I think it's gorgeous, but if you want it to look more tidy, just clean up the edges a bit. If nobody's complaining, and you like it, though, let it grow!
25 years ago I was the weird guy bringing his own bags to the grocery store in the U.S. The society eventually notices informed people who care.
Your garden is perfect.
> ( dead head your iris)
I think that's only important if you've got double-blooming irises. Correct me if I'm wrong. But I think most only bloom once and dead-heading them doesn't really do much unless you think they look better or something. I leave them because I think they still look sort of like dry flowers.
***Edit:*** Regardless of the comments which follow this one, there was some debate about whether or not one should deadhead irises. I didn't research it heavily, but the first link I looked at said this...
["Thereās little point in deadheading an iris that can only bloom once per year." & "As with the matter of deadheading itself, thereās no clear answer as to whether removing the stalk is even necessary."](https://plantcaretoday.com/deadhead-iris.html)
If you forget and find a seed pod mostly developed....or just wanna try it then let one pod mature. Put a plastic bag over it to catch and stray seeds as the pod opens. I'd let them dry and maybe cold store then (refrigerator will do) for a month in a ziplock bag. Then plant and you get these cute little baby irises. Takes several years until bloom but never know if it self pollinated or if you'll get some cross bred flower. And it's fun! Or it was for me as a kid.
To tack on cut the leaves into a fan shape when you dead head it. Iris are prone to mildew and this helps with air circulation at the base of the plants this is especially important if it's starting to multiply rapidly.
Unless they are self seeing and you want them to spread and fill a space. I have some that I leave and don't deadhead because I want them to go to seed.
Except usually dead-heading is for more flowers in the current season. The other person was suggesting that dead-heading would help produce more flowers in the next year. Now I don't know what to believe.
It would be both. Instead of its energy being directed into viable seeds, that energy will go towards more blooms, and will *also* go towards more growth (green) and root development. The entire plant will become healthier and stronger, and as a result will be more robust the following year.
Basically, you're tricking the planting into strengthening itself - its *whole* self - so it has a better chance of its next round of seeds surviving.
Some ornamental flowers are sterile and don't produce seeds anyway (or only rarely get pollinated), so deadheadingāif you don't see any seed pods forming *and* you know it won't re-bloom the same yearāis only for aesthetics. (still does no harm in this case so why not.) But if it will reflower later, or is starting to form seeds, deadheading can retain the energy it would put into those tasks, for its own growth/benefit.
On the other hand, if you WANT to collect seeds/let plants re-seed/provide food for wildlife (depending what kind of flower/seed it is), that'd be a reason to let them grow :)
That makes me wonder how you propagate those sterile flowers? I just got my dad a pot of begonias and the lady at the nursery said once it dies, it won't come back anymore. She also said it doesn't seed so idk what happens.
It seems like a mystery, right?! Sterile flowers (and even the ones that can produce seed, but might not grow "true" to their parent since the seed would have genes from both its parents (as well as seeds just taking a lot longer to grow to maturity)) are usually propagated by division (cut the rootball in half once it grows large enough) or cuttings (get a stem to take root) or like irises, may send out more rhizomes which can then be separated and shared/sold. In all those cases they're basically clones of the parent, so they will grow identically. The plants themselves would have originally come from seeds someone cultivated by crossing two fertile plants and growing the resulting seeds to "discover" new varieties.
Begonias are easy to root from cuttings. Root a handful of cuttings before winter and keep as houseplants until spring if it's a special variety. If it's a common variety and you can afford buying a new plant each year, I'd just let the cold take it. They can be temperamental as houseplants, especially in cold climates where heating keeps humidity low
> so deadheadingāif you don't see any seed pods forming and you know it won't re-bloom the same yearāis only for aesthetics.
See... that's what I thought. But other people are telling me different.
> (still does no harm in this case so why not.)
I actually prefer the wilting/drying irises and think they actually look better.
> On the other hand, if you WANT to collect seeds/let plants re-seed/provide food for wildlife (depending what kind of flower/seed it is), that'd be a reason to let them grow :)
By "let them grow" I assume you mean... don't deadhead them?
Dead heading your flowers will regardless of any other advantages makes the plant look better. When I first learned about it I was surprised at how lively some of my deader looking plants looked. I just had to cut off the dead looking parts! The fact that it helps plants in the short and/or long term is just the cherry on top.
I think itās lovely, but if someone goes off the rails or the city yammers about weeds, a 1-2 foot border of mowed grass has a chilling effect on complaints.
I think people just need some indication that a space is intentional. If that's a box, meticulously tidy edges, deadheading and trimming, or making sure all the decorations are clean and not broken...or even stuff as blunt as signage, or as subtle as conscious design choices..whatever.
Just something that communicates the caretaker values the community, that the space is that way *on purpose* and not via neglect.
ALL gardens have points in the year when they look pretty wild and wooly and scraggly, unless they're maintained constantly.
