resources to local wildlife. For example, deadwood can give refuge to local pollinators and a pond is a source of water for any critters passing by.

Here’s a bonus tip for my blog readers: If you’re having trouble designing a natural looking garden, go to your favorite spot in nature for inspiration. Notice the plants that are there, the rocks, the branches, the trees, the streams, the trodden pathways, and even the spaces between plants. Take pictures of anything you like so that you can remember your inspiration when youre at the nursery picking out plants.

For help designing or planting out your garden in the Durham Region and the Greater Toronto Area, please reach out to me and I will be happy to help! Spring is just around the corner and early spring is the best time to give new plants the best chance of survival. The best time to plant a tree may be 20 years ago, but the second best time is spring 2026!

Thanks for reading,

Scott Carroll

Carroll Property Services