Naturalistic gardens and the appreciation of the beauty of the imperfect traduzido por: OPENROUTER

The naturalistic garden proposes a more sensitive way of looking at landscaping. Instead of trying to control nature and keep each element exactly in its place, this type of garden starts from the observation of its cycles, forms and associations to create spaces that seem to have emerged spontaneously.

More than an aesthetic, the proposal represents a change in the relationship between landscaping and nature. Plants of different heights, textures and flowering periods coexist in compositions that transform with the seasons, attract pollinators and highlight what makes each landscape unique. The result is a less rigid, more alive garden connected to the projects in which it is inserted.

The organic aesthetic of the naturalistic garden

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Unlike formal gardens, marked by symmetry, geometry and control, naturalism seeks to reproduce some of the characteristics found in wild landscapes. Plants appear in groups, boundaries are less defined and different species share the same space, creating a sense of continuity.

This apparent spontaneity, however, does not mean letting vegetation grow without planning. There is an intention behind the composition, but it is built so that nature also has room to manifest itself. Leaves that change color, flowers that disappear, seeds that remain and plants that grow at different rhythms become part of the garden's beauty.

It is precisely this transformation that sets the proposal apart. Instead of seeking a permanently static landscape, the naturalistic garden celebrates the passage of time and allows the space to reveal new forms with each season.

From English landscapes to Piet Oudolf

The appreciation of a "less domesticated" nature has ancient roots in Western landscaping. During the 18th century, English landscaping began to question the rigidity of French and Italian geometric gardens and incorporated more organic forms, lakes and large areas of vegetation. The landscape came to be conceived to appear less constructed and closer to a natural setting.

Centuries later, this relationship gained new interpretations. In the 20th century, landscapers and designers began to use species in a way closer to how they appear in nature. This movement paved the way for contemporary proposals that value biodiversity, seasonality and less dependence on constant interventions.

High Line - Nova York/EUA. (Andrew Frasz/CASACOR)

Among the most important names in this transformation is the Dutch Piet Oudolf, whose work helped to popularize internationally a language based mainly on perennial plants and grasses. The High Line, in New York, is one of his best-known projects: the landscaper created a composition inspired by the spontaneous vegetation that had occupied the former elevated tracks.

Other important examples are the Lurie Garden, in Millennium Park, Chicago; Hauser & Wirth Somerset, in England; and the garden created by Oudolf at RHS Garden Wisley, also in the United Kingdom. In common, the projects present seemingly free vegetation, but carefully articulated to create interest during different times of the year.

Lurie Garden (CASACOR)

A landscaping closer to natural cycles

The strength of the naturalistic garden also lies in its ability to bring architecture closer to the surrounding ecosystems. By gathering a greater diversity of plants, these spaces can offer food, shelter and breeding areas for insects, birds and other animals.

Choosing native species or those adapted to the local climate can expand this potential and also reduce the need for irrigation and interventions. This logic establishes a more sustainable relationship with landscaping.

Instead of requiring nature to adapt to the project, the project seeks to adapt to nature. The garden ceases to be just a decorative element and begins to play a role within the projects, contributing to biodiversity and to the quality of urban spaces.

What to consider when creating a naturalistic garden

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Choosing plants is essential, but it can start with a simple question: what already exists in this space? Observing the climate, sun exposure, soil, and regional vegetation helps to find species that have the conditions to thrive. Native plants or well-adapted ones can form the basis of the composition, accompanied by other species compatible with that project.

The arrangement can also break away from the logic of perfectly delimited flower beds. Groupings, repetitions, and different heights create a landscape closer to the diversity found in nature. Grasses, herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees can occupy different strata, while stones, wood and paths made of natural materials help establish transitions between areas.

Finally, it is necessary to accept that a naturalistic garden will not look exactly the same every day. Maintenance is still needed, but it can be less focused on absolute control. Dried flowers, seeds, and leaves are often kept when they are already part of the vegetation's cycle. Care becomes more about accompanying than about containing.

Natural garden vs. naturalistic garden: what is the difference?

Despite the closeness between the names, the concepts are not exactly the same. A simply natural garden may mean an area where vegetation grows without a defined landscape project. The naturalistic garden, on the other hand, is intentionally designed to look spontaneous.

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In naturalism, there is knowledge and planning, but also a willingness to share the spotlight with natural processes. The difference lies precisely in this balance: it is not nature without interference, nor nature completely controlled.

A landscape design open to nature's transformations

Designing a naturalistic garden means recognizing that nature is not a static element that can simply be placed within a project. It grows, changes, ages, blooms, and disappears — and all these transformations can be part of the experience.

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In the end, perhaps the greatest charm lies precisely there: a naturalistic garden does not try to make nature look perfect. It allows its imperfections, changes, and unpredictability to be part of the beauty. Landscape design continues to shape it, but comes to recognize that nature itself is also an author of the result.

traduzido por: OPENROUTER