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Wild by Design: Naturalistic Gardening for Modern Australian Landscapes
How to create a biodiverse, climate-proof, plant-driven garden for any space, inspired by the beauty of nature.
'An essential book for anyone exploring the wilder side of gardening.' Paul Bangay
In Wild by Design, Tim Pilgrim shares the joys of naturalistic gardening – an approach inspired by the dynamic beauty of untamed plants, the garden as wildlife habitat, the rhythm of the seasons, our future climate, and the visual rewards of relaxing our need for control.
With stunning photography by Martina Gemmola, Wild by Design presents the creative inspiration, information and tools you'll need to create your own plant-driven naturalistic garden, whether you're starting with an existing garden or a blank slate. Learn
- soil
- materials
- composition
- propagation
- maintenance.
As well, Tim shares a detailed pictorial guide to his 100 most trusted and useful plants for naturalistic compositions.
More than a how-to guide, though, Wild by Design is a deep reflection on the naturalistic movement in an Australian context, capturing the change, texture, climate, looseness and light that make Australian naturalistic gardens unique in the world. It's a book for ambitious home gardeners both urban and rural, as well as professional landscape designers exploring new philosophies of gardening, and anyone who finds joy in gardens.
'An essential book for anyone exploring the wilder side of gardening.' Paul Bangay
In Wild by Design, Tim Pilgrim shares the joys of naturalistic gardening – an approach inspired by the dynamic beauty of untamed plants, the garden as wildlife habitat, the rhythm of the seasons, our future climate, and the visual rewards of relaxing our need for control.
With stunning photography by Martina Gemmola, Wild by Design presents the creative inspiration, information and tools you'll need to create your own plant-driven naturalistic garden, whether you're starting with an existing garden or a blank slate. Learn
- soil
- materials
- composition
- propagation
- maintenance.
As well, Tim shares a detailed pictorial guide to his 100 most trusted and useful plants for naturalistic compositions.
More than a how-to guide, though, Wild by Design is a deep reflection on the naturalistic movement in an Australian context, capturing the change, texture, climate, looseness and light that make Australian naturalistic gardens unique in the world. It's a book for ambitious home gardeners both urban and rural, as well as professional landscape designers exploring new philosophies of gardening, and anyone who finds joy in gardens.
628 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 2, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 1, 2026
This book has enchanted my soul
Last 4 years I have been very focussed on vegetable gardening, which is amazing, but this book has opened my perspective to the possibilities of a garden - the magic, beauty
All I want to do now with my spare time is garden in a style that suits a local context, that is wild but thoughtfully crafted.
aaaaaaaahhhhh
Last 4 years I have been very focussed on vegetable gardening, which is amazing, but this book has opened my perspective to the possibilities of a garden - the magic, beauty
All I want to do now with my spare time is garden in a style that suits a local context, that is wild but thoughtfully crafted.
aaaaaaaahhhhh
February 18, 2026
my new bible
September 10, 2025
Not just a pretty coffee table book - also so practical for Australian gardening.
December 5, 2025
A fantastic look into creating a garden that will work well within our environment and be beautiful while doing it. Tim Pilgrim's writing is concise and informative but never boring, and all of the images are stunning.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews