Things I don’t do anymore: garden against nature. Gardening has seen a tremendous shift from where it all started. The more manicured it was, the more people craved it. The more clipped up, shaped up, and pristine—the better.

But with all that control came consequences.

What happened to the nature that was here first?

Butterflies vanished. Bees followed. Birds scrambled to find what was familiar as the plants they’d evolved with were replaced by ones they didn’t recognize.

I used to live under that same umbrella: trim and tame, manicure and manipulate.

But not anymore.

I used to think gardening meant taming. Controlling. Cleaning up.
Now I know the best thing I can do is step back and watch.

I still tend and care—but the goal is connection, not control.

Where leaves fall, I leave them.
If a new flower skips the bed and wants to grow, I let it.
Native plants offer what traditional cookie-cutter landscapes cannot: vibrancy, resilience, and the return of life.

Letting nature lead has brought more color, more movement, and more wonder than I ever expected.

What’s something you’ve stopped doing in your garden?