Bernie's Home Garden
Since Bernie Hollard bought the property in 1927, there's always been a vegetable garden east of the house. Up until 1981, it was closer to the house in what is now the Food Forest area.
The Home Garden was shifted to its current site when the dairy farm was sold in 1982 (Bernie retained the hay paddock and converted it into what is now the New Garden).
Today, the Home Garden is a demonstration area where a number of different food growing principles and ideas are put into practice. It is the venue for regular workshops, designed for both the novice and the experienced gardener. (For workshop details, click on "Garden workshops" in the navigation panel below the banner at left.)
This area demonstrates a number of different ways of growing vegetables.
These aren't modern trends; gardening methods don't change - it's just the names we give them that do.
Throughout the garden's development, the methods put into practice here have been explained and taught at the public workshops.
As well as different growing systems, these have included construction of the beehive, the mobile "chook tractor" and the worm farm.
These increase biological diversity and health, and assist with the sustainable recycling of nutrients within the garden. No inorganic chemicals are used in this area.
The Food Forest
This food production and land management system is based on replicating woodland ecosystems.
Each storey of the forest is represented by a wide diversity of plants. Fruit and nut trees and vines grow into the higher tiers, with shrubs such as berries below, and finally herbs, veggies and bulbs forming the understory and groundcover.
These have been carefully chosen for both their use to humans and beneficial association with each other. With all the species working together, this system can result in reduced pest and disease, higher yields, soil improvement, and greater biological diversity and health in the garden.
It is an orchard with a difference; an intensive, sustainable and highly productive use of available space.
Bernie always felt strongly about the value of garden ecology when it came to the health of both the veggie garden and the ornamental garden.
Click here to read a report on the establishment of the Food Forest in July 2010.
