Tatnam Organic Patch

This page (and those it links to) attempts to explain some of the ways in which we encourage wildlife to the site.

We have a number of bird boxes in the trees, and a wide variety of food plants to attract these natural predators to site. One of the key benefits for birds is that we are tucked away from any throughfares, especially during the week, the birds often have the place to themselves.

• Nettles – wonder weed
• Rose Chafers – friend or foe ?

Trees on site

Forest Edge and Permaculture

• Because our site is bounded on the west by mature Oak trees, plus willow (and other trees that we have planted), the mature tree gives us excellent wind-cover, and bird homes. The canopy is increasingly encroaching on our original vegetable beds. We have adapted by making the most shaded plots into permanent fruit beds, and adopted some of the forest-edge gardening techniques.
• Forest Gardens, described by the late Robert Hart, but actually ancient systems for supporting our foraging ancestors,  work on the permaculture principles of minimal imputs for maximum gain, and favour perenniel food plants over annual ones. There is a good brief guide (simplified from Hart’s 5 layers to 3) at  http://www.self-willed-land.org.uk/permaculture/forest_garden.htm

Butterflies and Moths

• Orange Tip
• Cinnabar Moth – see Ragwort page

Pests

• Ragwort – much maligned wild plant
• Slugs every gardeners worst pest, but doing an essential job
• Deer – for 2010, we appear to have a resident young deer, though s/he hasn’t been too much trouble yet, our spring sowings may get cropped.