The natural garden combines elements from nature with ecological aspects. The animal and plant species in the natural garden are diverse and with little maintenance you can create your own little paradise with high ecological value.
Get to know the advantages of the natural garden
Would you like to take responsibility for a careful handling of our nature and create a natural garden ? With the right knowledge, an atmospheric natural garden can be created without much effort . In the garden or even on the smallest balcony, you can make a contribution quickly and easily. The natural balance between selected species and living wildlife brings a special charm and is a lot of fun for young and old. Learn about the benefits of a natural garden below . Soon you will experience fascinating moments in your garden and relax from the hustle and bustle of the day.
The advantages of a natural garden
- diverse habitat for flora and fauna
- Settlement of native genera in the garden
- low maintenance
- healthy plants because beneficial insects decimate the pests
- significant contribution to environmental protection
- resource-saving, since everything stays in the garden and is composted
- Avoiding the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides
- creation of great biodiversity
- Possibility of valuable wildlife observation
- Promotion of soil fertility through mulch
- great experience for children too
Knowledge fact: A near-natural garden is by no means an unkempt garden. In addition to native plants, perennials and autochthonous (native or local) trees and shrubs feel at home.
The essential building blocks for a natural garden
floor
Good soil is the basis for vitality and growth in the garden . A plant can only thrive if it has sufficient nutrients, water and air in the soil . An ideal soil contains a high proportion of humus and is at the same time loose. Especially with small gardens, it is important that you create it with the right plants. Lushly growing shrubs quickly shade the area and moss forms. When designing a garden that is close to nature, it is essential that the selection of species refers to size and your own wishes.
- The care of the soil and soil life is an essential factor in the natural garden. Unfavorable soil conditions can be easily improved with compost. With the help of microorganisms, the organic mass is converted into valuable humus , with the earthworm playing an important role. Read more about this in our blog post ‘Compost – a valuable fertilizer’.
- Another way to make your garden soil fertile is to sow green manure . Once the selected seeds have reached a certain height, you can work the entire plants into the soil. The principle of decomposition is analogous to the compost input . In a near-natural garden, the ground is always covered, either with cultivated plants or mulch such as rhubarb leaves or clippings from the flower meadow . In the so-called Perm culture, everything stays in the garden and is used. By covering the earth, care is reduced and theCasting effort reduced.
- To increase the humus content , the use of peat-free potting soil is also recommended. We recommend Kölle organic planting soil peat-free, so you can actively support the topic of nature conservation. You can easily improve soil conditions with a clear conscience. With Kölle’s Beste garden activator, microlife in the soil can also be positively influenced.
Plant
- Would you like a fine fragrance, delicate flowers and healthy plants ? With the right choice, your garden or balcony will be decorative and insect-friendly at the same time. Opt for site-appropriate and robust species and enjoy the lush variety! Native plants are mostly robust and adapted to our climate. The danger of night forests is less problematic for native species than for trees and shrubs from other climate zones.
- Many hardy perennials delight year after year without any pesticides and provide valuable nectar. Easy-care bee perennials include bacopa, asters and all types of coneflowers.
- Roses come in many different varieties that are characterized by good leaf health. Read more about this in the blog post Rose care in summer. Especially single-flowering bed rose species such as the varieties ‘Marie Curie ®’, ‘Heidefeuer®’ or ‘Jazz ®’ adorn the natural garden with a special charm and serve as a popular bee pasture from June to October . Planting a rose bed is ideal in spring. Important here is a sunny location and deep soil.
- If possible, use native wild plants and avoid species with double flowers . The latter provide neither pollen nor nectar for insects and are therefore only decorative but not ecologically useful.
- With bee-friendly plants on the balcony and terrace you can make an important contribution to the conservation of insects . For example, catnip and many herbs provide valuable nectar for weeks and the hard-working animals ensure a rich fruit harvest through pollination.
