Ecological and Organic Principles:   

The organic system advocates a balance by growing a varied range of plants; the wildlife garden provides a varied range of habitats to accommodate a wide range of wildlife. Ecological principles are fundamental to an organic system of gardening resulting in a set of concurrent values. Organic gardening is self sustaining; using plants to help replenish the nutrients in the soil they used to live. It also encourages insects and animals to control pests and exploits the micro-climate within the garden to help control diseases.

By growing a varied range of plants such as trees, shrubs and flowers you will stand a better chance of creating this balance. Starting from scratch, it can take up to five years to create this balanced system in a garden. This natural balance we create using organic principles should help control the build-up of a particular pest to plague proportions. Use companion planting, i.e. other plants that benefit each other; either by attracting natural predators or deterring the insects that damage and introduce diseases. Most plants within the Allium family (onions) for example release pungent oils that repel greenfly. Hoverflies consume vast amounts of aphids and are particularly attracted by yellow flowers or foliage.

Sustainable Gardening techniques for developing your garden include:
• The correct positioning of plants • Removing infected material
• Using P&D free stock for cuttings • Cleaning secateurs and saws after use
• Maintaining correct soil conditions and pH • Keeping bare soil surface moving
• Hand weeding • Mulching • Growing plants to cover the ground

Whilst weeds amongst crops or in the border may not be desirable, they can attract beneficial insects into the garden. They provide food and hosts for the adult stages of insects whose larvae are predators of the more harmful pests. However this must be balanced against the fact that they may also harbour and help introduce P&D. A slight cover of annual weeds helps keep the soil cool and moist in the summer, providing they are not allowed to get out of hand.

Plants under the unfortunate banner weeds are native to the area, whilst many of the plants that we grow in the border or for the table have been imported over the Centuries from abroad. The Romans for example, brought with them many of their plants including, beet, kale, peas, radish, onions and cabbage. They introduced fruit trees such as, almond, peach, cherry, sweet chestnut, grape, fig, walnut and mulberry, and were also responsible for introducing many ornamental plants such as roses and lilies. In fact, the development of gardens in Britain has continually been stimulated by the introduction of new plant species from abroad.

Introduced plants may offer little to our wildlife resulting in a struggle to adapt to them. Native plants are therefore crucial to our local ecology; plants such as beech, hawthorn, elderberry, honeysuckle, and ivy.

Trees and shrubs in the border can support a vast range of life for both nesting and feeding. We have already discussed the importance of native plants to the ecology. Local plants are well adapted to local soils and climate and once established usually withstand all that the temperamental English weather can throw at them. Many will grow in difficult areas of the garden with little or no help from the gardener! We can and should, play a significant role by growing a good percentage of native plants in our gardens.

The features we create in a garden will become the habitats for many creatures. A lawn for example would feature in most gardens, but we tend not to think of it as an essential and valued habitat for our wildlife. The utility lawn with its meadow type grasses would be best for wildlife but all lawns would be a habitat rich in insects and become a major feeding area for a wide variety of birds. One of the nicest features using grasses to include in our garden would be an area mixed with wildflowers. Great for us to look at but even better for bees and butterflies to eat in! You do not need to create a vast area of meadow and a large garden in order to include this habitat, but an open sunny site is essential. The grassland could link the lawn with a mixed border for example, perhaps in a corner or at the back perimeter. The problem of the hot, dry sunny bank could be solved, or with a closely cut strip through the middle it would also be right at home in the Cottage Garden!

Because of their steady demise in the countryside, ponds have now become an eco-system in demand! Apart from providing a drinking and bathing site for birds and mammals they are a vital habitat for our amphibians and grassnakes. The wildlife pond should replicate natural ponds. It should be informal with gently sloping banks for ease of access and have plenty of cover. Careful consideration must be given if there are young children around.

Design Principles:

These principles are the legacy resulting from a long and varied history of garden design that started in the UK with the Romans. During their time here they not only introduced many of our plants, they also brought with them an extensive understanding of Horticulture; the roots of which were firmly about Control. With the departure of the Romans, the Monks in their monastery gardens become highly significant for their horticultural methods, which tended to be more sympathetic to nature.

From the Renaissance Period, for four hundred years it was all about control again; very much “Mans control over Nature”.

During the Victorian Era there began a gradual emergence towards a more natural design of garden, the Pioneers of which were, the Gardener and Author William Robinson via his books; 'Wild Garden' & 'Flower Garden and the Garden Designer and Author, Gertrude Jekyll. She wrote many books on planting designs and combinations advocating her love of nature, sense of colour and a respect for plants combined with natural design. Her ideology of the traditional English cottage garden planted with roses, shrubs, hardy annuals and perennials and a mixed herbaceous border or two was to a large extent romantic - but appreciated by the local wildlife nevertheless!