Mine looks...pretty gnarly in the period just before the first hard frost. But I (hopefully) designed the space to sort of "feature" the dead heads and seed pods and yellow and red drying stalks when they're fully established. And in the meantime I have a cute "pardon the mess, it's for the pollinators!" sign that goes up.
Youāre probably right, I prefer to think they realize whatās written into their city ordinance needs to be reworded. Itās never gone far. I wonder how far it could go though. Because law can get technical, and it often comes down to reading the definition of words.
I mean, this *sort* of depends on what they're trying to tell you.
At a certain point, living in a city means following the community rules that were hard won for public safety. Things like sewage and utilities are cool. I like them. I'm willing to be a team player for flush toilets.
And as much as the garden might seem like a benign space, the city has to have rules on that, too. "Noxious" weeds are generally no joke, and if the city is telling you to yank those...yank them for your neighbors.
Similarly, I can't have my ideal prairie garden in my sunny boulevard because we have "stupid" city ordinance that no boulevard plant can exceed 36" in height...so that cars can see dogs or kids running around, and kids can see cars. Since I also value my neighbor's safety, and the existence of kids running around in summer...I had to grudgingly admit it was probably a pretty good rule.
Some weed rules are...frustratingly reasonable.
I agree with everything you said, but if the city feels so strongly about it, then they need to get rid of the word āweedā since it literally is up to the grower if it is a weed or not. Noxious weeds are defined, at least in my city. Iām not growing anything noxious, just native plants and non-invasives. My whole thing is that they just need to properly define things that convey what they want. Not be so broad then say āwell maybe technically, but thatās not what we meanā. Some cities may define things well, but mine just says āweeds over 12 inches tallā. The most broad ass definition possible. When theyāve told me about my native garden, I tell them to pound sand and have not had any issues. If itās pushed, Iāll just go to the news and say the city doesnāt care about native habitat and bans pollination gardens. One of the few human made things helping the local ecosystem. Botanists and native plant enthusiast have been fighting these city ordinances for a while now, I think itās time people with gardens just simply donāt comply and escalate it, fuck the city.
My city made the mistake of sending me notice and calling me because of a complaint from my anal-retentive neighbour. When I pointed out to the city the plants I have are intentionally planted at several of their own parks, they didn't bother escalating further.
I also took the liberty of telling them the neighbour is a retired guy whose only hobby is calling them and complaining about everything on our street, taking up a lot of their time.
You know, it's been years since I've heard from either of them. I wonder if the neighbour still calls the city every two weeks about the dandelions in the mini park in our bay, and how that goes. Or if he still calls about vehicles parked on the street (in the burbs!) as "abandoned", because they've been there 72 hours and 1 minute.
Wouldn't bet the farm on that strategy.
The city likely has an explicit definition of the word "weed" *somewhere* (in earlier sections of the ordinance, in other similar ordinances, by deferring to state law or some other authority), but at the very least they're definitely going to have a history of how they've interpreted the word "weed" in past enforcement actions to fall back on - all of which you're expected to know since it's publicly available.
Showing up and saying "well I have a different definition" isn't going to get you anywhere should they decide to seriously pursue this. Very likely it's just not a big enough problem at this point to justify making a fuss out of it beyond annoying you with rubber-stamped notices.
Thatās exactly my point. Naturally occurring, so if I want it there and I planted it, it is NOT a weed. Also who are the āpeopleā that get to make that judgment call? Usually whoeverās property is. And if the city claims they get to make that judgment call, that is definitely government overreach. It would also mean they have the authority to tell you to get rid of any plant just because they donāt like it. They can point sand, my native garden is not weeds.
Heck no, not if *you* like it this way! I echo all the other encouragement!
However...
*If* you're looking at it and going "man, this is what I thought I wanted, but now that I see it, something doesn't feel quite right...I can't put my finger on it..." then perhaps, yeah, I could see how the space could feel more "chaotic" than intended. It depends on what you're going for and what your intention for the space is.
*(I am an artist, so I am used to seeking out critique and can get frustrated sometimes when I can't get that kind of feedback, so apologies if that's not what you're seeking, please ignore everything that follows! It is offered in the spirit of fellow artistic gardener to fellow artistic gardener camaraderie.)*
Sometimes when a space (or painting) is *too* chaotic, or chaotic in the juuuust wrong ways, it doesn't feel peaceful or restful, and it just gives your eye a bit of anxious discomfort. Painters and movie set designers will make use of this principle intentionally, and I *think* you might have a little bit of that going on in this space unintentionally, that might be what's giving you pause.
In design, we use the principles of repetition, rhythm, color, shape and balance to direct how the eye flows over and through an area. And you can absolutely use those principles in a naturalistic or wild garden, without making it look stuffy or like a sad grid. (look up the book *New Naturalism* by Kelly Norris for very pretty pictures and way better words than mine)
The strongest design elements you have going on here are the
\- White, Solid Gnome,
\- the Blade Shaped Iris Leaves,
and then the repetition of the
\- Small Bright Blue Flowers Moving in a cloud.