- With native shrubs , opaque hedges can be planted as a privacy screen for the terrace. Wild roses or hawthorn are suitable for sunny locations , honeysuckle is ideal for shady locations and spindle trees and hazelnuts do well in partial shade. In addition to their function as fodder plants, wild trees are less demanding and more resilient than exotic shrubs. This means that you have less maintenance work with the plants and at the same time you help the local wildlife. Read more about this in our bird feeding advisor under the heading ‘Animals in the garden’ in the garden encyclopedia.
Animals
In addition to people, many different animals also feel comfortable in a natural garden . With a balanced relationship between beneficial insects and pests , plants thrive without chemicals . Wild plants such as stinging nettles are often the food source for butterfly caterpillars.
- Beneficial insects limit the spread of pests: for example , a ladybug and its larvae destroy up to 600 aphids a day! With insect hotels you provide the valuable helpers with a place to stay and thus promote the natural balance . A creative idea for the whole family is to build a house for beneficial insects with empty tin cans — this makes the natural garden an experience for the whole family.
- In the natural garden you can not only observe the interaction of animals and nature, but also take advantage of the animals’ eating habits: Birds help to fight caterpillars and hedgehogs prefer snails as food.
water
Do you also feel magically attracted to water? Water is vital, soothing and very easy to create a biotope in your garden. Water troughs are helpful for birds, and bees and many other insects also need this precious commodity to live. Even small gardens can be made lively with a pond, water features or fountains.
- Up to 50 different animal species can live in a garden pond . The biotopes are an opportunity for many animals that no longer have a habitat. In your home you can give the native animals a chance to settle down.
- In a natural garden, it makes sense to economize on water as much as possible and also to use intelligent irrigation systems.
- With mixed cultures you promote the vitality of the plants and at the same time the shading when growing vegetables. This minimizes water consumption. Furthermore, organic mulch layers and mulch films help that evaporation is reduced on sunny days and watering can therefore take place at greater intervals. Take a look at the vegetable planting partner here.
Save scarce resources and collect rainwater! This is how you create a natural connection between ecology and economy. Furthermore, the quality of rainwater is often better suited for watering than tap water. You can read more about watering the garden in our blog ‘ Water properly — save cleverly’ .
The building blocks of the natural garden flow into one another. They complement each other and often only function as a whole. Which areas you can implement on your terrace or in your garden depends on your preferences and the spatial conditions. But even small changes have an effect — and it’s definitely worth a try.
Important areas of life in the natural garden
dry stone walls
With dry stone walls you can ideally design height differences. Stones that are piled up without mortar offer a variety of perennials and animals an ideal living space. The installation of dry stone walls is ideal for creating garden spaces, especially in large gardens. In combination with old trees, living conditions are created that are difficult to achieve in modern city gardens. Native wild plants are also used. These are a source of food for birds and insects. NABU offers valuable tips on this.
flower meadows
Colorful flower meadows are easy to care for and belong in every beautiful garden. They are rich in species and, like all native plant species , ideal for butterflies, bumblebees, flies, wild bees and many small animals. In addition, unlike lawns, they do not require fertilizer and are only mowed once or twice a year. We carry a wide variety of seed mixtures for every location and every preference.
wild hedges
They serve as a boundary and are beautiful to look at all year round. They are particularly interesting in mixed plantings and when using service pear, elderberry or aronia . These not only serve as a snack for birds, but also provide wild fruit with a high vitamin C content. Native shrubs such as rose hips and sloes provide a habitat for birds, useful insects and small animals all year round.
deadwood stack
Here you can use wood, branches and twigs as well as foliage. Inspired by nature, the natural material is loosely stacked in a secluded corner of the garden and over time colonized by lichens and fungi. In addition to insects, hedgehogs also feel particularly at home here. Wild herbs often germinate , which in turn serve as a food source for caterpillars.
If you follow nature’s models as a guide, you will notice how the pest infestation is significantly reduced as the variety of species increases . Try it out and let yourself be inspired by the topic of natural gardens! You will be amazed at how much fun and how little work a natural area in the garden can bring. We would be happy to advise you on this in our garden centers and online shop.
Our tip: start with a bed or area and let the plants grow and bloom. Remove unwanted weeds such as bindweed. Within a year you will see the variety of species that have established themselves at the site. From this you develop your idea for a natural garden.