The Urban Patch

You’ve probably heard of “chaos gardening” floating around on social media lately – it’s the rebel cousin of the neat, ruler-straight veggie patch. Instead of carefully spacing seedlings and colour-coding plant labels, you just toss a whole bunch of seeds together, give them some love (and water), and see what happens.

The result? A beautiful, messy, edible jungle that works particularly well in small urban gardens.

What is Chaos Gardening?

Chaos gardening is part gardening, part lucky dip. By mixing lots of different seeds – flowers, herbs, leafy greens, root crops – you create a resilient, low-maintenance patch where plants pop up where they feel happiest.

It’s biodiversity in a pot or bed: pests are confused, the soil stays covered (no need to mulch), and you get a surprise harvest every week. It’s also perfect for impatient gardeners (me), beginner gardeners (also me), and anyone who wants colour, flavour, and pollinator-friendly blooms without fussing over perfect rows.

It reminds me of David Chang’s Ugly Delicious idea – celebrating food that might not look neat or “pretty”, but is vibrant and real. Chaos gardening is the Ugly Delicious of the backyard world.

My Urban Patch Chaos Pots

I started small with these two little pots. I sprinkled in spinach, coriander, and calendula seeds – no particular order, no measuring tape, no plant markers, no counting out the seeds. Just a hopeful “good luck!” before covering them with soil.

Now, I’ve got leafy spinach jostling for space with fragrant coriander, while emerging calendulas (flowering still a work-in-progress!) poke their cheerful heads up in between. It’s like a salad, an herbal garnish, and a bee buffet all living in harmony… or mild anarchy, depending on your perspective.

Why Chaos Gardening Works in Urban Spaces

Chaos gardening is especially suited to small urban gardens because:

• You get more from less space – plants fill every available inch.
• Pests don’t know what’s what – no monoculture buffet for them.
• It’s low-stress – if something doesn’t germinate, something else will take its place.
• It’s ever-changing – your pots look different every week.

And honestly? It’s just fun. Watching mystery seedlings emerge is like having a garden advent calendar that runs all season.

Tips for Trying Chaos Gardening Yourself

• Pick plants that grow well in similar conditions (I went with cool-weather greens, herbs, and flowers).
• Don’t overthink seed placement – scatter (extra points for a little high #saltbae action), cover, water, done.
• Harvest a little at a time so you keep the chaos growing.
• Let some things go to seed – you’ll get free reseeding for next season.

In a world where so much of our lives is organised, labelled, and scheduled to the minute, there’s something liberating about a pot of glorious, edible disorder. Chaos gardening is my new favourite rebellion – a kind of Ugly Delicious for the urban patch – and it tastes just as good as it looks.