Naturalistic gardens

Naturalistic garden design is, of all the styles we work with across South West London and Surrey, the one that rewards patience most generously. A well-planted naturalistic scheme improves every year. It develops complexity, self-seeds into unexpected combinations, builds relationships between plants that no designer could fully anticipate, and carries interest across every month of the year in ways that few other approaches can match.

It is also, despite appearances, a style that requires more skill to design well than it does to maintain. The effortless, flowing quality of a mature naturalistic planting scheme is the result of deliberate choices – about species selection, layering, successional interest and the conditions each plant needs to thrive. A scheme that looks relaxed and spontaneous has almost always been precisely designed to look that way.

The naturalistic approach draws on the principles developed by Piet Oudolf, Dan Pearson, Nigel Dunnett and the New Perennial movement that has shaped progressive garden design in the UK and Europe over the past three decades. Its core idea is that a garden should be designed around how plants actually grow and behave in nature – in communities, in layers, responding to the seasons honestly rather than performing a single designed moment before collapsing. The result is a garden that looks as interesting in November as it does in July, that supports insects and birds in ways that more controlled planting cannot, and that develops genuine character as it matures rather than requiring constant replanting to maintain its appearance.

For homeowners across Kingston, Surbiton, Esher, Richmond and the surrounding areas of Surrey, naturalistic design offers something else too: a garden that responds well to the conditions that Surrey clay imposes. The heavy, fertile, moisture-retentive London Clay that underlies so much of our working area is, in the right hands, an asset for naturalistic planting rather than a limitation. Many of the most effective naturalistic species – the tall prairie perennials, the moisture-loving grasses, the robust self-seeders – are exactly the plants that thrive in the conditions Surrey gardens provide.

What defines a naturalistic garden

Naturalistic design is defined not by a visual style but by a philosophy about how plants should be selected and combined. Understanding that philosophy is essential to understanding why a naturalistic scheme performs the way it does.

The first principle is that plants should be chosen for their fitness to the conditions of the site rather than their appearance alone. A species that struggles in your soil and aspect will perform badly however beautiful it looks in a nursery. A species that is well-matched to your conditions will establish, spread, and look increasingly at home over time. This sounds obvious, but it is the most common reason why naturalistic gardens fail – beautiful plants from inappropriate habitats placed in conditions they cannot sustain.

The second principle is layering. Naturalistic planting is built in structural layers, broadly equivalent to the layers of a natural habitat: a canopy layer of trees or large shrubs, an understorey layer of medium shrubs and tall perennials, a ground layer of low perennials and ground cover, and a bulb layer that operates below and between everything else. Each layer supports the others, fills in gaps and provides interest at different heights and at different times of year.

The third principle is successional interest. A naturalistic scheme is designed to have something of value at every point in the year, not to perform brilliantly for three months and then look exhausted. Early spring bulbs give way to emerging perennial growth. May and June bring the first flush of flowering. July, August and September deliver the main flowering season. October and November reveal the seedheads, grasses and late perennials that carry the scheme into winter. December, January and February are the months when structural decisions made in the design are most visible and most valued.

The fourth principle is honest maintenance. Naturalistic gardens do not maintain themselves, and claiming otherwise misrepresents the style. They require less constant attention than bedding-heavy or formal clipped schemes, but the maintenance they do need – the annual cut-back, the editing of spreaders, the occasional division of large clumps – requires horticultural knowledge to do correctly. The difference is that the work is seasonal and satisfying rather than routine and mechanical.

Naturalistic gardens in the Surrey context

Surrey's landscape heritage makes it a particularly fitting setting for naturalistic design. The chalk grasslands, ancient woodlands and river meadows of the wider Surrey Hills and Thames corridor are the native plant communities from which many of the best naturalistic garden plants are directly drawn or ecologically related. Designing a naturalistic garden in Esher or Cobham is, in a real sense, designing in dialogue with the landscape immediately beyond the garden boundary.

The urban and suburban gardens of Kingston, Surbiton, Richmond and Twickenham present a different but equally compelling case. In a dense residential area, a naturalistic garden is a genuine contribution to local biodiversity – a corridor for insects, birds and small mammals moving between green spaces. The relationship between garden design and ecological value is one that Craig Davis and the Flourish team take seriously, and naturalistic planting is the style that most directly expresses it.

Surrey's London Clay subsoil brings both challenge and opportunity. The clay is fertile and moisture-retentive, which suits the majority of naturalistic species extremely well. The robust prairie and meadow perennials that form the backbone of most naturalistic schemes – Persicaria, Echinacea, Sanguisorba, Actaea, Rudbeckia – are all adapted to fertile, reliably moist soils and will grow with genuine vigour on Surrey clay. The challenge, as with all clay gardens, is drainage. Where the water table is high or where the clay has been compacted, standing water in winter can damage root systems and create anaerobic conditions that few perennials tolerate well. Addressing drainage before planting is what allows the fertility of the clay to be an asset rather than a liability.

Soil preparation for naturalistic planting on Surrey clay

The preparation work for a naturalistic planting scheme on Surrey clay is less intensive than for a Mediterranean garden, which requires the most significant drainage intervention, but it is not negligible.

The first step is assessing the drainage. On sites where water stands for more than 48 hours after heavy rainfall, a drainage solution is needed before planting. This may be as simple as deep cultivation and grit incorporation on a modestly challenging site, or it may require a French drain or sub-surface drainage network on a more severely impeded site. We assess this at the initial site visit and include drainage provision in the cost plan where it is necessary.

The second step is soil structure improvement. Clay that has been compacted – by foot traffic, construction activity, or simply the weight of the soil itself over time – will not allow root penetration to the depth that tall prairie perennials need to anchor themselves and access moisture in dry periods. Deep cultivation to a minimum depth of 400mm, followed by the incorporation of organic matter and coarse grit at a ratio of approximately 20–30% by volume, opens the structure and allows roots to establish freely. On sites where topsoil has been stripped or contaminated during construction, importing a quality loam-based topsoil is the most reliable solution.

The third step is establishing the planting on an appropriate mulch layer. A 75mm layer of good quality composted bark mulch applied after planting suppresses weed germination, retains moisture in the first growing season, and gradually conditions the soil surface as it decomposes. On clay soils, organic mulching is one of the highest-return maintenance interventions available and we include it as standard in all Flourish planting installations.

Planting for a naturalistic garden on Surrey clay

The species list for a naturalistic garden is longer and more varied than for most other styles, because the layered, successional character of the planting requires different species contributing at different times and at different scales. What follows is a detailed guide to the plants that perform most reliably in Surrey conditions across each layer and season.

Structural backdrop plants

These are the plants that provide the largest-scale framework of the scheme – the elements that are visible first and that give the planting its overall character and rhythm. They are typically the tallest plants in the border and are planted in bold, repeated sweeps rather than as individuals.

Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Firetail' – one of the most reliable and rewarding perennials available for Surrey clay. Produces slender crimson flower spikes continuously from June until the first hard frost, with a flowering season that exceeds almost any other herbaceous perennial. The bold, broadly oval leaves create substantial ground cover through the season. Fully hardy, tolerant of heavy clay and moderate shade. Spreads steadily but is not invasive. Divides easily every four to five years to maintain vigour and control spread.

Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Alba' – the white form of the same species, providing a quieter counterpoint to 'Firetail' in a mixed scheme. Equally vigorous and equally tolerant of Surrey conditions.

Sanguisorba officinalis 'Red Thunder' – a tall, airy perennial with deep wine-red bobble flowers on long, wiry stems from July to October. The branching, translucent habit creates depth in a planting scheme, allowing shorter plants to show through beneath it. Tolerant of clay and moisture. Associates well with grasses.

Actaea simplex 'Atropurpurea Group' – a tall, late-season perennial producing white bottlebrush flowers in September and October above deeply cut, dark purple-bronze foliage. The combination of dark leaf colour and late flowering makes it one of the most valuable plants in a naturalistic scheme. Tolerant of clay soils and partial shade.