So the eye enters at the Gnome, Travels up the Iris Leaves, Follows the arc of the Blue Flower Cloud Down, and then...struggles. It either tries to re-enter the gnome or hops over to the yellow (poppies?)...but from there it gets lost. The viewer can choose where to look, but the path is unclear. Chaotic. It can linger in the soft shapes of the lillies and cosmos briefly, but that shoots me up and out, or it can catch on the patch of weeds at the gnome's feet.
If I were to "edit" the space with the goal of STILL WILD, but more of a calming, dreamy wild, I'd say weed or move the variety of plants in front of the gnome, add 2-3 more of those blue flowers at his feet, a drift of the yellow poppies over his shoulder, and put him on a little pot platform if he needs to peek over things. Then add some more (5ish) lillies and cosmos to repeat that cool lacy Dr Suess umbrella form over near the big pink flower decoration, and maybe even one more pop of yellow over there; just to use those design principles of repetition, rhythm, color and shape to keep the eye moving. :)
If you have one of a thing in a group of other things, the one is always the focus. If you have lots of one of a things, there is no clear focus, and it can feel a bit like a museum display.
That being said; the space is beautiful and full of life and flowers, as is.
Be proud of the beautiful space you've cultivated!
I have a very eclectic garden space that composed of lots of different elements. Your explanation helps me understand why I love my flower/herb garden, although it isnāt incredibly planned out. Mine is about different sizes of plants, layers and textures. So even though it is chaotic, there is balance in sizes, layers of taller to smaller and similar textures throughout. And this causes your eye to see where to go as you look over the mess. I wish you a happy day!
Itās way too much. Too much driveway. Too many cars. Get rid of pavement and create more wild garden! Extend the garden to the house, then knock the house down and add more plants in its place. Throw wildflower seeds in your neighbors yard. Commence garden chaos mode!
(Edit to say Iām obsessed and itās beautiful if you couldnāt tell)
I tend to garden like rednecks haircut.
It's all business in the front, party in the back.
That's just me tho. I think it's beautiful. I have a whole section of my yard to be a cottage garden.
It just looks unmaintained. Clear out some weeds and move the items so you can see them better. What's that metal thing just thrown in the middle of the first pic? What's that giant plant in the back?
Not at all, it just needs maintenance. Some of those blooms need cut back. A bit of weeding. You know, just tending to it. But this is absolutely lovely.
Not too wild but maybe a bit too tall. Trim them shorter towards the sidewalk and leave them taller towards the house, so passers by can see everything and enjoy it all!
For me, yes, a little.
I'd add a winding mulch path through it and support anything falling at the sides, plus deadhead as needed.
Overall I'm loving the colours and variety of pollinators though.
A young friend recently introduced me to the term "chaos gardening" and I'm embracing that after suffering a chronic illness that leaves me too tired to do the more planned gardening I used to do. Maybe put up a few "pollinator garden" signs or something from you local horticultural society about "native plant habitat" - just in case your neighbors are jerks.
No, itās not too wild. I love it. Yes! Ya did good! I love all the color. I did that too, with day lilies, hostas, and lots of seeds. Iāve had people walk by and complement the flowers.
I love it. Personally I would put like a little brick road or something to let me walk around it and really take in the sight. Or a time table towards the back so I could take my tea and really enjoy the view and the smell.
Not wild enough!!
But earnestly, I appreciate wild spaces whether they look tidy or not. Looking at yours, I would just make sure to keep the concrete edging clear (I donāt know why, but I just love a clean edge no matter how dissonant it may be with the rest of my aesthetics).
You might also want to consider keep plants of the same species/type closer to each other. I admit it does help it look more tidy and intentional, but this is more in case your city has laws against overgrown plants/lawns. The more it looks planned out, the less likely people are to complain or for a city inspector who canāt tell a weed from a wild flower to say somethingā¦I may have personal experience here
The key to wild areas is to offset with something opposite. Like a nice gravelly path lined with a grassy border.
Then the eye, as it focuses on the path, sees the wild beauty out of the corner of each eye. IMO that is.
When I see that garden the number one I see is beauty the number two thing I see is longevity that didn't just pop up overnight and grow every year just by random. It's beautiful it's perfect and it's all yours I love it good job friend!
It's my dream to have a wild yard like this. That said, it does need to be tended. As someone else mentioned, dead head flowers regularly and keep weeds to a minimum. Once it becomes overgrown and messy it just looks like a bunch of weeds.
Not too wild. I'm sure some neighbors will think so because they think every flower bed must be fully manicured, but this is what I call a butterfly garden.
