Ep 201 Tim Pilgrim - Creating Wild Spaces: The Art of Natural Design & The Interplay of Landscape & Storytelling

Today we wander into the layered world of Tim Pilgrim—a landscape architect and gardener who sees soil, water, and wildness as teachers. Tim invites us to connect with the land rather than control it, to design gardens that honour both human need and ecological integrity.

Together we explore the art of observation and the quiet discipline of water management, learning how these practices build truly sustainable landscapes. Tim shares how gardens evolve over time, shaped by climate change and by the gentle hands—and sometimes heavy footprints—of people. We tackle the prickly debates too: lawns that demand more than they give, the dance between native and non-native plants, and the cultural stories that every planting choice can tell.

Tim also speaks to the community side of gardening: how diversity—of species, of people, of ideas—creates resilience; how food can slip seamlessly into ornamental spaces; how the rhythm of a gardener’s life becomes a legacy of naturalistic design.

This is a conversation for anyone ready to see gardens not just as pretty spaces but as living narratives—places where history, ecology, and our shared future root down together.

We chatted about:

• Landscapes shape the stories we tell & vice versa
• A holistic approach to gardening fosters biodiversity
• Designing for wildness requires sensitivity & observation.
• Gardens should evolve with the needs of their inhabitants
• Climate change necessitates adaptable gardening practices
• Water management is crucial for sustainable gardening
• Human influence can coexist with natural ecosystems
• Saying phooey to lawns
•  "I'm not a purist; I embrace all plants that look good"
• Gardens as spaces for community connection 
• Gardening to build a rhythm that aligns with nature's cycles
• Gardens as places that reflect personal & cultural histories
• Gardens as inclusive spaces for all living things

Links You'll LoveFind Tim online including his book "Wild By Design"

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