Veronicastrum virginicum 'Fascination' – tall, upright spires of pale lilac-pink flowers from July to September, followed by persistent structural seedheads. The architectural, candelabra-like branching structure is invaluable in a naturalistic planting. Tolerant of clay soils and full sun to partial shade.

Filipendula rubra 'Venusta' – queen of the prairie. A large, imposing perennial producing billowing clouds of deep pink flower heads in June and July above bold, divided foliage. Perfectly suited to the moist, fertile conditions of Surrey clay. Particularly effective at the back of a deep border or in a large naturalistic scheme.

Mid-layer perennials

For detailed variety recommendations and planting advice for Surrey conditions, see our Echinacea guide.

These plants operate at mid-border height and provide the bulk of the flowering interest through the main summer and early autumn season. They are the most visible layer from the main viewpoints into the garden.

Echinacea purpurea – purple coneflower. One of the cornerstones of naturalistic planting, producing bold daisy flowers in shades from white through pink to deep magenta-purple from July to September. The central cones persist through winter as structural seedheads. The cultivar 'Magnus' is particularly reliable in Surrey conditions, with large flowers on sturdy stems. 'White Swan' is the best white form. Tolerant of clay but benefits from reasonable drainage. Loved by bees and butterflies throughout its long flowering season.

Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm' – one of the most reliably performing perennials for Surrey clay. Golden-yellow daisy flowers with dark centres from August to October, followed by persistent seed heads that birds feed on through winter. Tolerant of clay, moisture and partial shade. Spreads steadily to form effective weed-suppressing masses.

Phlox paniculata cultivars – the border phlox is too often overlooked in contemporary naturalistic planting. The cultivars 'Blue Paradise', 'Starfire' and 'White Admiral' produce large, scented flower heads in July and August and associate beautifully with grasses. Tolerant of clay soils and an excellent food source for moths and butterflies. Susceptible to powdery mildew in dry conditions; watering at the root rather than overhead and ensuring good air circulation around the plants reduces this significantly.

Astrantia major – masterwort. A quietly beautiful perennial producing intricate, papery flower heads in shades of white, pink and deep crimson from May through to August if dead-headed regularly. The cultivar 'Roma' is among the most reliable pink forms. 'Ruby Wedding' provides a deeper, darker flower with good vigour. Tolerant of clay soils and partial shade. Self-seeds gently but not invasively, which is desirable in a naturalistic scheme.

Thalictrum delavayi 'Hewitt's Double' – a tall, elegant perennial with finely divided foliage and airy sprays of double lilac pompom flowers from July to September. The translucent, hovering quality of the flower heads creates depth in a mixed planting. Tolerant of clay soils and partial shade. Requires staking on exposed sites.

Geranium 'Rozanne' – one of the most widely planted hardy geraniums and still one of the best. Violet-blue flowers from June continuously until the first frost on a sprawling, weed-suppressing mass of foliage. Associates well with grasses and taller perennials. Tolerant of clay soils, sun and partial shade. Reliable and unfussy.

Leucanthemum x superbum 'Becky' – the Shasta daisy provides clean white flowers at midsummer in July and August, a period when many naturalistic schemes lack contrast. Sturdy stems, good disease resistance, and tolerance of Surrey clay conditions. Combines particularly well with yellow rudbeckia and blue salvias.

Grasses

Our ornamental grasses guide covers the full range of species including establishment, cutting back and division.

Ornamental grasses are the element that most distinguishes naturalistic planting from other styles. They provide movement, transparency, structure through winter, and a quality of light-catching that no broadleaf plant replicates. They are also among the most robust plants for Surrey clay, establishing reliably and requiring minimal input once settled.

Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea 'Transparent' – tall transparent moor grass. The most graceful grass for large naturalistic schemes, producing tall, arching stems of tiny flowers from August onwards that are diaphanous in quality – you can see through them to the planting behind. The stems turn golden amber in autumn and remain standing through winter before collapsing in early spring. Tolerant of clay soils and reliable across Surrey conditions.

Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea 'Windspiel' – a slightly shorter, more upright form of the same species, better suited to exposed positions. The late-season movement in wind is among the most beautiful qualities any garden plant possesses.

Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' – the most upright and architectural grass for naturalistic schemes, providing vertical emphasis that the more graceful Molinia cannot. The stiff, upright flower stems emerge in June and remain standing through winter. Tolerant of clay soils and some shade. Divides easily.

Deschampsia cespitosa 'Goldtau' – tufted hair grass. A compact, fine-textured grass producing clouds of golden flower spikelets from June that catch the light beautifully. Tolerant of heavier clay soils than most grasses and of moderate shade. Excellent as a ground-level element beneath taller perennials.

Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah' – switchgrass. A medium-height, upright grass with outstanding autumn colour – the foliage turns deep red from September onwards and persists with good colour until the winter cut-back. Tolerant of clay soils and reliable in Surrey conditions.

Spring and early season interest

Naturalistic planting requires as much attention to the early months as to the peak season. Bulbs provide the spring layer and are among the highest-value interventions available at low cost.

Camassia leichtlinii – the most useful bulb for naturalistic planting on Surrey clay. Produces tall spires of blue-violet flowers in May, naturalises well in grass, and tolerates the moist conditions of clay soils readily. Camassia leichtlinii 'Caerulea' is the richest blue form. Camassia quamash is shorter and more suitable for grass naturalisation.

Narcissus species and cultivars for naturalising – the smaller-flowered species narcissi naturalise more convincingly in a naturalistic scheme than large-flowered hybrids. Narcissus pseudonarcissus, the native wild daffodil, is outstanding in grass. Narcissus 'Jetfire' and 'Tête-à-tête' are reliable smaller-flowered hybrids.

Tulipa sprengeri – the latest-flowering tulip species, producing vivid scarlet-red flowers in May and June when most tulips are over. Unlike most tulips, it naturalises well in light grass and freely self-seeds on free-draining soils. A small and often overlooked plant with an outsized impact.

Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation' – the ornamental onion is invaluable in naturalistic schemes for its spherical purple flower heads in May and June at a height of around 90cm. The bare stems persist after the flowers fade and add structural interest for weeks. Associates beautifully with Geranium 'Rozanne' and emerging grasses.

Geranium phaeum – the mourning widow geranium produces its small, dark purple flowers in May and June – earlier than most other geraniums – and is one of the most reliable shade-tolerant ground cover plants for a naturalistic scheme under trees or along north-facing boundaries. Self-seeds freely and tolerates heavy clay.

Ground cover and weed suppression

In a naturalistic scheme, weed suppression comes from planting density and ground cover rather than from mulch alone. The following plants provide effective, attractive ground cover that prevents weed establishment between taller perennials.

Alchemilla mollis – lady's mantle. One of the most useful ground cover plants available. Produces frothy acid-green flowers in June, self-seeds prolifically and creates a weed-suppressing carpet between larger plants. The pleated leaves collect dew in the morning in a way that is genuinely beautiful. Tolerant of heavy clay and moderate shade. Needs cutting back in July after flowering to encourage a fresh flush of foliage.

Geranium macrorrhizum – big-root cranesbill. A robust, semi-evergreen ground cover producing pink or white flowers in May and June on low, spreading mats of aromatic foliage that colour well in autumn. One of the most effective weed suppressors in the genus and tolerant of dry shade once established – a valuable quality under deciduous trees on Surrey clay.

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' – Siberian bugloss. Large, silver-splashed heart-shaped leaves and sprays of blue forget-me-not flowers in April and May. Among the most valuable shade-tolerant ground cover plants for naturalistic schemes under trees. Tolerant of heavy clay and deep shade.

Pulmonaria 'Blue Ensign' – lungwort. An early-flowering ground cover producing vivid blue flowers from February through to April, providing interest at a time of year when very little else is contributing to the planting. The spotted foliage is attractive through the growing season. Tolerant of shade and clay soils.

Trees and shrubs for the structural layer

Naturalistic planting benefits from an upper canopy layer that creates habitat, provides shade for moisture-loving plants beneath, and gives the garden a sense of scale and permanence.