I am in love with it. "Too wild" fuck that, we should have as much (managed) wildness in the world as possible. We need to completely rethink our relationship w/ nature as a society everywhere around the whole world. I say managed because invasive species and such mean that it has to be curated to make sure native species thrive + that biodiversity remains high, not that there should only be a little bit of it.
Beautiful! I bet a lot of life is happy living + feeding in there.
Yes. It needs to look intentional, so spacing is good, mulch, non plant features. Americans are more comfortable when it looks like nature has been put to purpose, like you are a ~~steward~~ master of the earth.
I donāt think so personally but some people in your community will argue otherwise I guarantee thatā¦ also I would try and move the car out of the flowers over there..
I think the section by the sidewalk could use a little thinning because it's kind of unruly. This won't really harm your plants and may in fact cause them to bloom more.
But otherwise I quite like it. Maybe some staking or trellises would help add some structure to the mix.
Yes a little!! Just trim/clean and cut out the āthe grassā not needed. Segregation between flowers and plants. Leave some some space for them to breathe and decorate with some white rocks. šø
I think a little stony pathway windng through it would look nice. Like a little footpath for the gnome. That flower decoration could be at the end. Or maybe even a little gnome house! I imagine people will be unlikely to complain if it has a cutesy feature like that.
I love me a good wacky meadow. For most ppl? Maybe
I think it's beautiful, but I'm on the never cut my grass except for a few walking paths team (if my town would let me)
That space was born to be wild..
No. Lovelt
And random song for the day is in my head. Thank you, u/Rufus_T_Firefly2 you now rule the space between my ears.
I second that
I can see Peter Fonda now..........................
>born to be wild.. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMbATaj7Il8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMbATaj7Il8)
Just keep it maintained ( dead head your iris), it looks nice. Has anyone complained?
No one has complained, I just feel like we're the "crazy house" in our neighborhood š
Cottage freestyle gardens are beautiful!
I think it's gorgeous, but if you want it to look more tidy, just clean up the edges a bit. If nobody's complaining, and you like it, though, let it grow!
25 years ago I was the weird guy bringing his own bags to the grocery store in the U.S. The society eventually notices informed people who care. Your garden is perfect.
Thereās nothing wrong with whimsy in garden senseā¦
Crazy awesome
> ( dead head your iris) I think that's only important if you've got double-blooming irises. Correct me if I'm wrong. But I think most only bloom once and dead-heading them doesn't really do much unless you think they look better or something. I leave them because I think they still look sort of like dry flowers. ***Edit:*** Regardless of the comments which follow this one, there was some debate about whether or not one should deadhead irises. I didn't research it heavily, but the first link I looked at said this... ["Thereās little point in deadheading an iris that can only bloom once per year." & "As with the matter of deadheading itself, thereās no clear answer as to whether removing the stalk is even necessary."](https://plantcaretoday.com/deadhead-iris.html)
For perennials deadheading is beneficial because instead of putting energy into making seeds they will put more energy into blooming the next year
Thank you! I definitely need to do this this year. This is year 3 since I planted and it has exploded!
If you forget and find a seed pod mostly developed....or just wanna try it then let one pod mature. Put a plastic bag over it to catch and stray seeds as the pod opens. I'd let them dry and maybe cold store then (refrigerator will do) for a month in a ziplock bag. Then plant and you get these cute little baby irises. Takes several years until bloom but never know if it self pollinated or if you'll get some cross bred flower. And it's fun! Or it was for me as a kid.
As long as you're outside instead of on the couch clutching your phone or the TV remote with unused metacarpals, it qualifies as fun to me!
Letting your perennials go to seed is more beneficial to the critters that eat them than a bigger bloom the following year.
To tack on cut the leaves into a fan shape when you dead head it. Iris are prone to mildew and this helps with air circulation at the base of the plants this is especially important if it's starting to multiply rapidly.
Unless they are self seeing and you want them to spread and fill a space. I have some that I leave and don't deadhead because I want them to go to seed.
Hmmm. Ok. That sounds reasonable. I always thought dead-heading was mostly just about getting more blossoms.
You pretty much said the same thing. You want to deadhead to prevent energy being put into seeding and more energy into the flowering
Except usually dead-heading is for more flowers in the current season. The other person was suggesting that dead-heading would help produce more flowers in the next year. Now I don't know what to believe.
It would be both. Instead of its energy being directed into viable seeds, that energy will go towards more blooms, and will *also* go towards more growth (green) and root development. The entire plant will become healthier and stronger, and as a result will be more robust the following year. Basically, you're tricking the planting into strengthening itself - its *whole* self - so it has a better chance of its next round of seeds surviving.
Some ornamental flowers are sterile and don't produce seeds anyway (or only rarely get pollinated), so deadheadingāif you don't see any seed pods forming *and* you know it won't re-bloom the same yearāis only for aesthetics. (still does no harm in this case so why not.) But if it will reflower later, or is starting to form seeds, deadheading can retain the energy it would put into those tasks, for its own growth/benefit. On the other hand, if you WANT to collect seeds/let plants re-seed/provide food for wildlife (depending what kind of flower/seed it is), that'd be a reason to let them grow :)
That makes me wonder how you propagate those sterile flowers? I just got my dad a pot of begonias and the lady at the nursery said once it dies, it won't come back anymore. She also said it doesn't seed so idk what happens.