Having said that, this softer approach towards the garden did not extend to some of the creatures or plants that moved in to live there and for a hundred years or so that word control was still very much a part of the gardeners' psyche, but he altered his sights! He (it tended to be a he), moved away from clipping and tidying and moved towards the systematic chemical eradication of any creature or plant that dared get in the way!

A glance back at our history of design and you can see why us gardeners are often labeled as Control Freaks!

When looking back at how the use of the garden has changed over the years, you realise that the two major factors that shaped the design was - fashion and circumstances. This would influence how the garden was used - the function of the garden.

Back in the time of the Romans, it was all about power & control. Then, with the Monks the garden was; an extension of the living area - used as much for growing food as for relaxation and contemplation. During the Renaissance Period, as with the Romans, the garden became a powerful and flamboyant statement; an extension of wealth.

Styles and fashions have come and gone, but the fundamental purpose of the garden remains the same - to serve and reflect your lifestyle, level of interest, budget and available time. How to create good design can not be taught - it is largely a matter of opinion. For a design to be successful will ultimately depend on avoiding the things that can go wrong. This is where those principles come in - to help avoid the pitfalls.

• Local Topography • Unity • Balance • Proportion & Scale • Variety
• Seasonality • Time • Simplicity

Garden designers will take them all into consideration but the last principle is often the most effective!

The thinking behind this garden was to replicate the sequence of natural landscape habitat formation. So, all be it on a small scale, there is;
Freshwater, Grassland, Heathland and Woodland.
The wilder areas will be situated towards the back, progressing to heathland areas towards the front.

KEY:
1. Patio area
2. Closely cut lawn
3. Meadow grass 
4. Bog area
5. Pond
6. Wild flower meadow
7. Gravel/Grass-meadow
8. Tree (Crab-apple)
9. Tree/large shrub (Lilac)
10. Tree (Hawthorn)
11. Native planting
12. Native/semi native border
13. Semi native/exotic planting
14. Shed
15. Compost area
16. Arch with climbers
17. Utility area
18. Hedging/Climbers
19. Pergola with climbers

The Brief:

The main patio is near the house with a second, smaller patio at the back to take advantage of the afternoon sun. The width of the main patio equals half the width of the garden and its length is about one third the length of the garden. This helps balance the patio within the garden. Decorative sets are used to distinguish the two patios, with cheaper materials used for access and for the utility area.

A lawn is placed along a diagonal axis to aid direction and to help ‘square’ the rectangle. The width of the lawn is one-third the width of the garden, maintaining a sense of balance between lawn and garden. The shape of the lawn not only adds interest and direction, but will help compartmentalize the garden.

The most significant part of the garden for wildlife the pond, is placed in the rear quarter adjacent to the afternoon patio area. There will also be a bog area linked to the pond. Again, thought has been given to balance by making the combined pond and bog area approximately one third the length and width of the garden. A rustic pergola is used to create direction, height and interest, as well as provide an opportunity for growing climbing plants. You’ve guessed it – the length of the pergola is about a third the length of the garden!

The lifeblood of any garden, the compost area, is placed at the back of the garden. Three rustic arches are used for the same reasons as the pergola but will also divide the garden and give a sense of mystery. The first arch is placed to separate the lawn and the back of the garden. Another is placed between the front lawn and utility area and the third is used to help hide the compost area. Gravel is used to fill around the pond both for access and interest. It will also make an ideal area for growing grasses and alpines.

With the construction completed its now time for the planting! We need to first establish the ‘green’ structure of the garden by planting the permanent plants - the trees and shrubs. Begin by planting the trees; as the garden is not huge we shall use just three. Proportion is the key word when it comes to the plants, particularly framework planting. We need to consider the ultimate size of structural planting for a wildlife garden with the same care as with any type of garden. Apart from their wildlife potential, the trees have been positioned to aid direction. The shrubs continue this theme but also to help divide the garden.

The pergola, arches and boundaries are now planted up. For the boundaries, apart from using climbers consider hedging plants where possible - bearing in mind the chosen plants size and maintenance. A combination of both could also be an advantage, both aesthetically as well as for wildlife. The rustic work would make an ideal framework of course for the climbers.

Apart from the potential to provide structure, harmony, direction and permanence to the garden, the woody plants play a vital part within our developing nature reserve.
• They influence the garden microclimate and provide the necessary protection for the various habitats.
• These are the plants that will attract, and on the main part, home the wildlife.

