'Naturalistic Planting'

A few of my thoughts on a naturalistic planting styles!

1. How would you define "naturalistic planting" in your practice, and how has your approach to it evolved over the past 5–10 years?

For me, naturalistic planting is less about trying to recreate nature exactly and more about designing a landscape that feels like it belongs where it is. I like using plants in larger groupings, repeating species, layering different heights and textures, and allowing plants to move and soften the landscape rather than having everything feel overly manicured.

My approach has definitely evolved over the last 5–10 years. I have spent a lot of time planting species and seeing how they grow in specific environments to ensure what I am planting is appropriate and fits the space. 

2. What percentage of your current projects incorporate naturalistic design elements, and how does that compare to five years ago? What's driving that change?

I would say around 60–70% of my projects now incorporate some element of naturalistic planting. When clients want that manicured look, I find a formal hedge to shape the bed works well with naturalistic/ low water plantings behind can blend the two nicely. A little wild, with a polished look. I also like to incorporate mass plantings that are native to the area. Mass plantings keep an overall shape and color to make the natural shape look clean and purposeful. 

A lot of that change is client-driven. People are seeing these landscapes more often and responding to them. They want yards that feel softer, more relaxed and less cookie-cutter. Water use and maintenance are also becoming bigger considerations. I think there's a growing realization that you can have a really beautiful landscape without having a huge lawn surrounded by the same handful of shrubs.

3. When clients request naturalistic plantings, what are they actually asking for and do you find there's a gap between their expectations and the reality of maintaining these landscapes?

Most clients don't necessarily come to me using the words "naturalistic planting." They'll show me inspiration photos and say they want something that feels lush, organic, meadow-like, native or less formal. They want that effortless look where everything feels like it just naturally grew there.

The funny part is that an effortless-looking landscape usually takes a lot of thought to make it successful. There can definitely be a disconnect when it comes to maintenance. The words "low maintenance" are words that I hear from pretty much every client. Naturalistic doesn't mean maintenance-free. You're just maintaining it differently. Instead of constantly shearing shrubs and edging beds, you may be managing spreading plants, cutting back grasses and perennials seasonally, controlling weeds and occasionally editing plants as the landscape evolves. I often think that when someone hires a landscape contractor to do and 'end of the year' clean up, they normally get the sheared look, so communicating that you want the plants to have a naturalistic form is important. 

4. From a commercial standpoint, how does the installation cost and timeline of naturalistic planting compare to traditional ornamental landscapes? Where do you see the value proposition for clients?

It really depends on the design. A naturalistic landscape isn't automatically cheaper. You may be using smaller plant material, but you're often using more plants to create the density and layering that makes this style successful.

Where I think clients see the long-term value is in choosing plants that are better suited to the site. When we're designing around climate, soil, exposure and available water, ideally we're creating a landscape that becomes more resilient as it matures. There can also be less reliance on large areas of turf, constant pruning, wear and tear from pedestrians walking over or on plant material and replacement of plants that were never well suited to the site in the first place (think parking lot planters).

5. What's the biggest misconception clients have about naturalistic planting, particularly around maintenance requirements and the "messy" aesthetic during different seasons?

Probably that "natural" means no maintenance. It definitely doesn't.

The other big one is understanding what the landscape looks like throughout the entire year. Clients fall in love with an inspiration photo taken when everything is blooming in June, but plants don't look like that twelve months a year. Grasses turn brown, perennials go dormant and flowers fade.

Good naturalistic design has to consider those seasons and still have structure when things aren't blooming. I also think there is a fine line between naturalistic and messy. Especially in residential landscapes, I like having some intentional edges and structure around looser planting. That little bit of order tells you, "This was designed this way."

6. Are you seeing naturalistic planting requests across different project types (residential, commercial, institutional), or is demand concentrated in specific sectors?

Residential clients have more freedom to embrace it because they're making decisions based on how they personally want a space to feel. Commercial projects can be a little harder because you have maintenance crews, budgets, visibility requirements and municipal standards involved. But we're absolutely seeing more ornamental grasses, native and adapted plants, pollinator-friendly planting and less traditional shrub-and-turf landscaping across different project types.

7. How do you navigate municipal codes, HOA regulations, and client concerns about appearing "unkempt" when implementing naturalistic designs?

This is where being a landscape designer and not just choosing pretty plants becomes really important. You still have to design within the realities of the site.

On subdivision and commercial projects especially, we're working with landscape buffers, required tree and shrub counts, sight-distance triangles, plant-height restrictions and sometimes very specific HOA standards. You can still create a naturalistic feeling within those requirements.

One thing I like to do is create intentional structure around the more natural planting. A clean edge, defined pathway, repeated plant palette or more structured planting near an entrance can make a looser landscape feel very intentional. It's really about finding the balance between natural and designed.

8. What role does climate adaptation and water conservation play in your clients' interest in naturalistic planting? Is it primarily aesthetic, environmental, or driven by practical constraints?

I think it starts with aesthetics for a lot of clients, but the practical side is becoming just as important.

Having worked on projects in very different climates, I've become really aware that naturalistic design can't just be a style that gets copied from one place to another. What works in Idaho isn't necessarily what works in coastal Florida or the Pacific Northwest.

The goal is to create the feeling the client wants using plants that make sense for that particular environment. Water availability, heat, humidity, salt exposure, soil and maintenance all influence those decisions. When the right plants are selected for the right conditions, water conservation and climate adaptation become part of good design rather than something that has to be added afterward.

9. In your professional opinion, what will determine whether naturalistic planting becomes a lasting shift in landscape design versus a passing trend? What needs to happen for it to become standard practice?

I think it becomes a lasting shift if we can prove that these landscapes are not only beautiful in photographs, but also functional, maintainable and successful ten years later.

That means designers have to understand plants and how they behave over time, contractors need to understand how to install these landscapes correctly, and maintenance crews need to know how to care for them differently than a traditional landscape.

The landscapes I'm most interested in designing have a little bit of both—enough structure that they feel intentional, and enough freedom that they feel alive. I think that's ultimately what will make naturalistic planting more than just a trend.