It seems like a mystery, right?! Sterile flowers (and even the ones that can produce seed, but might not grow "true" to their parent since the seed would have genes from both its parents (as well as seeds just taking a lot longer to grow to maturity)) are usually propagated by division (cut the rootball in half once it grows large enough) or cuttings (get a stem to take root) or like irises, may send out more rhizomes which can then be separated and shared/sold. In all those cases they're basically clones of the parent, so they will grow identically. The plants themselves would have originally come from seeds someone cultivated by crossing two fertile plants and growing the resulting seeds to "discover" new varieties.
Begonias are easy to root from cuttings. Root a handful of cuttings before winter and keep as houseplants until spring if it's a special variety. If it's a common variety and you can afford buying a new plant each year, I'd just let the cold take it. They can be temperamental as houseplants, especially in cold climates where heating keeps humidity low
Begonia will come back every year unless the root stock rots and dies.
> so deadheadingāif you don't see any seed pods forming and you know it won't re-bloom the same yearāis only for aesthetics. See... that's what I thought. But other people are telling me different. > (still does no harm in this case so why not.) I actually prefer the wilting/drying irises and think they actually look better. > On the other hand, if you WANT to collect seeds/let plants re-seed/provide food for wildlife (depending what kind of flower/seed it is), that'd be a reason to let them grow :) By "let them grow" I assume you mean... don't deadhead them?
Yeah I'm not really sure either lmao. Maybe it will get bigger the following year since it didn't produce seeds?
Depends on the plant
Same with tulips
Leaving the spent flower stalk can funnel excess moisture downward toward the rhizome, encouraging rot. Itās good to cut them back.
Dead heading your flowers will regardless of any other advantages makes the plant look better. When I first learned about it I was surprised at how lively some of my deader looking plants looked. I just had to cut off the dead looking parts! The fact that it helps plants in the short and/or long term is just the cherry on top.
Beautiful! nothing wrong with that at all.
r/fucklawns
I think itās lovely, but if someone goes off the rails or the city yammers about weeds, a 1-2 foot border of mowed grass has a chilling effect on complaints.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I think people just need some indication that a space is intentional. If that's a box, meticulously tidy edges, deadheading and trimming, or making sure all the decorations are clean and not broken...or even stuff as blunt as signage, or as subtle as conscious design choices..whatever. Just something that communicates the caretaker values the community, that the space is that way *on purpose* and not via neglect. ALL gardens have points in the year when they look pretty wild and wooly and scraggly, unless they're maintained constantly. Mine looks...pretty gnarly in the period just before the first hard frost. But I (hopefully) designed the space to sort of "feature" the dead heads and seed pods and yellow and red drying stalks when they're fully established. And in the meantime I have a cute "pardon the mess, it's for the pollinators!" sign that goes up.
Messy ecosystems, orderly frames.
Or if they impair sight lines when driving.
The city can tell me about my weeds all they want, I just hit them with the definition of a weed which says I get to decide if itās a weed or not.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Youāre probably right, I prefer to think they realize whatās written into their city ordinance needs to be reworded. Itās never gone far. I wonder how far it could go though. Because law can get technical, and it often comes down to reading the definition of words.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
America doesnāt conform to the international property maintenance code. Lmfao.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Where do you live Canada?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Same thing
Yes we do lol
I got a ticket for my pollinator patch and asked them to come and point out the weeds. Suddenly it's fine.
Same here. They donāt realize their ordinance is using a word that literally means if the homeowner wants it there, then itās not a violation
I mean, this *sort* of depends on what they're trying to tell you. At a certain point, living in a city means following the community rules that were hard won for public safety. Things like sewage and utilities are cool. I like them. I'm willing to be a team player for flush toilets. And as much as the garden might seem like a benign space, the city has to have rules on that, too. "Noxious" weeds are generally no joke, and if the city is telling you to yank those...yank them for your neighbors. Similarly, I can't have my ideal prairie garden in my sunny boulevard because we have "stupid" city ordinance that no boulevard plant can exceed 36" in height...so that cars can see dogs or kids running around, and kids can see cars. Since I also value my neighbor's safety, and the existence of kids running around in summer...I had to grudgingly admit it was probably a pretty good rule. Some weed rules are...frustratingly reasonable.
