The ‘chaos garden’ trend promises colorful, stress-free flowerbeds. Is it actually as easy as it sounds?

Gardening in Colorado takes work.  

You prepare the soil, choose what you want to plant, and lay out a design. Then once things start to grow, there’s all that weeding, pruning and manicuring – most of which is trickier given the Front Range’s tough soil and fickle climate.  

Or – you could just grab a few random seed packets, sprinkle them over a patch of bare ground, and sit back and wait for those wildflowers to explode in a riot of color. 

That's the idea behind a new trend that's taking over social media called chaos gardening. 

Chaos gardens appeal to folks who want to embrace the joy of gardening without all that sweat equity. Proponents say it's also a no-fuss way to create habitat for pollinators. 

But is chaos gardening really as simple as garden TikTok or Instagram makes it look?  

Deryn Davidson, a sustainable landscape specialist with CSU Extension, recently wrote about the trend. She told Erin O’Toole that fall is a great time to plant your own chaos garden, as long as you’re willing to put at least minimal effort into it. 

Deryn also shared some recommendations for flowers that should thrive and attract pollinators to a Front Range chaos garden.  

Check out our recent conversation with Deryn about how state law supports homeowners who want to incorporate water-efficient plants into their landscaping without pushback from their HOA. 

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Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
 
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

What is In The NOCO?

KUNC's In The NOCO is a daily look at the stories, news, people and issues important to you. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show explores the big stories of the day, bringing context and insight to issues that matter. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we explore the lighter side of news, highlighting what makes this state such an incredible place to live.