New Naturalism: Designing and Planting A Resilient, Ecologically Vibrant Home Garden

by Kelly D. Norris

In New Naturalism, horticulturist and modern plantsman Kelly D. Norris shares his inspiring, ecologically sound vision for home gardens created with stylish yet naturalistic plantings that mimic the wild spaces we covet, such as meadows, prairies, woodlands, and streamsides—far from the contrived, formal, high-maintenance plantings of the past.

Through a basic introduction to plant biology and ecology, you’ll learn how to design and grow a lush, thriving home garden by harnessing the power of plant layers and palettes defined by nature, not humans.

The next generation of home landscapes don’t consist of plants in a row, pruned to perfection and reliant on pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides to survive. Instead, today’s stunning landscapes convey nature's inherent beauty. These gardens are imbued with romance and emotion, yet they have so much more to offer than their gorgeous aesthetics. Naturalistic garden designs, such as those featured in this groundbreaking new book, contribute to positive environmental change by increasing biodiversity, providing a refuge for wildlife, and reconnecting humans to nature. 
 
In the pages of New Naturalism you’ll find: 
Planting recipes for building meadows, prairies, and other grassland-inspired open plantings even in compact, urban settings
Nature-inspired ways to upgrade existing foundation plantings, shrub beds, and flower borders to a wilder aesthetic while still managing the space
Inspiration for taking sidewalk and driveway plantings and turning them into visually soft, welcoming spaces for humans and wildlife alike
Ideas for turning shady landscapes into canopied retreats that celebrate nature 
Creative ways to make an ecologically vibrant garden in even the smallest of spaces

New Naturalism approaches the planting beds around our homes as ecological systems. If properly designed and planted, these areas can support positive environmental change, increase plant and animal diversity, and create a more resilient space that's less reliant on artificial inputs. And they do it all while looking beautiful and improving property values. 

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Nature, Horticulture, Plants

208 pages, Hardcover

Published February 16, 2021

About the author

Kelly D. Norris is one of the leading horticulturists of his generation. In his interdisciplinary studio, he explores the intersections of people, plants, and place through ecological, site-specific design and art.

An award-winning author and plantsman, Kelly’s work in gardens has been featured in The New York Times, Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, Fine Gardening, Garden Design, and numerous television, radio, and digital media appearances. His latest book Your Natural Garden from Cool Springs Press launches in late 2024.

He’s also the founder and curator of The Public Horticulture Company, an emerging ecological landscape startup based in Des Moines, Iowa. The studio also produces the New Naturalism Academy, a virtual school for enthusiastic designers, as a commitment to continuing education and lifelong learning.

He is the former director of horticulture and education at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, where for eight years, he directed efforts in design, curation, programming, garden, and facility management after serving as the owner’s representative to nearly $20 million in capital projects.

Kelly travels widely to explore and study plants in nature. He lives and works at Three Oaks Garden (Des Moines, Iowa), a creative refuge and planting field on a hill above the Des Moines River.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love! I love our garden beds and we have spent a few years trying to make sure that all of the plants are native and that they satisfy the biodiversity of our area, attracting and feeding insects, birds and animals while being relaxing, re-centering places for us to enjoy. They are currently covered with mounds of snow and what PERFECT timing for this read! Chock full of informative articles, suggestions and inspiration for when spring finally comes back! The multitudes of pictures were stunning and I've already taken notes for garden adjustments and adds for next year! It covers everything from pathways and shade to what to plant as ground cover between the blooms. It is very natural and wildflower focused, encouraging you to work towards a garden that requires less work and upkeep as it is a more natural and flowing style. With our garden, we have tried towards a fluidity with one plant ending its bloom as another starts, each working together and always full of bumblebees and butterflies and every photo in this book got me excited to get back to my gardens next spring. Accompanying the pictures were very lengthy, informative articles on topics ranging from soil and architecture to maintaining the gardens 5 years in. The different layers of the garden are discussed at length which was a helpful and informative way to look at the layout, instead of the landscape focus that I have been using. Different plant types are charted to match each of the layers you would want to encourage which is very helpful. Did I mention the gorgeous pictures of those plants? There is even a new take for an unstructured rose garden that I particularly liked. There were multiple layering ideas discussed, for spaces such as rooftop and courtyard as well as container and I loved the ones that focused on incorporating rocks and stone borders and walls within the garden spaces, "softening the hardscapes". Kelly remarked in the writing that he wasn't sure he would be able to fit everything he wanted into this book and I can say that what he did pack in gave me a beautifully illustrated encyclopedic level reference for an ecologically friendly and diverse wild garden and I ++ recommend that if this is something you are interested in incorporating into your home or cottage environment you step into the new naturalism🌿🌎

