Dr. Noel Kingsbury on Naturalistic Planting Design (#57)

In this episode, Dr. Noel Kingsbury and I have a fabulous conversation getting into the nuts and bolts of naturalistic design. We talk about where the name "New Perennial Movement" came from, and some of the confusion that comes with naturalistic-planting terminology. We dive into models for thinking about how plants grow in the wild, including root anatomy and shrub growth patterns. We talk about experiments he's conducted, including a seven-year observational trial to see what plants would take over and a survey looking at longevity in perennial growth.

Noel walks us through his process for designing a space and enhancing designs, and he shares some thoughts on his new Queen Elizabeth II garden using reclaimed materials. We also talk about the upcoming Naturalistic Planting Design Course, which yours truly was asked to join in for this next session, and so much more.