good companions

Since moving into my (yet to be named, I fancy that it needs a name…) country block, little recollection bubbles have been percolating away as I try to dredge up the main lessons of drainage, composting principles and companion planting. But most importantly, the principles of not taking on too much, too soon – getting to know the lay of the land, the slant of the sun and which way the wind blows. In fact it’s generally advised not to do anything drastic for the first year until you’ve had the full run of four seasons.

I’ve now officially done a full round of seasons – including a spring that saw some record breaking rainfalls in Tasmania, providing a quick and dirty lesson into how well the site drains, and where water sits. This was probably a lucky early initiation as, had it been a dry winter, I probably would have mapped out my slowly developing plans a bit differently and paid the price down the line.

One of my first projects is the small orchard to the rear of the property, with its mix of mature, young and somewhere in-between fruit trees; apricot, plum, medlar, nectarine, peach, pear, almond, apple. With parts of it heavily shaded in winter, on a gentle slope with patches of heavy clay soils, and only grass in between, one of my first planning projects is to find a suitable set of companion plants (known as ‘plant guilds’) for each of the trees, that not only suit the tree but also the conditions. My ultimate goal across the whole property is to get rid of most of the grass and replace it with a series of winding paths and blocks of self sown mixed flower beds. This will not only slow down the water running down the slope, but will attract pollinators and beneficial predator insects in spring and summer, as well as boosting soil condition and improving the health and productivity of the trees.