**Thank-you to Cool Springs Press, Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for the beautiful advance reader copy of this book which will publish January 26, 2020**

[Stacey B · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are books that will always better than what you read
and there are books that will always not as good as what you have read.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the cover of this book and I was really looking forward to reading it. Our yard is very natural and sustainably designed with lots of edible landscaping and plants for wildlife along with garden beds, but I also love incorporating lots of beauty. I was hoping for lots of visual inspiration and also lots of specific plant recommendations with photos, especially for flowers. We have lots of bushes, trees, raised beds, etc. but there are some flowers like echinacea and rudbeckia (black eyed susan) that are such stars in the natural garden for wildlife and long season blooms that I wanted to find more like that of all sizes and seasons and shapes. This book features lots of homes with huge natural expanses that have been carefully rewilded but that's not really the sort of thing I need in my small town yard. There are lots of plant lists and lots of photos of yards with big expanses of grasses and such, but we're not really allowed to have that sort of yard here in our town either, so that wasn't that helpful either. It's a great book and there are lots of photos, but it wasn't the best fit for me.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

New Naturalism is a tutorial, style, and selection guide to designing and implementing resilient and ecologically responsible gardens utilizing a holistic synergy and interdependence between healthy soil, understanding local conditions and wise choice of plant materials. Due out 16th Feb 2021 from Quarto on their Cool Springs Press imprint, it's 208 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

There is certainly no shortage of gardening advice to be found. I find myself enthusiastically clipping pictures of garden layouts and styles which appeal to me but wind up being completely impractical to implement. This book does an unusually fine job of giving solid information on the interplay of soil, siting, local climate, culture, and plant selection. In choosing plants wisely we allow them to do what they were *built* to do, instead of torturing them into conforming to follow potentially unrealistic expectations of what *we* want them to do.

This book allows gardeners to take a close look at what sort of garden spaces they have and gives concrete advice on planning those spaces based on that information to allow the chosen plants who are at home in those environments (wet, dry, rocky, sandy, etc) to thrive.

It's split into two main sections. The first chapters provide a thorough grounding in different types of planting environment and techniques for building robust ecologically diverse garden spaces. The second (larger) part of the book provide "palettes" for different spaces: open landscapes, planting around the outdoor living spaces, using hardscape areas, and shady/dappled areas. Each of the planting sections contains numerous suggestions and tutorials for finding and choosing planting material.

Plants throughout the book are listed by both common and botanical (Latin) nomenclature for clarity. The book is beautifully photographed throughout with color photos on nearly every page. This is a solidly useful book full of good advice which goes way way beyond the single chapter on xeriscaping offered by most gardening books.

Five stars. This would be a superlative selection for library acquisition, gardening groups, community gardens, home gardeners and the like.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[M A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had my copy -a review copy -for a while now. LOVE IT. I've read it twice and thoroughly. Loved it so much, I bought several, including a couple for the staff of the Idaho Botanical Garden. Well, Kelly is a great writer, a plantsman/horticulturist of the highest order, and he doesn't try to shame the reader or convince them they've been doing it wrong for decades. He included loads of plant lists. It's helpful, encouraging and entirely do-able. And I love "ecologically vibrant." Norris walks the reader through the process of planting with an eye toward enriching overall habitat for all involved: pollinators, mammals, and plants. This is a simple process, adaptable for tiny city gardens or sprawling acreage, asking us to look beyond just "pretty" and at the substance of our gardening.

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure what I expected, but this wasn't it. A lot of interesting details on how to plan and organize your plants. How to deal with soil, landscape, etc. which is good, but as a novice gardener who just wanted to find ways to have a more sustainable landscape this was way more information than needed. If you are a super organized person, and like to have plans and structure in all aspects of life, then this book is for you. Felt a bit didactic at times, and while that is not always bad, it was not what I was seeking for a more relaxed and natural setting.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in Kelly Norris's New Naturalism. Certainly, there were some good ideas in his book, but his writing was so weedy that my goal became simply to get to the end of it.

Right plant, right place. Right word, right context.

[Tiffanie22 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have heard Kelly D. Norris on many podcasts and always enjoy hearing him talk. So when I learned he had written this new book, I ordered it right away! The book is divided into two sections: Understanding Plants and Planting Palettes. The first covers some theory for the New Naturalism style of gardening, the second provides some guidelines to put the first into practice given certain conditions, and includes suggested plant lists for each layer of planting. I really enjoyed the drool-worthy photos throughout the book! They are beautiful and inspirational! They show many different ideas, from different parts of the world. Each garden seems to feature natives, near-natives and plants from other parts of the world that thrive in similar conditions and provide ecological benefit. Likewise, the plant suggestions supposedly do the same, however, all plant names are in latin, without common names present. This is my biggest hurdle with using this book...as a new gardener, I am not familiar with the latin names so I cannot picture any of the plants referenced. In order to make use of these lists, I will need to rely heavily on google. I will definitely use these lists as I continue on my quest to create an ecologically valuable landscape, and I really liked the matrix-structure-vignette approach to planting. While I really enjoyed this, I have knocked the score down to 3.5 from 4 due to the extra work it will take me to work through the plant lists.

[Kimberly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know there are some people that don't believe in giving a star rating to a book which was not read in full and to those I say, "Look away!" :-)

This book was a big, fat DNF for me which is too bad because I was excited to read it since I am a landscape maintenance professional and passionate about the subject. My problem with this book is that it is written in a very inaccessible style with language so dense that I found my mind wandering each time I tried to read it. In addition to the style, I found that a quarter of the way through the book very little had been actually said that couldn't have been said in a few better worded paragraphs.

I realize that since my dislike of this book related to the style in which it was written, others may enjoy reading it just fine. Don't let my opinion dissuade you. Let me just suggest that you try picking it up through your local library, using cloudLibrary, as I did. As for me, I am moving on to other things. Any plants which die due to my not finishing this book and realizing they are not a good fit for the planting area be damned!

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pros: beautiful photos, helpful plant listings, overall concept of how to put together a low-maintenance, environmentally friendly garden that is keyed to your site's soil, water, and light conditions.
Cons: mainly the quality of the writing: frequent misused words and occasional strange sentence constructions made this a bit of a slog to read.
Overall: the book is useful as long as you're willing to ignore pretentious writing style.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely photos and lots of good advice, but very text-heavy. Norris's passion definitely comes through in his writing.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that more and more people are seeing the importance of using native plants.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful book focuses on leaving nature to nature and not forcing it to grow how we require it to in regimented lines or patterns. Wild plants grow where they know to grow and ought to grow. A big focus, of course, is on the medium in which they grow. Soil is so crucial. We can grow wonderful lilies in brutal Saskatchewan, for example, yet they do poorly at our Mediterranean home. But in the Mediterranean of course there are many, many fruits and herbs which do spectacularly well in heavy red clay. It's important to learn what our plants need where they grow best and nurture them in situ. The weird covid 2020 season prevented most of us from traveling so my focus was what on grows here and learn more about what had been taken for granted. As a master gardener I should know better!

The section on plant architecture is fascinating as well including plant hardiness and competition. Starting small is crucial, too, as gardening can seem daunting on a large scale. Attracting beneficial insects (repelling harmful ones), birds and animals should also be a consideration. Stunning photographs of many plants are contained in this book such as delphiniums, lilies, columbines, foxglove, coral bells, spurge and coneflowers.
Ecology is becoming more and more important to people and this is discussed wonderfully here. You will find information on preparing to plant and planting including helpful charts as well as what to grow in which location (i.e. hot and sunny, damp and shady). One of my favourite sections is on shrubs as they seem to be less understood (at least in my area). The green garden section is stunning as well. I've been fortunate to visit many gardens internationally and some of the prettiest have been layers of green and wild gardens.

Those who love gardening ecologically or dream of it, do read this book. It is truly inspiring. The photography is breathtaking...hard to believe people live in such beauty! You will learn a lot, too.

My sincere thank you to Quartro Publishing Group - Cool Springs Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this gorgeous book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.

[Joyce Edmeier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspired by a wild rural Iowa roadside, Kelly Norris has written the definitive guide to natural garden design in the New Naturalism: Designing and Planting a Resilient, Ecologically Vibrant Home Garden. Recently there has been a revival of incorporating native plants in gardens to benefit pollinators, birds and other animals who benefit from these habitats. Norris has incorporated beautiful pictures of colorful natural gardens in bloom, hardscaping, use of trees and shrubs as backgrounds, and curbside plantings. Detailed plant charts help the reader design natural landscapes based on form and function, texture and hardiness. Scientific names and common names are featured which helps gardeners perusing their catalogs which come in the winter when snow and cold covers our gardens. Norris states “plants are characters with stories to tell” which gives gardeners a new perspective in planning or adding to their existing gardens. For those who are restricted in space or time, smaller gardens with water features are shown; or ambitious and experienced gardeners will discover how to incorporate natural plantings into their existing gardens. Beginning gardeners will find plenty of information on soil preparation, choosing plants and the value of studying the light capacity of the garden space. A favorite garden design section discusses how to cover the ground both vertically and horizontally with vegetation.

This book is the perfect book to order in the cold of winter so we can dream and plan out our garden spaces once spring arrives. Kelly Norris is the Director of horticulture and education at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden and offers us an engaging, colorful and informative book for all levels of gardeners.

Thank you to Quartro Publishing Group - Cool Springs Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Rachel Vryhof · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite what I was looking for. Lots of beautiful photos, but not a lot of easily accessible practical details for this semi-beginner suburban gardener. The text read like a doctoral thesis in horticulture. Might be more suited to someone 'in the business' or someone who is passionate about the 'why' behind plant behavior.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting as a reference for ecological aspects of gardening but not much practical information for the home gardener.

[Whitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diction was funny. Very enthusiastic word choice.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Check this out for the pictures alone, which are beautiful and moving, all of them like the best roadside ditches you ever saw in a travel documentary (high praise). You can see them on his website if you don't want to check out the book: https://www.kellydnorris.com/projects

Despite his statements to the contrary, I don't think this is a book for beginners. Maybe I'm wrong. But the plant lists are in botanical Latin and he pretty much dispensed with the introductory "why" of ecological gardening - fine by me! I don't need the 411 on why we need earth care and repair. If you don't either, you might appreciate the swiftness that he gets to the matrix-thinking that defines his no rules approach to design. But I can imagine someone intrigued by the cover and turned off by the lexicon and borrowed delivery from a century of British gardening lit. I'm not that someone, of course, my homunculus wears tweed, but I can imagine. That said, it wasn't until page 62 that I actually thought ahh, I get it now. I'm over the hump of understanding this guy's way of describing things, now I can just enjoy it. And I really, really did! I may even buy this sucker.

[Misti · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a gorgeous book! The author did a great job with putting together the research and details needed to guide gardeners to use the spaces they have to grow plants that will thrive in those locations and create the naturalistic landscape that is so popular right now. I would say that beginners might struggle with some of the concepts but for those who have been gardening a while and want to pivot their gardening style towards working with the landscape and a more ecologically friendly way, this is a great book to get them started. I appreciated the plant listings to get folks started in the right direction, too. My only quibble with this style is that the term ecological gardening feels like a misnomer to me, when the plants suggested aren't always ecologically friendly to every location. But that's just my own personal grudge!

I will have to continue to revisit this book in the future to glean inspiration and ideas for my garden. I think it pairs nicely with Ken Druse's The New Shade Garden.

*I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my review.*

[Katie Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a bit mixed on New Naturalism. Parts were exceedingly elementary, and parts were very well organized and useful. I expected a coffee table gardening book, and it did deliver of gorgeous photos for inspiration. I found it read a lot like a textbook though, in other words, written like dry academic theory to convey relatively widely known naturalistic gardening principals. I wondered who the intended audience was, because it wouldn't be good for entry-level gardeners looking to start their first garden, who'd probably zone out and wouldn't absorb much, and it wouldn't be good for experienced gardeners who are familiar with these topics but want to learn more, as it was pretty surface-level. I'm sure someone enjoys the tone and style of this book but I've come to realize I like more casual gardening books or actual scientific studies. This textbook style read was not my cup of tea.

[Robert Chisari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent Craftsmanship

The author defends his case for creating gardens that are ecologically based to site and climatic uncertainty with le mot juste, an absolute gem of the genre. He does not patronize his readership; and the book does require effort of the reader that is amply rewarded with new found knowledge, and the intellectual armament to defend your natural garden creation. The point is clear: naturalism does not mean the exclusive use of native plants in the landscape, but makes the gardener, contractor, designer, architect, a co-creator with Nature. This book is a keeper.

[Louise Foerster · Rating 5 out of 5]

With NEW NATURALISM, Kelly D. Norris presents the ultimate in practical, environmentally sound outdoor design. In one beautiful, information-packed book, he presents ways to work with what you have to enjoy the yard you want to enjoy. His counsel is sound, the explanations memorable, and the inspiration huge. I deeply enjoyed this book and learning an entirely new approach to planting with the entire ecosystem in mind. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource and idea book as I am a home gardener on wetland. Very much liked the tone. Welcoming and encouraging. But, the use of Latin plant names without common names is frustrating for even experienced gardeners. So time consuming to search. Cumbersome while reading and matching photos with plant names. It is absolutely helpful to research a plant before purchasing using the Latin name to make sure the growing requirements will be met. For purposes of reading, the common name would be so helpful. And friendly to non-professionals.

[April Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous and inspiring book on naturalized gardening that gives a good, accessible overview on how to get started. Learn how to plant for different light conditions, soil types, zones, and more, plus how to make a plan for what goes where, and how to achieve the look you're going for, even if you're working with a smaller space. A must have for anyone interested in started a naturalized garden!

#NewNaturalism #NetGalley

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good resource for anyone interested in gardening with this fairly trendy conceit of “wild” gardening. I wish there were more ideas for smaller gardens, but the principles of layered naturalistic gardening what with the matrices and vignettes and all that is well covered and properly explained. The photos are beautiful and the book is worth buying for the ‘plant palettes’ alone— curated lists of plants that include the regional origins and growth habits of each. Very nice.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

very much into this. Garden design with a focus on working with the natural tendencies of the land you live on and consideration of how animals and humans interact with the landscape. Methodical planting guidelines based on different plants' functions or niches-- also emphasized in Garden Revolution. Only downside for me is the focus on northern gardens.

[Mary Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful book is an excellent resource to help all of us who are learning how to incorporate natives into our landscape in a very descriptive how to, complete with plant lists, ecological and horticultural information of the hows and whys to do this. Beautiful pictures are huge sources of inspiration as well as guidance.

[Jody Nolin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read. I'm totally hooked on the concepts. Love the case studies and the photography is stunning.

[Jessica McMahon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for designing a natural garden. Beautiful pictures and great advice. I

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed without getting into textbook territory.