the guild of our apple tree “rød aroma”

Our red apple tree is a Danish variety called “rød aroma” (red aroma), which is a cross between two “old” Danish species (“Ingrid Marie” og ”Filippa”). It is a dwarf tree with big red apples (see photo at the bottom) which can be harvested in September. Just next to it, a tall elderberry (sambucus nigra, vlier, hyld) and an English dogwood (philadelphus coronarius, boerenjasmijn, uaegte jasmin) are protecting it from a Western wind. Since I will not be able to add a tall tree on this side of the garden, the nearby maple tree will have to act as canopy layer. The shoots of the autumn raspberries under the elderberry are spreading towards to the apple tree. It is quite shady under the tree, because of the shed on the Southern side. All these ”inherited” elements form the basis of my future guild. Now let us add some good plants to create a proper guild...

Our red aroma apple tree in early spring 2014

The first thing I did was to cut the grass underneath the tree and then cover it with cardboard and grass clippings. Then I inserted wild strawberry plants, borage, and nasturtium into some holes in the cardboard. Around the cardboard mulch, I added comfrey and bear’s garlic to one side and pot marigold and daisies to the sunny side.  On one side, I added a gooseberry bush with some chives, and on the other side red and white currants. All the berries will be surrounded by phacelia.

A sketch of the guild in my garden notebook



Here are some functions of the plants added:
- comfrey (symphytum officinale, smeerwortel, kulsukker). : herbaceous layer, nutrient accumulator, nitrogen fixing, pollination insects, mulch, ground cover, tonic for other plants, composting element, (medicinal)
- wild strawberries (fragaria vesca, bosaardbei, skov-jordbær) : edible fruit, ground cover, nutrient accumulator
- borage (borago officinalis, berganie of komkommerkruid, hjulkrone): herbaceous layer, supporting the taste of strawberries, edible flower, pollination insects
- nasturtium (tropaeolum, Oost-Indische kers, tallerkensmækker) : vine layer, attracts aphids, pollination insects, edible flowers, mulch, barrier
- gooseberry (ribes uva-crispa, stekelbes, stikkelsbaer) "Invicta": shrub layer, pollination insects, edible fruit
- white and red currant (Ribes rubrum, aalbes, have-ribs): shrub layer, pollination insects, edible fruit
- pot marigold (calendula officinalis, goudsbloem, have-morgenfrue): herbaceous layer, edible, pollination insects, medicinal
- bear’s garlic (allium ursinum, daslook, ramsloeg): root layer, ground cover, barrier
- chives (allium schoenoprasum, bieslook, purloeg): herbaceous layer, edible, pollination insects,
- phacelia (phacelia tanacetifolia, bijenvoer, honningurt) : pollination insects, nutrition accumulator, ground cover, aeration of soil
- daisies (bellis perennis, madeliefje, tusindfryd): ground cover, edible flower, crafts for kids ;-)

Or to list them by some of their functions:
- nutrient accumulator: comfrey, strawberries
- mulch: comfrey, nasturtium
- edible fruit: strawberry, gooseberry, white and red currant
- edible flower: borage, nasturtium, bear’s garlic, chives, pot marigold, daisy
- edible leaf: bear’s garlic, chives,
- attracting pollinating insects: phacelia, chives, berries, nasturtium, comfrey, pot marigold
- ground cover: strawberries, phacelia, bear’s garlic, comfrey

After some observations, I will decide whether these combinations work and if more plants can be added. I think, I still would like to add a proper root vegetable, like parsnip or horseradish. 


rød aroma (source www.dyrkfrugt.dk)