My Research
My first project shown on the previous page led me to follow my instincts and I have started to research and observe how the garden is developing as the seasons change in terms of the biodiversity that can be found within our own gardens and especially how easy it is to create the foundations that allow nature back into our lives and create greenspaces anywhere.
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Please enjoy the photos below that capture the some of the work I have been doing to date and below, read on and join me on my journey as I develop my research and start my adventure into journal writing.
Researching seasonal symbiotic relationships between different plant species and nature - with a focus on the type and numbers of visiting pollinators.
Using the space for research and education
Promoting biodiversity and sharing my growing knowledge is a big part of the new garden plan and companion planting is all about leading the way on ensuring that planting an area that provides self-sufficiency also provides a balance for nature and a place for it to thrive.
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Companion planting aside, I wanted to take my planting to a different level and having been fascinated with symbiotic relationships between plants and insects while doing my degree I wanted to apply the two ideas to a wider context and began to research biodiversity and companion planting in our gardens.
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What I found was that many websites and papers concentrate on very specific areas rather than the system as a whole. There is research into why certain crops planted together help to prevent disease, deter pests, encourage predators etc and how certain interactions work between animals and plants.
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The one thing widely mentioned on companion planting pages is that there is no research to support how the symbiotic relationships between companion planting and affects on nature occur within the garden ecosystem as a whole.
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By planting a wide variety of things rather than a single crop, helps to confuse insect pests by planting things they love with things they won't touch as well as to attract beneficial insects that can keep pests in check.
The idea is that this could also provide a symbiotic relationship between different plant species and nature that encourages a diverse and thriving ecosystem, and this is something I plan to study as the garden develops.
As the garden matures and develops, I will be writing a paper on my findings and I’d also like to use the space in order to teach others about nature and how they can create a space for nature and self-sufficiency within their own household spaces.
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To find out more, please message me via the contact page and I will be happy to answer any questions.
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Thank you.