The focus of my research garden was to develop a space that others can easily recreate and one that can be low maintenance as well as great for boosting the biodiversity of any space and off-set our carbon footprint.
Questions I aimed to evaluate, and continue to evaluate, were:
How sustainable is it to be?
How will the habitat be managed?
What level of self-sufficiency is best suited to the environment?
How will companion planting support the development of the ecosystem over the months and years?
A combined habitat is one that needs to be able to develop and mature over time, with as little management as possible to help it grow and provide a haven for wildlife. Combining wildflowers and flowering herbs with produce, has encouraged a habitat garden that has seen pollinators and insects treble and in turn has boosted the biodiversity of the garden by encouraging more varieties of predators such as birds and beetles to visit, keeping pests to a minimum and vastly improved the soils health. We even have a pair of breeding Kites in the neighbouring Redwoods this year!
By naturally allowing the garden to self-seed while only taking what was needed for the plate and taking some seeds for storing, has allowed the garden to naturally develop while aiding its diversity by hand-removing a small proportion of invasive weeds and competition.
Planting for year two is minimal and the garden will be left alone to develop as it wants while I continue to monitor changes in its biodiversity. Including for Spring, the appearance of a Woodland Tulip that, while a non-native, it will be allowed to seed and its impact on the space monitored for year three.
More on questions 3 and 4 as the garden progresses and I will update in the coming months.
