Thomas Andrew Brown
2023's greatest garden fashion, rewilding
Updated: Jan 21
What will be the greatest garden fashion of 2023? Rewilding, which is the return of native plants and animals to an area from which they have been absent, is gaining popularity in the gardening world. This trend is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also has environmental benefits.

What is rewilding and why it's the greatest garden fashion of 2023
Rewilding has been gaining popularity for years now, first on a large scale and more recently in private gardens. In essence, Rewilding consists of sections of our garden being returned to nature, allowing wildflowers, natural grasses and other plants a place to establish. This provides a haven for wildlife; creating homes for bees, birds and butterflies. Rewilding can be messy and all consuming, however if incorporated into a carefully crafted garden design it can look beautiful and contribute to a healthier environment in which gardeners can enjoy nature in its purest form. It can help us reduce our need for harmful gardening chemicals that damage air quality, pollute rivers and streams, disrupt ecosystems and harm human health.
I don't want a meadow for a garden.
Gardening with intention means that rewilding doesn't have to mean letting your space go entirely untamed. Instead, think of it as empowering yourself to purposefully create diverse habitats that benefit wildlife without sacrificing any of the beautifying elements that traditional gardening provides! When we take the time to give nature a little foothold in our gardens, not only can it be part of a beautiful design but it gives something back too! We don't have to hand over everything; dedicating small sections helps contribute and make an impact.

How to start rewilding your garden
Starting to rewild your garden is an exciting project that can bring a wealth of benefits to both yourself and local wildlife. One key thing to keep in mind when beginning the process is to start small. If possible, section off small enclosed areas using garden edging or similar materials. This will help improve soil quality as well as provide shelter for small animals and birds. Introducing a water feature to your garden provides an amazing home for wildlife. Wildlife ponds with rocks, crevices and other features are even more fantastic, creating a truly phenomenal ecosystem within the space!

How can I make it look good.
Have you ever tried to just let nature take its course and leave a pot of soil out, only for it not turn out how you had imagined? Many times, we see seeds land on the soil and transform into seemingly random - yet beautiful - long-stemmed blooms. However in reality this situation can often be perceived as unattractively chaotic. If you're looking to give wild perennials some room to roam, make sure they have enough space - at least 2 meters by 2! To keep your garden neat and tidy while allowing nature's beauty its due, adding edging for separation and a few evergreen shrubs for structure.

Tips for maintaining a rewilded garden
Gardening has come a long way from its origins as a practice of tilling and planting single crop varieties on small plots of land. With rewilding, your garden can become a wild sanctuary within the city or suburbs. Maintenance is an essential part of creating this aesthetic while still keeping the garden productive. To begin, it’s important to observe the environment and make choices based on local climate, soil type and weather conditions. Incorporating native species that are present in the area will require less maintenance than non-native plants and will nourish wildlife that come to visit. Allowing some areas to be left unmanaged periodically will also give biodiversity space to thrive.
Rewilding has become a popular term over the past few years as growing numbers of people have sought ways to reconnect with nature and restore balance in their local ecosystems. Broadly speaking, rewilding involves restoring ecosystems and improving biodiversity by supporting the reintroduction of certain species or facilitating natural processes such as fire cycles. It has been credited for bringing significant social, economic, and ecological benefits. To learn more about rewilding, it can help to start with understanding some of the most common FAQs, such as what qualifies as an ecosystem restoration project or how human activities might impact the process of reversifying land. Since rewilding is still relatively new and not always easy to define, having detailed answers to questions like these can be an important step in understanding this hopeful conservation trend.