Building a luscious, green garden can be a daring task for a young gardener. Instagram creator Meagan Lloyd (@meggrowsplants) is sharing her tips and tricks for "chaos gardening" — a "hands-off approach" that will change the way you think of gardening.
The scoop
In a video shared on her page, Lloyd shows all of the plants in her garden that she didn't intentionally plant, which she calls volunteer plants. "My volunteer plants are usually the most prolific," she explained in the caption.
Using a sungold cherry tomato plant as an example, she says that she can have these plants grow elsewhere in the garden by sacrificing a few fruits. She tosses them where she wants the new plants to grow — whether in the same spot or somewhere else.
When the fruit begins to rot, it will release the seeds into the soil, and they will pop up next season. "It's like magic," she explained.
"It doesn't get any easier by planting next years garden by just letting things drop and replant themselves," she wrote in the caption. "Chaos gardening for the win."
How it's helping
Chaos gardening is a great, low-effort way to get folks involved in gardens while improving air and soil quality and reducing the number of trips to the grocery store. A 2020 study in Singapore found that gardening improved mental health tremendously and fostered a stronger feeling of community. There are also some physical benefits of gardening, which include increased uptake of fiber and an opportunity for physical recreation in the great outdoors.
Lloyd's method of gardening can be helpful for many users, especially those looking for robust, healthy plants. "I love lazy gardening, and this is probably the best way to plant for next year without the hassle of starting seeds in pots," she wrote in the caption. She also shared that the plants could potentially be stronger than usual since the seeds will have adapted to the specific growing environment.
What everyone's saying
Lloyd's video prompted a shocking realization for some users. One user wrote: "Does that mean that we should be picking up all the fallen dead tomatoes off the ground if we don't want volunteer plants next year?!" The answer, Lloyd replied, is "yes."
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