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Chaos gardening

Chaos gardening may mimic a cottage garden as seen here in Prussia Cove

Chaos gardening is a gardening practice of purposeful disorganization in gardening for a wildflower-like appearance. The practice involves gathering unused plants and seeds, scattering them randomly in the allotted garden space, and leave it up to chance as to which seeds or plants end up growing. The plants and seeds can be a variety of flowers, herbs, fruits, vegetables, and grasses. The random plants that do grow is said to result in a natural-looking garden with variety.[1][2]

The practice is described by Better Homes and Gardens as laissez-faire that is "a haphazard and laid-back approach to gardening", where it is the expectation that some plants will thrive and some will not.[1] And Homes & Gardens comments that chaos gardening is "perfect for gardening amateurs".[2] The HGTV network notes that this practice is a way to change how to approach gardening that can be "freeing".[3]

This gardening trend has been made popular by social media.[4][5]

Benefits

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Some benefits from practicing chaos gardening are:[1][2][5]

  • Low maintenance gardening
  • Less planning
  • Create the effect of a wild, natural cottage garden
  • Potentially more enchanting aesthetic compared to overly structured flower beds
  • Improved biodiversity and resilience

Drawbacks

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Some drawbacks and challenges from chaos gardening are:[2][5]

  • Doesn't eliminate maintenance
  • Some seeds will be wasted due to environment mismatches to productive growth
  • Watering is complicated due to varying watering needs of the garden
  • Fertilizing is complicated similarly due to different nutritional needs
  • Potential overcrowding
  • Unpredictability of the garden's development
  • Increased chance of weeds growing

Considerations

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Although typical gardening techniques and rules are not followed when practicing chaos gardening, there are some considerations:[1]

  1. A sunny location to cater to most flowers and plants
  2. Rich, well-draining soil to have plants survive
  3. Lean towards native plants
  4. Initial upfront maintenance before lowering to more minimal maintenance
  5. Follow local garden and homeowner association (HOAs) regulations

Comparisons

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Chaos gardening is similar to other less traditional gardening techniques, like guerilla gardening and cottage gardening, but is still unique. Although guerilla gardening and chaos gardening share the technique of spreading seeds, guerilla gardening is done in public places or other's private property in order to improve a neglected spot or otherwise benefit a certain area. Meanwhile, cottage gardening and chaos gardening share low- to no-maintenance of the gardens, but cottage gardening is more thoughtful and intentionally planted and feature pansies, foxgloves, and other old-fashioned varietals compared to the more modern herbs and vegetables in chaos gardening.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Sears, Cori (September 6, 2024). "Chaos Gardening Is the Carefree Approach to Gardening You Have To Try". Better Homes & Gardens. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  2. ^ a b c d Houlton, Lola (2023-07-29). "'Chaos gardening' is the laziest, prettiest planting trend – that pollinators and time-poor gardeners love". Homes and Gardens. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  3. ^ a b Coulter, Lynn (2025-04-08). "Chaos Gardening: The Easiest Way to Grow a Garden". HGTV. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  4. ^ Jones, Alexandra (2024-07-10). "Your Guide to Chaos Gardening: How to Use This Carefree Method". The Spruce. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  5. ^ a b c Wolfe, Debbie (2024-05-31). "What Is Chaos Gardening? It's Not as Simple as It Sounds". Bob Vila. Retrieved 2025-07-28.