Create an enchanting natural garden

Creating a natural garden can be fun. This is an ongoing process, however as I was starting an entirely new garden it was my third step. Interested in what I did then please read on…

Table of Contents

What is a natural garden?

This means something different to everyone. For me my garden was inspired by the book by Francis Hodgson Burnett called The Secret Garden. I wanted a garden that was

Inspiring – lots of colourful plants throughout the growing year.
With character – different levels, different sections, sitting area, bird feeding area.
Have focal points of interest- hideaway pond, statue, bird bath, bird feeder, hidden treasures.
It had to be natural and wildlife friendly attracting bees and butterflies as well as accommodate our family pets.
Low maintenance and over grown, a natural garden.

Click on the photographs to enlarge

Setting about creating focus areas for my natural garden.

The focus areas I wanted to create were to serve as natural garden areas to make gardening manageable. I wanted to be able to set targets I could reach without too much bother. A bit like having rooms in a house, you can spring clean one room at a time. I wanted to work on one area at a time. Having created a light map and a water map I know what my garden beds will be suited for.

Sorting out “rooms” for my natural garden.

My garden has steps going up from the path around the house. They naturally divide the back area which is in 3 levels.

I have 6ft wooden slat fences. I have decided to have a garden area against the fence. A pathway in front of it and a garden to the front edge of the back level.

Top level – against the back border fence.

I put a small old porcelain washing up sink in the right-hand side corner to use it as a pond.
I already have a feeding tray for the larger birds on my fence. I bought a bird feeder tree to add it to that area for the smaller birds. This holds seed tubes and is direct line for me to view from my proposed sitting area.
Moving along about 4 ft I bought a lovely statue of a little girl watering the garden. It is resin and is not too large. Looks very much as if she belongs to the natural garden around her.
A bit further on I placed a raised bird bath, this gave a bit of height to a rather flat area.
The ground around my established 70 year old willow tree is hard to dig so I placed cut circle stepping wood rounds. This will be where I put seasonal tubs.
The left corner of the top back layer under the tree will be a sitting area. Surrounded by a natural garden of ferns and other woodland plants.
I made an arch to separate the sitting area from the rest of the top layer.
The area against the fences in the sitting area already has creepers and some hawthorn trees. I made raised beds from wood in front of the fence. These beds were all different heights. My plan for a woodland garden around my seating area.

Click on the photographs to enlarge

Creating a secluded feel to the top level.

Top level – left side front edge of the level to the steps.

To make a natural feel and look to the back, I put up an old farm gate to separate the left side of the level from the level below. This added character and with plants growing around and up it will screen the upper level until you reach it.
The sitting area kind of sneaks some of the lower-level space and is hidden by a low fence which already has a creeper growing on it.

Top level – right side front edge of the level to the steps.

I wanted the sunlight to shine through whatever I put in place to separate the levels. After a lot of consideration, I settled on some steel garden trellis panels.
The ground itself on the level is very hard to did so I made a narrow well drained garden next to the trellis. This would allow me to plant seeds and plants that did not grow well in wet ground.

Unusually hard and uneven middle level areas.

Left hand side of the steps.

I used rocks to build a bit of a garden bed in front of the old farm gate.
To the side where my seating area was going to be I used wood and built a two tier bed.
To the front edge I built another wooden bed which I thought would be good for a few herbs.

At the entrance to the steps leading up to the middle and top levels I built another archway.

Right hand side of the steps

To the back of this level in front of my steel panels I made a wide low natural garden bed.
To the front of this level, I made another low bed, leaving a pathway between the two beds.
At the end of the front bed, I made another paved area with a simple pagoda. I covered the pagoda with a clear plastic to reflect light back into my garden where there was deep shade.

The lower level is all tarmac and is around the house. This is not used as part of my natural garden.

The areas I created became known as the pond garden, the little girl garden, the birdbath garden, the woodland garden, seed bed, rose garden, Arch garden and the pagoda garden.

In my following posts I am going to be sorting out the planting and features of each garden “room”. If you enjoy natural gardening then you may enjoy following me along. I try keep the weeds down by planting everywhere. Use tried and tested methods to manage my garden.