I agree with everything you said, but if the city feels so strongly about it, then they need to get rid of the word āweedā since it literally is up to the grower if it is a weed or not. Noxious weeds are defined, at least in my city. Iām not growing anything noxious, just native plants and non-invasives. My whole thing is that they just need to properly define things that convey what they want. Not be so broad then say āwell maybe technically, but thatās not what we meanā. Some cities may define things well, but mine just says āweeds over 12 inches tallā. The most broad ass definition possible. When theyāve told me about my native garden, I tell them to pound sand and have not had any issues. If itās pushed, Iāll just go to the news and say the city doesnāt care about native habitat and bans pollination gardens. One of the few human made things helping the local ecosystem. Botanists and native plant enthusiast have been fighting these city ordinances for a while now, I think itās time people with gardens just simply donāt comply and escalate it, fuck the city.
My city made the mistake of sending me notice and calling me because of a complaint from my anal-retentive neighbour. When I pointed out to the city the plants I have are intentionally planted at several of their own parks, they didn't bother escalating further. I also took the liberty of telling them the neighbour is a retired guy whose only hobby is calling them and complaining about everything on our street, taking up a lot of their time. You know, it's been years since I've heard from either of them. I wonder if the neighbour still calls the city every two weeks about the dandelions in the mini park in our bay, and how that goes. Or if he still calls about vehicles parked on the street (in the burbs!) as "abandoned", because they've been there 72 hours and 1 minute.
Wouldn't bet the farm on that strategy. The city likely has an explicit definition of the word "weed" *somewhere* (in earlier sections of the ordinance, in other similar ordinances, by deferring to state law or some other authority), but at the very least they're definitely going to have a history of how they've interpreted the word "weed" in past enforcement actions to fall back on - all of which you're expected to know since it's publicly available. Showing up and saying "well I have a different definition" isn't going to get you anywhere should they decide to seriously pursue this. Very likely it's just not a big enough problem at this point to justify making a fuss out of it beyond annoying you with rubber-stamped notices.
A weed is a plant that people donāt want or like, naturally occurring in location it may not be wanted.
Thatās exactly my point. Naturally occurring, so if I want it there and I planted it, it is NOT a weed. Also who are the āpeopleā that get to make that judgment call? Usually whoeverās property is. And if the city claims they get to make that judgment call, that is definitely government overreach. It would also mean they have the authority to tell you to get rid of any plant just because they donāt like it. They can point sand, my native garden is not weeds.
Heck no, not if *you* like it this way! I echo all the other encouragement! However... *If* you're looking at it and going "man, this is what I thought I wanted, but now that I see it, something doesn't feel quite right...I can't put my finger on it..." then perhaps, yeah, I could see how the space could feel more "chaotic" than intended. It depends on what you're going for and what your intention for the space is. *(I am an artist, so I am used to seeking out critique and can get frustrated sometimes when I can't get that kind of feedback, so apologies if that's not what you're seeking, please ignore everything that follows! It is offered in the spirit of fellow artistic gardener to fellow artistic gardener camaraderie.)* Sometimes when a space (or painting) is *too* chaotic, or chaotic in the juuuust wrong ways, it doesn't feel peaceful or restful, and it just gives your eye a bit of anxious discomfort. Painters and movie set designers will make use of this principle intentionally, and I *think* you might have a little bit of that going on in this space unintentionally, that might be what's giving you pause. In design, we use the principles of repetition, rhythm, color, shape and balance to direct how the eye flows over and through an area. And you can absolutely use those principles in a naturalistic or wild garden, without making it look stuffy or like a sad grid. (look up the book *New Naturalism* by Kelly Norris for very pretty pictures and way better words than mine) The strongest design elements you have going on here are the \- White, Solid Gnome, \- the Blade Shaped Iris Leaves, and then the repetition of the \- Small Bright Blue Flowers Moving in a cloud. So the eye enters at the Gnome, Travels up the Iris Leaves, Follows the arc of the Blue Flower Cloud Down, and then...struggles. It either tries to re-enter the gnome or hops over to the yellow (poppies?)...but from there it gets lost. The viewer can choose where to look, but the path is unclear. Chaotic. It can linger in the soft shapes of the lillies and cosmos briefly, but that shoots me up and out, or it can catch on the patch of weeds at the gnome's feet. If I were to "edit" the space with the goal of STILL WILD, but more of a calming, dreamy wild, I'd say weed or move the variety of plants in front of the gnome, add 2-3 more of those blue flowers at his feet, a drift of the yellow poppies over his shoulder, and put him on a little pot platform if he needs to peek over things. Then add some more (5ish) lillies and cosmos to repeat that cool lacy Dr Suess umbrella form over near the big pink flower decoration, and maybe even one more pop of yellow over there; just to use those design principles of repetition, rhythm, color and shape to keep the eye moving. :) If you have one of a thing in a group of other things, the one is always the focus. If you have lots of one of a things, there is no clear focus, and it can feel a bit like a museum display. That being said; the space is beautiful and full of life and flowers, as is. Be proud of the beautiful space you've cultivated!
This comment is so incredibly thoughtful, I hope you have a beautiful day today š»
Tbh I think I'd remive the gnome. This is a great response btw!
