Chaos Gardening: Planting with trust and love
- Rachel Howarth
- May 11
- 3 min read
There’s something super freeing about tossing a handful of seeds into the soil and letting Mother Nature do her thing. No neat rows, no spacing charts, no overthinking. Just you, a packet (or three) of seeds, and the joyful messiness of chaos gardening. And honestly? It might be the most satisfying way to grow beauty and support your local pollinators — especially when you time it with the waxing moon.
What Is Chaos Gardening?
Put simply, chaos gardening is the art of scattering seeds with no strict plan and seeing what flourishes. Think of it as wildflower sowing’s free-spirited cousin. You mix a medley of easy-grow, pollinator-friendly plants and let them jostle for space. It’s gardening for the soul — spontaneous, forgiving, and full of delightful surprises.
Perfect for busy lives, tired minds, and anyone who’s ever looked at seed packets and thought, “Ey, I’ll just chuck the lot in and see what happens.”
Why Chaos Gardening Works So Well
✨Low effort, big reward. No digging trenches or pricking out fiddly seedlings.
✨Great for bees and butterflies. A mix of blooms means a buffet of nectar and pollen.
✨Self-seeders keep coming back. Many chaos favourites reappear year after year.
✨It’s good for the soul. A gentle reminder to trust the process and let go of control — especially when life feels a bit much.
✨Children love it. It’s a brilliant, carefree way to get little ones involved without worrying about straight lines.
When to Sow: Follow the Waxing Moon
For those of us who like a bit of moon-guided rhythm in our gardening, sowing your chaos mix just after the New Moon — during the waxing phase — is ideal. This is when the moon is growing in light, and energy is said to be rising, making it a lovely time to plant anything that grows above ground.
If you’re reading this in spring, keep an eye out for the first dry spell after a New Moon — pop your seeds in then, and let nature do her thing.
How to Chaos Garden (Yorkshire-style)
Pick your patch. A border, wild corner, raised bed or even some big pots — whatever you’ve got.
Rough it up. Lightly rake or scuff the soil to loosen it. No need to get precious.
Scatter your seeds. Mix ‘em all together with a little compost or sand if it’s easier.
Pat down. Lightly press them into the soil with your hands or feet. Don’t bury them deep.
Water gently. Give the soil a little soak if there’s no rain on the way.
Wait and watch. Resist the urge to over-weed — let the chaos settle in.
Perfect Pollinator-Friendly Seeds for Chaos Gardening
Here’s a lovely mix of pinks, lilacs, and pastels — all easy to grow and kind to bees, butterflies and other garden friends. I’ve noted whether they’re annual (A) or perennial (P), or (B) biennial and some even self-seed (S), so they’ll come back on their own.
To buy, click the links below!
💜 Love in a mist 'Miss Jekyll' indigo blue
A/S
💜 Desert bluebell - (Phacelia campanularia)
A
💜Corn cockle -(Agrostemma Githago)
A/S
Silene 'Coeli rosa' mix
A
Cosmos 'Candy Stripe'
A/S
Blueweed Flower Mix
B/P
Cosmos 'Radiance’
A/S
Borage
A/S
Scabiosa
P/S
Final Thoughts
There’s real magic in letting go and letting the garden decide. Chaos gardening isn’t about results — it’s about connection, wildness, and sharing your space with creatures who desperately need it. It’s also incredibly Yorkshire in spirit: no faff, just flowers.
So grab your seeds, wait for that waxing moon, and get scattering. Let the bees buzz, the butterflies flutter, and the garden do what it does best — grow, in its own beautiful way.
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