The garden show season is just around the corner, which always provides a great source of both horticultural inspiration and debate. In recent years, there has been an increasing move to make the show gardens more wild, with fewer immaculately presented gardens in favour of a less formal, looser style. Manicured lawns, clipped edges, and topiary features have been replaced by wild flowers, reclaimed materials, and naturalistic planting.

It is not just at the garden show level that wilder gardens have taken hold, but also for gardens across the country. ‘No Mow May’, for example, is now commonplace: a month in which we are encouraged to leave our lawns to grow and, in doing so, attract more wildlife. It is now not only acceptable but actively encouraged to have weeds in your garden. Dandelions provide a vital supply of nectar when there are few other sources at this time of year and nettles are attractive to caterpillars and butterflies.

We know that letting our gardens go wild is good for nature and the local ecosystem, but how should we go about designing a wilder garden without it looking a mess, especially in Scotland where we are faced with harsh weather, strong winds, and abundant rainfall?

Layout

When designing a garden, it is a good idea to split the space into zones or areas, just like you have different rooms within a house. If you have limited space, it works well to make the areas closest to the house more structured in terms of layout and planting. These are the parts of the garden you will see the most, both from the inside of the house, as well as passing through to get to the rest of your garden, so you want them looking good all year round.

It therefore becomes a natural progression that the areas further away from the house are wilder. This feels cohesive on a design level but is also practical, as an area of wild meadow does not look that good when it first appears or gets flattened in heavy rain. If this area is positioned towards the back of the garden, or out of the main sightline of the house, it does not matter if it is not at its best year-round. When it is in its prime, with vibrant colours and the buzz of the insects, it will draw you into that part of the garden at that particular time. It is a good idea to place a bench or some logs in this area to sit on and immerse yourself in nature.

Boundaries

Boundaries are a great way to add some wild elements to your garden. Opt for a native mixed hedge or even a dead hedge made of branches and prunings that are too woody for the compost heap, rather than chipping them. A pile of cut logs attractively stacked can create an informal boundary, which also doubles up as a huge bug hotel and is great to encourage insects and fungi. Not only will a hedge or wood pile create a habitat for wildlife to live within, but it will welcome hedgehogs to freely pass through your garden, unlike a fence which can keep them out.

Materials

Swapping hard landscaping materials for planting is also a good option that works well. Instead of a felted roof on a garage or shed, a sedum roof looks much more attractive and is a magnet for bees and butterflies.

Decreasing the amount of paving stones you use is another good option, as this reduces surface rain water which is more relevant than ever with the increased flooding we have been experiencing in Scotland. Using gravel instead of paving, replacing the paving with planting, or leaving gaps between stones, which can be planted up with creeping thyme, Thymus serpyllum, or other ground cover plants are all possible alternatives.

Growing climbers on your walls or sheds is another way to add a wilder dimension into your garden and also, from a design perspective, they look good, softening the appearance of any hard landscaping. Climbing Hydrangea, Hydrangea petiolaris, or Virgina Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, are good choices for our climate, creating valuable shelter for wildlife. They are also self-clinging so there is no need for a trellis or wires.

Planting

A selection of planting which encourages wildlife year-round is vital, so think about introducing lots of winter interest when there is less food about for birds and insects. Rowan berries, Sorbus aucuparia; rose hips, Rosa rugosa; winter flowering heathers, Erica carnea, and witch hazel, Hamamelis, are all good hardy options for Scotland when other plants are dormant.

Allowing grass to grow and cutting a path through an orchard or from one zone to another is a way to make the space wilder whilst ensuring good design.

Finally, leaving seedheads on plants through winter looks striking – at its very best on a frosty morning – whilst maintaining a source of food and shelter for a wilder garden.

Release your inner wild-child and let nature come to you!

Katie Reynolds Design is a garden and interior design studio for residential and commerical clients in Aberdeenshire and across the North East.

Katie works on a range of projects from city flats to country houses, public gardens to coastal properties. Follow Katie on Instagram and Facebook or visit www.katiereynolds.co.uk to browse some of her recent projects.