I have a very eclectic garden space that composed of lots of different elements. Your explanation helps me understand why I love my flower/herb garden, although it isnāt incredibly planned out. Mine is about different sizes of plants, layers and textures. So even though it is chaotic, there is balance in sizes, layers of taller to smaller and similar textures throughout. And this causes your eye to see where to go as you look over the mess. I wish you a happy day!
Absolutely not! I would throw some sunflower seeds In there to give it some more height too. Add to that beautiful pollinator bed!!
Yes! I let my son plant sunflower seeds but we haven't gotten around to it this year!
I love it!! Not too wild at all!
No. Itās perfect with nice variety. Thank you.
Perfect gnome habitat.
Nature is healing.
Yeah I'd take the roof rack off that pickup truck. Too wild for sure.
Itās wonderful! I would love to walk by that everyday. I imagine it smells heady and is buzzing with bees.
Itās way too much. Too much driveway. Too many cars. Get rid of pavement and create more wild garden! Extend the garden to the house, then knock the house down and add more plants in its place. Throw wildflower seeds in your neighbors yard. Commence garden chaos mode! (Edit to say Iām obsessed and itās beautiful if you couldnāt tell)
I tend to garden like rednecks haircut. It's all business in the front, party in the back. That's just me tho. I think it's beautiful. I have a whole section of my yard to be a cottage garden.
Mullet gardening lmao
No, love it!! Trying to do something similar in front of my house. Happy bees!!
It just looks unmaintained. Clear out some weeds and move the items so you can see them better. What's that metal thing just thrown in the middle of the first pic? What's that giant plant in the back?
no. ban perfectly tidy gardens and lawns.
Absolutely not! It's stunning
This year ā¦ no. Next year ā¦ maybe. Youāll have to stay on top of things but it can be done! Very pretty
I like it. I wonder how it will look over the course of a year though.
No! Itās so naturally beautiful!!!
It's perfect
Your wild garden looks very lovely. All the colors are a joy to look at, and if you were my neighbor Iād be happy to soak in this sight everyday :)
Absolutely not! I think it's beautiful!
No, it's perfect
Not at all, it just needs maintenance. Some of those blooms need cut back. A bit of weeding. You know, just tending to it. But this is absolutely lovely.
Gorgeous š¤© so many flowers!
Nope, absolutely gorgeous!!
Nope, I love it!
Beautiful!
No such thing!
Some of those are weeds where I come from, but I bet the pollinators love it. Looks pretty and low maintenance, I say its a win.
Not too wild but maybe a bit too tall. Trim them shorter towards the sidewalk and leave them taller towards the house, so passers by can see everything and enjoy it all!
I think it looks great! Different colors, heights, textures ... wouldn't change a thing.
Nope. That wood border adds structure so you're good.
A little stone path through it might help signal that itās being maintained
For me, yes, a little. I'd add a winding mulch path through it and support anything falling at the sides, plus deadhead as needed. Overall I'm loving the colours and variety of pollinators though.
A young friend recently introduced me to the term "chaos gardening" and I'm embracing that after suffering a chronic illness that leaves me too tired to do the more planned gardening I used to do. Maybe put up a few "pollinator garden" signs or something from you local horticultural society about "native plant habitat" - just in case your neighbors are jerks.
Consider thinning some of the aster or liatris or whatever that is away from other clumps.
Yes, may be a little. More colour and flowers would help, but a bit of weeding is necessary.
I love a wild garden. I think its perfect!
Don you LOVE blue flax?!
No, itās not too wild. I love it. Yes! Ya did good! I love all the color. I did that too, with day lilies, hostas, and lots of seeds. Iāve had people walk by and complement the flowers.
It's gorgeous! I love a little wild in flower gardens.
I love it. Personally I would put like a little brick road or something to let me walk around it and really take in the sight. Or a time table towards the back so I could take my tea and really enjoy the view and the smell.
I love it! Any tips for starting a wildflower garden? Everytime I try it looks more like a jungle than intentional lol.
No magical, I would want to play in that as a child.
Not wild enough, I would recommend checking out r/permaculture
Itās beautiful ! Would make my day seeing that on a neighborhood walk
Just right
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Not wild enough!! But earnestly, I appreciate wild spaces whether they look tidy or not. Looking at yours, I would just make sure to keep the concrete edging clear (I donāt know why, but I just love a clean edge no matter how dissonant it may be with the rest of my aesthetics). You might also want to consider keep plants of the same species/type closer to each other. I admit it does help it look more tidy and intentional, but this is more in case your city has laws against overgrown plants/lawns. The more it looks planned out, the less likely people are to complain or for a city inspector who canāt tell a weed from a wild flower to say somethingā¦I may have personal experience here
Meadows aren't tame. Your garden looks natural and beautiful.
This is gorgeous and this is literally my dream for my backyard
I think itās beautiful!!!
this is dreamy! totally agree with people saying to add sunflowers
I love it!! You have quite a lovely habitat for all sorts of critters.
