How do you create a natural garden? Is that even possible? I want to bring you to the style of garden that’s not only sustainable but also more resilient, and honestly, more fun. In fact, it might even be the future of gardening. Natural or naturalistic garden is an approach that’s all about working with nature instead of trying to control it. To help explain this topic, I brought on my dear friend, Kelly D Norris, a renowned horticulturalist, award-winning plantsman, and the author of  Your Natural Garden.

 

In this episode, we learn:

• [00:00] Is a natural garden possible?
• [02:40] How did Kelly get started with gardening?
• [04:40] What can plant life teach us about the natural world?
• [07:46] What is a natural garden?
• [09:06] What are “native plants” in natural gardening?
• [13:42] How does ecological landscape design look in different settings?
• [15:43] Stay sun-safe in the garden with Coolibar Sun Protective Clothing!
• [17:42] Bring joy and calm to your loved ones with Wind River Chimes!
• [19:30] Examples of ecological landscape designs
• [22:41] Tools for measuring the amount of direct sunlight
• [24:54] Why more plants are important in a natural garden
• [27:59] Is our lawn obsession hindering more natural landscapes?
• [29:04] Rewilding and selecting plants
• [31:18] Garden in style & comfort with Dovetail Workwear’s gardening overalls!
• [33:08] Create your ideal naturalistic garden with Espoma Organic’s premium gardening solutions!
• [34:27] Regional plant palettes and resources
• [39:12] How does ecological gardening vary across US regions?
• [40:23] How to create ecosystems for wildlife
• [44:20] Tips for achieving a natural garden
• [47:37] What is the “aesthetics of ecology” and the “ecology of aesthetics”?
• [50:31] Soap operas and gardening
• [52:01] Where can you find Kelly and his book online?

 

 

 

Order my book!

Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast,

so you don't miss the amazing episodes we have coming up!

 

 

 

What is a Natural Garden?

Creating a natural garden is really about working with the rhythms of nature. It’s looking at what the earth already knows how to do and helping set it up to succeed.

Some call it ecological gardening, some call it native planting, some call it rewilding. But at the heart of it, it’s about realizing that your balcony or yard is part of a larger ecosystem. Our fences, sidewalks, or balconies—none of those stop nature from moving or connecting.

Once you start to see your space as one little patch in a larger picture of your landscape, that shifts your mindset, and you start asking, what is my space doing for the patches around it? How am I connected to the life beyond my gate or patio?

 

 

Rethink Your Space: It’s All Connected

Kelly’s love of plants started early while wandering between his grandma’s garden and the 40-acre prairie down the road. What’s cool is that even as a kid, he was captivated by both worlds. And over time, he realized that there’s no divide. There’s just one world. Our gardens aren’t separate from nature but part of it.

 

 

Resilience vs. Sustainability

We throw the word “sustainable” around a lot in gardening, but Kelly points out that we see sustainability as how many resources we can measure out and ration. On the other hand, resilience is about adaptability, regeneration, and bouncing back.

Think about it. I cut my hand on a mandoline this week and could barely use it. Meanwhile, redwood trees are out there shrugging off forest fires! Plants are resilient in ways we can barely imagine, and that’s something we can tap into when we stop trying to control everything.

 

 

Where Do Native Plants Fit In?

A lot of people jump into natural gardening talking about native plants and pollinator gardens. But native to where? Native to North America? To your state? To your neighborhood?

What’s native to South Florida looks nothing like what’s native to Des Moines. And sometimes, the local conditions have shifted so much that even native plants have to be reconsidered.

For example, I’m in Florida, and citrus trees here are struggling because of a new invasive species. That’s a reminder to also pay attention to what’s happening under your feet right now.

 

 

Where to Find the Right Plants for Your Region

Start by checking out native plant societies in your state. They often have great beginner guides and plant lists. Apps like iNaturalist are helpful to learn what’s growing in your area.

And don’t underestimate your local botanical gardens, arboretums, or even the National Wildlife Federation’s keystone species lists. Walk around, look, and notice.

 

 

Kelly’s Practical Tips to Get Started

Here are three big ideas to keep in mind before you start your natural garden:

1. Have more diversity. More kinds of plants mean more resilience, more beauty, and more habitat for wildlife.
2. Have more density. Skip the “14 inches apart” mindset you see on plant tags. Nature is crowded! Pack plants in, let them fill space, and they’ll outcompete weeds and conserve water.
3. Embrace surprise. Let things get a little wild. Let that lettuce bolt. Watch plants go through their full life cycle. You can always rein them in later, but you’ll learn so much by letting them show you what they can do.

 

 

Let Go of the Perfection Trap

Gardens don’t have to be beautiful in the traditional sense. They can be interesting, surprising, even a little wild.

Kelly uses soap operas as a metaphor: your garden is like a TV series. Every year is a new episode, with familiar characters doing new things, unexpected plot twists, and surprise guest stars.

That mystery, that motion, that evolution… that’s the joy of a natural garden.

 

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

• “Your Natural Garden“, book by Kelly D Norris
• “New Naturalism”, book by Kelly D Norris
• Growing Joy Ep 274: Plant Inspired Vacations with Leslie Halleck and Marcia Castro-Rosenberg
• Sun Seeker for IOS and Android
• SunCalc
• iNaturalist app
• National Wildlife Federation
• AHS Garden Network – American Horticultural Society
• Membership – American Horticultural Society
• American Public Gardens Association
• The Bane of Beauty

 

 

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Coolibar

Protect your skin while you garden! Wear Coolibar's sun protective clothing made with UPF 50 that blocks 98% of UVA and UVB rays. The best part? You don't need to reapply like sunscreen only to sweat it off during a day in the garden! You just put on the hat and the coverups that Coolibar makes and look cute while doing it. Coolibar makes clothing and gear from breathable fabrics like Active Athlon™ and ZnO™ which provide full coverage and help you feel effortless even on hot days.

Protect your skin with Coolibar and save 25% off your order at coolibar.com with code GROWINGJOY25.

Wind River Chimes

Bring the gift of peace, serenity, and magic with chimes! Wind River is a Virginia-based company creating premium handcrafted and hand-tuned wind chimes for over 35 years. If you are looking for an amazing gift that can help you or your loved ones grow joy and find a moment of peace, a Wind River chime is the perfect option. Plus, you can engrave the wind sail on the wind chime with meaningful dates, names, or phrases!

Visit windriverchimes.com and use code GROWINGJOY to receive free engraving on your chosen wind chimes.

Dovetail Workwear

Garden in comfort with your new favorite gardening overalls! Dovetail Workwear is the largest exclusively women's workwear brand in the Northern Hemisphere, made by women for women. Dovetail has teamed up with John Deere to create a brand new collection of functional, size-inclusive and flattering clothes designed to empower female farmers, crafts and tradeswomen, small-scale homesteaders and gardeners like us. These overalls are made of high-stretch, mid-weight fabric and every stitch, every pocket, every feature is really made for real work and real women.

Grab a pair today and get 10% off at dovetailworkwear.com/growingjoy. The discount is applied at checkout and promo is limited to one per person.

Espoma Organic

As we welcome the season of growing and gardening, make sure you're using nontoxic products in the garden! Espoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To top it all off, they have a huge sustainability commitment with a 100% solar-powered plant, zero waste manufacturing, and eco-friendly packaging.

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

 

 

Follow Kelly:

Website
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn

 

 

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria