Fundamentals of Garden Layers

When designing any garden, there is an opportunity to rethink pretty -- not just pretty for humans, but also for other species and the larger environment.

With careful planning, we can create a space that works with nature by building soil, cleaning water, and nurturing wildlife.

Let’s learn from natural plant communities to increase ecosystem function and climate resilience at home in our designed gardens. From the fundamentals of seasonal and yearly plant succession, to using plant reproduction and sociability to fill ecological niches, the right native plant communities make all the difference for beautiful gardens both wildlife and people crave.

Whether you're starting from scratching or filling in an established border, there's always room for more plants and more ecosystem function.

Benjamin Vogt is the owner of Monarch Gardens LLC, a prairie-inspired design firm based in Nebraska. He is the author of A New Garden Ethic: Cultivating Defiant Compassion for an Uncertain Future, and Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design. Benjamin's work has been featured in The American Gardener, Dwell, Fine Gardening, Garden Design, Gardenista, Horticulture, and Midwest Living. He speaks internationally on garden ethics in a time of mass extinction, as well as sustainable urban design focused on native plants and natural management. Benjamin lives in Lincoln with his wife and son.