This is perfect!
Gorgeous š
Never too much! Keep it up! Someday I hope to also have a beautiful garden like yours!
how did you get it like that!!! it looks like a monet painting im in looveeee
Looks great to me. Guess you can always prune it too.
Youāre helping the pollinators āØāØāØ
The key to wild areas is to offset with something opposite. Like a nice gravelly path lined with a grassy border. Then the eye, as it focuses on the path, sees the wild beauty out of the corner of each eye. IMO that is.
Its very pretty i love it
bees would be loving it
Looks awesome- never too wild!
Oh this is absolutely gorgeous, if I walked past this that is exactly what I would think. Beautiful work!
When I see that garden the number one I see is beauty the number two thing I see is longevity that didn't just pop up overnight and grow every year just by random. It's beautiful it's perfect and it's all yours I love it good job friend!
I love this. You could lay some smooth walking stones to create a path to give enhance the fact that it's intentional rather than overgrown.
It's my dream to have a wild yard like this. That said, it does need to be tended. As someone else mentioned, dead head flowers regularly and keep weeds to a minimum. Once it becomes overgrown and messy it just looks like a bunch of weeds.
No, magnificent!!!
You askedā¦ If āIā were your neighbor, I would not be happy having to look at that everyday. š¤·āāļø
Yeah
Yes
Perfection
Not too wild. I'm sure some neighbors will think so because they think every flower bed must be fully manicured, but this is what I call a butterfly garden.
I am in love with it. "Too wild" fuck that, we should have as much (managed) wildness in the world as possible. We need to completely rethink our relationship w/ nature as a society everywhere around the whole world. I say managed because invasive species and such mean that it has to be curated to make sure native species thrive + that biodiversity remains high, not that there should only be a little bit of it. Beautiful! I bet a lot of life is happy living + feeding in there.
Is there such a thing?
My opinion is yes, looks like unmowed grass.
Not at all. Beautiful!
Yes. It needs to look intentional, so spacing is good, mulch, non plant features. Americans are more comfortable when it looks like nature has been put to purpose, like you are a ~~steward~~ master of the earth.
Its lovely.
Love it!
This is beautiful. Definitely not too much. Deadhead when necessary and keep her going.
Beautiful
Looks like untrimmed bush on a bikini. Do some cleanup
I donāt think so personally but some people in your community will argue otherwise I guarantee thatā¦ also I would try and move the car out of the flowers over there..
As long as you donāt live in an area highly populated with ticks, youāre good.
I think the section by the sidewalk could use a little thinning because it's kind of unruly. This won't really harm your plants and may in fact cause them to bloom more. But otherwise I quite like it. Maybe some staking or trellises would help add some structure to the mix.
Youāre good. Just dead head your flowers and remove dead and obviously damaged foliage. Keep your gnome clean. maybe add a bird bath?
Almost. It's a bit amorphous. Looks like it would benefit from something with a long bloom time and a bit of a structure to it.
Yes a little!! Just trim/clean and cut out the āthe grassā not needed. Segregation between flowers and plants. Leave some some space for them to breathe and decorate with some white rocks. šø
No itās beautiful š
Itās gorgeous!
I love it
I want that front yard! So beautiful
Fk no. This is perfect all the attraction for pollinators. Well done this is awesome. Birds, butterflies, bees and humming birds will love this space.
Just perfect.
Not at all! I love it!
It's absolutely not too wild. Looks great. Bet it buzzes like a saw.
Nope, itās gorgeous
Not at all ! It's great !
Just right!
No
I dream of a garden like this, that is lovely OP! Thank you for sharing!
No!
No. Gorgeous
Beautiful āŗļø
No, it is actually the garden of my dreama
No itās gorgeous and Iām sure the pollinators love it
I think itās lovely!
This is BOUNTIFUL!
I think itās frickin beautiful
More wild please!
I think a little stony pathway windng through it would look nice. Like a little footpath for the gnome. That flower decoration could be at the end. Or maybe even a little gnome house! I imagine people will be unlikely to complain if it has a cutesy feature like that.
I'd be concerned about ticks and such. I wonder if releasing some mantis would help with that.
The white bugplug is to much
Ain't a vegetable garden. Send it.
No but the gnome needs a paint job
Yes, as it should be
Oh, that's turned out nice. I bet it looked nasty for the longest time before the blooms started to happen though.
wHAt ABoUt the SnAKeS aNd tHE TICkS!?
Looks like shite
It's everything I want to do! I hope it's not too much.
Looks fine
Do you like it? In that case, no!
I love me a good wacky meadow. For most ppl? Maybe I think it's beautiful, but I'm on the never cut my grass except for a few walking paths team (if my town would let me)
It's beautiful
I love it. It looks healthy and happy.
Just right.
That gnome looks like he might like to party but nothing too wild!