article about my garden in the Danish gardening magazine!

Click HERE to see the article as published in the Danish monthly magazine "Alt om Haven" (February 2016).

More photos of my garden in the article (use the link above)

Translation 

FIRST PAGE (side 40)

Introduction text "I choose plants which attract beneficial insects"

When permaculture designer Ilke Pedersen-Beyst and her family took over their new garden two years ago, there was not much else than grass and some trees. Since then, a lot has happened. Today, more bushes and fruit trees were planted around the grass lawn in the garden. The neighbours have big trees, so their garden is surrounded by green.

SECOND PAGE (side 41)

Text underneath photo herb spiral and garden: Ilke Pedersen-Beyst has transformed an average summerhouse plot into a flowering/blossoming little biotope with insects, birds, hedgehogs, and edible crops. Follow the garden and its developments on ibeesgarden.blogspot.com

THIRD PAGE (side 42)

Text underneath photo strawberries: Already the second year, the harvest of strawberries was satisfying. Enough to have a surplus for some good homemade organic marmalade.

What are you doing in the garden now?

I am very happy, because I just got my diploma as a permaculture designer. I will immediately use my new skills and I am busy transforming the whole garden. The grass lawn is getting smaller and smaller and I am working on getting more flowers in what is left of the lawn. The kids also need to have space to play with the ball and we have constructed some "living" structures made of willow for them. My goal is to make a garden, that is edible, which is easy to maintain, and has many different kinds of plants and flowers, that attract a big variety of bees, birds, butterflies, dragonflies, hedgehogs, and even toads and foxes.

What is your biggest challenge?

For most of the year, we live in Belgium, so the distance is of course the biggest challenge. That is why I go to great lengths to design it in such a way that there is a natural balance with as little maintenance as possible. I hope to achieve this by using many perennials and increasing the biodiversity with wild species that will give the garden more resilience; by choosing plants that attract beneficial insects; by suppressing weed with ground covering plants and mulch, like wood chips, that also improve the soil; and by creating microclimates that give different kinds of plants the best circumstances.

What is your favourite plant?

That is difficult to answer, because I have so many! All the wild and heritage flowers and all berries are on top of my list. Especially old...

(continued on FOURTH PAGE - side 43)

...and lovely scenting shrubs with edible berries for both people and birds, like elderberry, rowan, sloe, hawthorn and historical or wild roses. I also love plants that have many things to offer, like for example oregano. It can be used for cooking, it smells lovely, it is a fast ground cover, it is good for bees and butterflies, and it supports other plants.

Do you have a favourite spot in your garden?

Every spot that is a bit protected from the wind and surrounded with butterflies, bees, bumble bees, and birds, as well as with pretty flowers and scents.

How does your dream garden look like?

I dream of a balanced garden filled with food for both people and wildlife with a large diversity in species, ecosystems, and microclimates. I have seen permaculture gardens just like that, where it was not necessary to irrigate, to use fertilizers or pesticides, and where the harvest was big because of a very healthy soil. I know it is possible and I would like to try it myself. It will take some time, but I look forward to this exciting "dance" with nature. You can follow the gradual, but big transformation of my garden on my blog ibeesgarden.blogspot.com. In the future, I hope to help others to make their own permaculture garden.

Text with photos on third and fourth page

1. Part of the herbs in the garden are gathered in a stone herb spiral with the most drought loving plants on top

2. The blue cornflower (centurea cyanus) is easy and lovely and if you are good at cutting off the faded flowers, you can prolong its season with an entire month

3. In the lawn, the self-sown wild flowers make a rainbow of colours

4. Ilke uses the dried seeds of nettle (urtica) to sprinkle on her salad

5. Lavender (lavendula) is a hardy and drought resistant plant that looks nice most of the year. Both the flowers and the leaves can be used as a lovely scenting herb

6. Sage (salvia) is a beautiful and easy herb that attracts many beneficial insects and gives a great taste to many dishes   

My lawn