When designing a cottage garden - be it an ornamental garden or a vegetable garden - we often think about aesthetics, yield or ease of maintenance. But there is a less spectacular but more important factor, that determines the long-term health of our gardens: biodiversity, the variety of living things.
Green protection: trees as guardians of the microclimate
Trees not only provide shade, they literally save life in the garden - especially during the hot summer months. Under their canopy, a cooler microclimate is created, which is not only more pleasant for us, but also for the soil, plants and micro-organisms. Their roots help to retain soil moisture and their foliage enriches the soil with organic matter - if not raked up. In addition is also home to insectivorous songbirds.
Some useful and beautiful trees:
- for smaller gardens: ornamental hawthorn, ornamental pear, birch, columnar hornbeam, columnar tulip tree, dripping dogwood
- for larger gardens: several species of maple, birch, ash
- fruit trees - choose a tree that is suited to your soil and climate, and check whether you need to plant a pollinator species
The power of diversity - natural pest control
The more diverse a garden is, the more resistant it is to diseases and pests. Monoculture beds - consisting of a single plant - are like a buffet for pests. In contrast, a garden with many different species and varieties is harder for pests because they are distracted by the cavalcade of scents, colours and shapes.
Co-planting is a great example of this:
- Carrots + onions: repel each other's pests (carrot fly, onion fly).
- Basil + tomatoes: basil improves the taste of tomatoes and repels aphids.
- Celeriac + brassica: the aroma of celeriac confuses the brassica.
- Velvet blossom: its roots release a substance that keeps nematodes away - and it has an ornamental value.
- Marigolds: attract beneficial insects such as ladybirds and keep aphids away.
Harmony of colours and textures in the garden - fifty shades of green (and other colours)
Biodiversity is not only a conservation strategy, but also an aesthetic experience. The variety of leaf shapes, flower colours and growth forms brings a natural rhythm to the garden.
Some of the most beautiful and useful ornamental plants even in the vegetable garden:
- Lavender - fragrant, attracts pollinators, repels moths.
- Verbena, coneflowers, marigolds, ornamental onions - with their flowers of different sizes and colours, they enliven the garden while helping to create an insect-friendly environment.
- Yarrow - it will fit into almost any style of garden, its flowers attract butterflies and its umbellate blooms provide a nice contrast to other forms.
It's worth planting as many different types of perennials as possible to attract as many insects as possible to your garden.
Mulch - the protector of soil-dwelling beneficial organisms
Mulching - i.e. soil cover organic matter such as grass clippings, bark, straw or mulch - also contributes to biodiversity conservation. The mulch:
- reduces evaporation (summer irrigation is not covered in this we wrote in our blog post),
- cools the soil,
- inhibits weed infestation,
- and, as it decomposes, provides nutrients to the soil (humus 1×1 blog post).
It also provides a habitat for soil-dwelling insects and beneficial micro-organisms - strengthening the natural balance.
Green oasis with awareness
Biodiversity is not just an abstract concept, it gives our garden a naturalness, because one of the basic laws of nature is that it strives for maximum entropy (diversity) - and we should not fight against that. 😁 💌
If we consciously create space for variety - whether by planting new plants, mulching, planting trees or natural plant associations you'll not only create a more beautiful and natural garden, but also a place where you can relax and feel good.
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