Are you a lover of the formal French garden, with elaborate parterres and topiary chestnut trees in the style of Le Notre? If so, you may want to stop reading here. 

A new trend called chaos gardening, which has been garnering billions of views (yes, billions) on TikTok, is a haphazard and laid-back approach to gardening that is intentionally random. In the vein of rewilding, it's about letting go of the strict rules that come along with gardening and allowing mother nature do the work instead. The idea is inspired by the unruly growth of nature and acts as a rebellion against the control and neatness of traditional horticulture. Along with social media hype, it has also received attention from professional gardeners at the 2023 Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show with Cleve West’s award-winning wild “abandoned” garden. Many of the show’s gardens included nods to the trend, including the use of self-seeding plants, including (shudder) pollinator-friendly dandelions. Some proponents (such as TikTok influencer @meggrowsplants) also refer to chaos gardening as intuitive gardening or instinctive gardening, which sounds a little more intentional.

The core technique involves gathering leftover seed packets (or buying new ones) and throwing them like confetti or scattering them around the garden to see what grows. This laissez-faire approach to seeding (beloved of young children, so feel free to involve them) can be used with any type of plant, so go ahead and throw some carrot seeds in with those zinnias and asters – the effect can be quite pretty.

Chaos gardening is distinct from traditional gardening due to its lack of meticulous planning, spacing, or row arrangements. It's a fuss-free, low-pressure, and no-stress approach that makes gardening accessible. It saves a lot of time and effort compared to planning and sowing seeds carefully. Key aspects that make it special include:

• The element of surprise and delight from the unexpected growth of plants.
• Creating a natural-looking garden that teems with life and variety.
• Promoting biodiversity by mixing various plant types, which can benefit pollinators and aid in pest control. Planting random seeds can bring in bees, helping to pollinate other plants like vegetables.
• It is seen as a move towards a more natural style of gardening, echoing the informal, unbridled look of the countryside.
• For many, it's about taking the stress out of gardening and putting the fun back in. It's a way to take a break from the control inherent in traditional gardening.
• The unpredictability can be a benefit, leading to surprising plant combinations and allowing nature to create beautiful variations.

Chaos gardening sets itself apart from similar trends like meadowscaping because it can be used with any type of plant, including flowers, fruits, vegetables, and grasses.

While simply scattering seeds satisfies the basic idea, preparatory steps are recommended for better results. These include:

Gathering a variety of seeds, which promotes biodiversity. You’ll have better success with native species that thrive in your climate.

Sorting seeds by size (larger and smaller). You can optionally soak older seeds to test viability, with viable seeds typically sinking. Some seeds benefit from overnight soaking to speed up germination.

Preparing the planting bed by roughening the soil surface, pulling obvious weeds, and marking borders.

Planting the seeds by spreading larger seeds first, then scattering smaller seeds over them. After sowing, add a layer of compost or soil and water. Some gardeners just let rain handle the watering, but you can water if it's warm and dry. Sometimes mixing seeds with sand before scattering makes sowing easier.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR A SUCCESSFUL CHAOS GARDEN

While it's a carefree approach, keeping a few things in mind can improve success:

Location: Choose a spot with plenty of sunlight, though you can make it work in shade if you select appropriate plants. Most vegetables and wildflowers need several hours of direct sun.

Soil Quality: Seeds need rich, well-draining soil to sprout. If your soil is rocky or has too much clay, mix in fresh garden soil. Adding compost is also recommended after planting.

Plant Selection: Choose plants suited to your climate and the site conditions (sun/shade). Consider native plants for a low-maintenance, eco-friendly garden. Becoming familiar with companion planting is also important. Avoid plants considered invasive in your area. There are no wrong choices, but align plant selection with your vision.

Maintenance: Though minimal, some maintenance is needed, especially in the first year. Over time, plants will start to reseed themselves, requiring less work.

Watering: Water seeds regularly after sowing to help them sprout and keep the soil consistently moist during germination, but avoid overwatering.

Thinning: Slightly thin overcrowded seedlings to give plants room to grow.

Weeding: Selectively weed out unwanted plants to reduce competition. However, some approaches encourage tolerance of "polite weeds," or naturalistic plants that resemble weeds but don't take over. Editing or removing excess self-seeders is important to prevent them from taking over.

Embrace Uncertainty: Be prepared for unpredictable results and a less controlled experience. Enjoy the process and learn from each season. Some gardeners realize they prefer knowing what's growing, highlighting that it's not for everyone.

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WHAT SHOULD YOU PLANT IN A CHAOS GARDEN?

Chaos gardening can be used for any type of plant, including flowers, fruits, vegetables, and grasses. 

Flowers: Wildflowers are frequently mentioned, often resulting in vibrant blooms and colorful mixes. Self-seeding plants (called volunteers) are particularly suitable as they contribute to the ever-changing look and do some work for you. Poppies and foxglove are two examples.

Specific flowers include zinnias, cosmos, poppies (including California poppies and opium poppies), marjoram (Origanum vulgare), viper's bugloss, Phacelia tanacetifolia, cornflowers, Erigeron karvinskianus, Meconopsis cambrica, Campanula persicifolia, Aquilegia vulgaris, foxgloves, borage (including white borage), Lychnis coronaria, Eschscholzia californica, Verbena bonariensis, Verbascum olympicum, Onopordum acanthium, sunflowers, lavender, eryngium, nepeta, allium, cardoon, single-flowered Fuji cherry, Geranium pyrenaicum f. albiflorum, rattlesnake master, and single-flowered compact roses like Kew Gardens. Cheap seeds, including those from birdseed, can even be used.

Vegetables: Carrots (which can provide a bountiful harvest when chaos gardened), lettuce, cilantro, pumpkins, leeks, potatoes, peppers, beans, and lentils.

Herbs: Mint, oregano, chives, creeping thyme (especially good for garden paths).

Grasses: Including Stipa tenuissima and Briza maxima.

The whole point of the chaos garden is to let go of formality and expectations, and make gardening fun again. It’s like saying to mother nature, “Go ahead, surprise me!”