1.Newly planted bana grass from Twin Falls Nursery. 2. Critters enjoying the comfrey. 3. Delivery of bana grass, tithonia and japanese raisin-tree. 4. View to the garden from outside The Bath House. 5. Our bank a few months ago. 6. Our soil on the bank back in 2020 when we first tried to plant

Learning is one of Mark’s superpowers, he can consume, understand and apply large volumes of information about a range of topics. This has been a huge asset for us as we’ve developed our land and our home.

Last year, he focused on syntropic gardening – a method of cultivation that aligns closely with the natural processes and symbiotic relationships found in ecosystems. We’ve taken a small area of our property between our raised garden beds and our bath house to develop as a starting point for our syntropic gardening journey.

These are the principles of syntropic gardening that we’re focusing on:

1. Diversity Over Monoculture: In syntropic gardening, a diverse range of plants are grown together, mimicking natural ecosystems. This diversity creates a robust environment where plants support each other, reducing the need for chemical interventions.

2. Layering and Succession: Just like in a natural forest, plants are arranged in layers – from tall canopy trees to ground-cover species. This creates a microclimate and optimises space, leading to a more productive garden.

3. Utilisation of Natural Resources: Syntropic gardening emphasises the use of organic matter and natural resources. Pruned plant material is often left on the ground to decompose, enriching the soil and retaining moisture.

4. Promoting Life: The goal is to create a self-sustaining system that encourages the proliferation of life – not just plants, but also microorganisms, insects, and birds that play vital roles in the ecosystem.

We had already mulched the bank between the garden and the bath house and planted several varieties of fruit trees, but they were quite exposed to high winds. Last year, thanks to cyclone Gabrielle, a lot of the blossoms were blown away before the fruit could form. And worse than that, most of the trees lost all their leaves meaning they could no longer produce energy to grow. Mark became interested in using syntropic methods to help form a wind break for these trees.

He found that bana grass and tithonia were two varieties of fast-growing plants that would provide some shelter for the fruit trees while also offering a chop and drop green mulch in the future. That combined with growing large amount comfrey at their base allows for a range of biodiversity when it comes to chop and drop green mulch. Comfrey also has the added benefit of being a nitrogen fixer for our clay soil.

It’s been so rewarding to see the exposed, mulched area change to a sea of green with countless critters moving in as well. Our kids love watching the huge bumble bees flit from flower to flower. We’re also seeing lots of fruit on those trees that were left bare last year – the beginning of our first food forest.

The land we are kaitiaki custodians for has faced a hundred years of monoculture farming that has stripped the ground of most nutrients. Our intention is to bring life back to the soil to benefit not only our generation but our mokopuna and many future generations.

We’re early on our journey and still have heaps to learn. Yesterday we got a delivery from Twin Falls Nursery that will help take the syntropy of our bank to the next level. They have bana grass, arrowroot, tithonia and heaps more plants that will support your garden’s growth at the moment and ship around Aotearoa.