Amelanchier lamarckii – snowy mespilus. One of the most useful small trees for naturalistic gardens in Surrey. White blossom in April, green summer foliage, vivid orange-red autumn colour, and clean winter branching. A multi-stem form creates a more naturalistic effect than a standard. Tolerant of clay soils.

Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' – dogwood. In naturalistic schemes, the coloured-stem dogwoods provide winter interest that few other shrubs match. 'Midwinter Fire' has orange and yellow stems that glow in low winter light. Cut back hard every two to three years in early spring to encourage the strongest stem colour.

Viburnum opulus – guelder rose. A native shrub producing white lacecap flowers in June, translucent red berries in autumn and rich autumn leaf colour. One of the most wildlife-valuable shrubs available for Surrey gardens. Tolerant of clay soils and moisture. Self-seeds gently in naturalistic conditions.

Rosa glauca – a species rose grown primarily for its glaucous blue-purple foliage and single pink flowers. The red hips are among the most decorative of any rose in autumn. Associates beautifully with purple-flowered perennials. Tolerant of clay soils and partial shade.

Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace' – black elder. The finely cut, almost black foliage of this cultivar provides a striking, dark backdrop to light-coloured flowering perennials from June onwards. The pink flower heads in June are attractive and the black berries that follow are valuable to birds. Tolerant of clay soils and some shade. Cut back hard every two years if large-leaved, bold growth is preferred over flowering.

Maintenance for a naturalistic garden

The maintenance of a naturalistic garden is seasonal, horticultural and satisfying – it rewards engagement with the garden and an understanding of how the plants are developing. It is not, however, negligible.

The annual cut-back is the most significant maintenance event of the year. In late February, before new growth emerges, the entire scheme is cut back to ground level or to a few centimetres above it. Grasses are cut to 10–15cm from the ground. Perennials are cut hard, removing all the previous year's growth. This is the moment when the previous season's seedheads finally come down, having contributed their structural value through winter. It takes a full day in an established planting of any size and requires the right equipment.

Editing and management through the season involves removing self-seeders that have germinated in inappropriate places, cutting back vigorous spreaders such as Alchemilla mollis and Geranium after the first flowering to prevent them dominating neighbours, and staking any taller perennials that require support on exposed sites.

Division is needed every three to five years for most perennials, particularly Persicaria, Echinacea and Phlox, to maintain vigour and prevent the centre of established clumps dying out. This is best done in early spring and provides the opportunity to increase the planting or share divisions with neighbouring areas of the scheme.

Weed management in the first two to three years requires consistent attention. Once the planting is established and the canopy closes, weed pressure reduces significantly, but in the establishment phase – particularly on Surrey clay where weed seeds are abundant – regular hand-weeding is necessary to allow young plants to establish without competition.

The Flourish maintenance team offers structured seasonal maintenance programmes for naturalistic planting schemes, timed correctly for the plants and the season rather than carried out on a fixed schedule regardless of what the garden needs.

How Flourish designs and builds naturalistic gardens

Naturalistic planting is a style that sits at the heart of Craig Davis's approach to garden design. Craig's BSc (Hons) in Horticulture and three decades of practical experience across Surrey and South West London inform an understanding of plant communities and ecological planting that goes well beyond the purely visual. The multi-generational family connection to the gardens of Ham and the wider Surrey area, beginning with Gerald Davis in 1955, brings a depth of knowledge about how plants actually behave in these specific conditions over time – knowledge that cannot be acquired from a book.

Eli Jacobacci, our in-house garden designer, develops the planting scheme in collaboration with Craig from an initial site assessment that covers soil type and condition, drainage, aspect, existing vegetation and the client's maintenance appetite. For naturalistic schemes, the design process involves selecting species that are genuinely matched to the conditions of the site rather than simply choosing from a catalogue of popular plants. The difference in long-term performance is significant.

Our construction team prepares the ground correctly before a plant goes in – decompacting the clay, incorporating organic matter, installing drainage where needed, and mulching the completed planting to establish conditions in which the scheme will thrive from day one.

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