What to know about "chaos gardening" in San Antonio

The big picture: "Native plants offer this easy solution to make positive change," Sara Ressing, an education and program coordinator with nonprofit Wild Ones, tells Axios. Wild Ones has a South Central Texas chapter.

• Native species support wildlife, improve ecosystems and help address climate pressures — while also "connecting us to a sense of place," Ressing says.
• Plants native to the San Antonio area naturally require less water and help attract pollinators.

How it works: Chaos gardening embraces a less structured approach: Scatter seeds, observe what survives and let soil, sunlight and water determine the outcome.

Yes, but: Garden experts warn that tossing random seed packets into the yard doesn't always work as advertised.

Zoom in: Pollinatives, a plant nursery focused on native species, opened in Converse in 2023. Co-owner Donald Gerber says "chaos gardening" can be a cheaper and easier way for new San Antonio homeowners to begin a native garden — but it could also take more time.

• Another downside is that some homeowners could run afoul of city code or HOA rules if a garden grows too tall or doesn't look organized or intentional, he adds.

What they're saying: Even for those who don't choose a chaos garden, San Antonians are increasingly picking native plants, Gerber says.

• "As younger people move into … adulthood, growing or owning homes, they are leaning more into native planting and planting for ecological benefit," Gerber says. "Plus, there's so many water restrictions these days."

State of plants: Garden Style, a resource from the San Antonio Water System, offers a searchable database of plants native to Central Texas.

The bottom line: Chaos gardening may look carefree online, but experts say the best results come from pairing experimentation with intention.