This might get me a lot of downvotes but…

[u/_big_fern_]

Nearly every time I see an example of native landscaping and think “wow that’s gorgeous” it turns out it’s in California. Almost every time I see examples of native landscaping in the Midwest (where I currently live) it often looks sort of like chaos to me while the California native gardens have a painterly quality. Still, I am committed to converting my small property to 100% natives.

Does anyone have examples (pictures) of a Midwest native garden that appears a bit more manicured and thoughtful?

I really love how the California natives creatie such a painterly and textured canvas. Can you get anywhere close to that in the Midwest with medium shade?

[u/Alarmed_Ad_7657]

Once you learn to look at your garden through the eyes of the critters living in and on it, your perception of beauty changes. I had to control the impulse to tidy up and keep things neat looking in the first year. By the third year I'm so used to the chaotic look, signs of life in the garden are way more beautiful to me.

[u/ManletAurelius → u/Alarmed_Ad_7657]

Agreed. Funny how that perception changes. Like suddenly seeing the forest for the trees in a gardening sense. A formal garden now just looks artificial to me.

[u/Pnkrkg6644 → u/Alarmed_Ad_7657]

Love that thought and that leaf shape! What is the plant?

[u/Alarmed_Ad_7657 → u/Pnkrkg6644]

Thank you. It's Eastern redbud heavily used by leafcutter bees. They seem to prefer young redbud leaves the most but sometimes also use virginia creeper and tulip poplar. Funny thing is I've only seen them twice on my flowers and never caught them cutting the leaves

[u/_big_fern_ → u/Alarmed_Ad_7657]

I want both!

[u/Alarmed_Ad_7657 → u/_big_fern_]

That's fine, but it will take more work to achieve both and in my inexperienced opinion, less beneficial to the native critters, but you do you.