ᐅ Looking for the best planting options for a natural-style garden?

I am currently working on creating a garden, and so far it is just a bare area. I do not want a perfectly manicured garden with a trimmed lawn, but rather a lively garden paradise. Therefore, I am looking for plants and shrubs that attract songbirds and insects, providing them with food and nesting opportunities. Who can recommend plants from personal experience that help bring more “nature” into the garden? I am thinking of something like butterfly bush, which attracts daytime butterflies in the summer.

Planting depends greatly on sunlight exposure and soil conditions; if I were to suggest some plants and shrubs, they might not thrive in your garden.

For example, in my garden, I have elderberry, Chinese silver grass, herbs (rosemary, lemon balm, sage), wildflowers (from a seed mix—I don’t actually know all their names), viburnum, wild roses, and one or two maples that I prune to keep bushy. Birds and insects seem to feel quite comfortable here.