Along with the shelter woody plants provide we must remember they can of course rob nutrients and light, which can impinge on a habitat. With that in mind, as mentioned earlier, proportion is the key word when it comes to the woody plants. The choice of plant is worth considering with great care. A tree for instance can make or break any garden aesthetically and will have a major influence over its microclimate. Generally speaking the ratio of one to three rule used to help balance the garden is the absolute maximum with a tree. Let’s take a garden that measures ten metres wide and twenty metres long for example. It would be best to use the smallest dimension of the garden to determine the trees ultimate size, which is ten metres in this case. A simple calculation of dividing ten by three will give us the measurement; the tree should therefore not exceed 3.3M. The same rule applies to the shrubs and it must not be forgotten that both visual impact and habitat potential of the structural planting must be considered all through the year.

We can now ‘fill in the gaps’ and complete the planting using herbaceous plants. Herbaceous planting has vast aesthetic potential by providing colour, texture, form and movement. But their significance does not stop there; they will play many other roles within the garden:
• These will be the main plants that will attract invertebrates in to the garden.
• These will be the main plants that will help create a habitat.
• These will be the main plants that will feed the invertebrates and sustain the habitats ecosystem.
• These will be the main plants that will host many of the invertebrates that will preserve the ecosystem of our garden.

The herbaceous plants help to link and unify the features of the garden visually. The planting also provides the necessary cover for the wildlife to move around the garden – thus physically linking the habitats. When using plants that will either die back or die off each season, consider both how the borders or beds will look throughout the year as well as the impact to the ecosystem within them.

Pruning Principles

When you consider that despite all the countless books and articles on this topic, there still appears to be a lot of mystery surrounding it. I do sometimes wonder if all this literature has made pruning seem like a science and cause unnecessary anxiety!

Providing you get to grips with some of the terminology, pruning is not difficult to do.

The main stem arising from the ground is called the Leader.
•  A stem growing from the Leader is called the Branch Leader.
•  A stem growing from a Branch Leader is called a Lateral.
•  A stem growing from a Lateral is referred to as a Sub-Lateral.
•  Fruiting Spurs are short branching stems that will carry blossom / fruit.

The types of bud produced:

• Terminal Bud - The bud at the tip of a stem.
•  Lateral Bud - The growth bud which will form a lateral branch - normally thin and lies flat against the stem.
• Fruit Bud - Will form blossom / fruiting spurs - normally rounder & fat.

Type of Growth:

•  New Wood - Current seasons growth.
•  Old Wood - Previous years growth.

That’s the jargon dealt with, now to go over the main points that will apply when pruning all plants.

Make cuts clean, removing ragged edges. Remove flush with the main stem any 'snags'. Use clean and sharp tools.

Use the correct cutting tool for the job - secateurs for cuts up to 12.5mm diameter, loppers for cuts up to about 25mm diameter and pruning saws above 25mm diameter.
• Remove completely... overcrowded, rubbing, inward-growing, dead, diseased, weak and awkwardly growing stems before you commence the main pruning.
• Growth will normally come from lateral buds below the pruning cut, with the bud directly beneath the cut becoming the new terminal bud for that branch.
• Cut to an outward facing lateral bud at an angle away from the bud - this will help keep the center open, allowing light in and air to circulate. By making pruning cuts angle away from the bud will allow water to run off - if not it will sit in the crevice and may rot tissue.
• Make the base of hedges larger than the top in order to allow the light in - ‘top heavy’ hedges will become bare at the base.
• Remove completely diseased, dying or dead growth - at any time of year. Normally diseased wood will be stained - keep removing stem to clean wood. The way to tell for sure if the stem is alive is to scrape the bark with your thumb-nail - if the stem is alive it will usually be green or cream coloured and wet.

There are three main methods of pruning:

Hard Pruning - where large lengths of old and new wood is removed.
Light Pruning - new wood is removed or new wood with some old wood.
Stooling – where all growth is cut back to just above ground level.

Why you are pruning will help you know which of the above method to use:

• More flowers and restricted shape...
annual but lighter pruning
• To encourage new wood or foliage...
stooling or hard pruning.
• Fewer flowers but of a better quality...
harder pruning.
• A dense screen...
light pruning or shearing.
• An open natural shape...
infrequent but harder pruning.
• To control a vigorous or 'leggy' plant...
stooling
• To rejuvenate an overgrown plant...
stooling and hard pruning.

Most fruit trees such as apple, pear & plum and some flowering shrubs such as Wisteria & Pyracantha flower & fruit on spurs produced on mature wood.

It normally takes three years for spurs to be produced on a plant:

Year 1 - Growth Buds
Year 2 - Growth Buds & Fruit Buds
Year 3 - Fruit Spurs

So as you can see; if you prune out completely all branches with fruit spurs you will have no flowers or fruit!

To conclude what I hope has simplified this subject, the final thing we need to consider is timing. Deciduous Shrubs that flower during the...

SPRING - Will flower on old wood; prune as soon as flowering has finished.
SUMMER - Will flower on new wood; prune late winter to early spring.

Evergreen Shrubs are normally pruned in late spring.