From paddock to paradise

Transforming a nutrient-depleted paddock into a food forest in just eight years is no mean feat, but that’s exactly what the team at Yarra Valley Estate has achieved, with outstanding results.

Innovation and improvement has always been at the heart of the development, but Louise and John Ward also maintained a strong focus on sustainability and responsible development of the land. Once a deer farm, Yarra Valley Estate now boasts several bushwalks, a kitchen garden and a newly established food forest, among other visitor experiences.

After completing a permaculture course with Pete the Permie (who many Diggers members will know from our cider-making workshops at The Garden of St Erth), Louise decided to transform a clay paddock into a fully functioning food forest using hügelkultur (a soil improvement technique of mounding and layering twigs and clippings to mimic the ecosystem of a decaying forest) and other permaculture principals, including the seven-layered forest. Established with the hope of supplementing ingredients for the function centre with a selection of unique fruits, berries and seasonal crops, the food forest also acts as a living educational resource for visitors and fellow permaculture enthusiasts.

What is a food forest?

A food forest is a contrived ecosystem, comprised of a diverse range of edible or complementary plants. It is planted in seven layers to create a perennial forest that’s rich in biodiversity and acts as a treasure trove of unique flavours and seasonal ingredients.

Designed to be low-maintenance but highly productive, each layer plays a role in the integration and success of the overall system. The seven layers from the top down are: canopy, small tree, shrub, herbaceous, ground cover, climber and root zone.

Established over time rather than all at once, plantings in a developing food forest are often modified as required, especially as the canopy develops and the light penetration beneath changes. Not without its hiccups, Louise explains that this project was the culmination of much thought, advice and experimentation, with the garden evolving, rather than being developed from a set plan with specific horticultural ingredients.

“It’s the amalgamation of many people’s ideas and it’s been wonderful to share this project with so many others,” says Louise. “We have all learnt along the way and what we have created now is so much more complex and cohesive than what we would have planned at the start.”

A living experiment

Working alongside Louise is head gardener Jaimie Sweetman, who is responsible for the day-to-day running of the food forest and its future development.

As we meander along the path, Jaimie explains that the garden is a living experiment, showcasing plant interactions and landscaping opportunities for a variety of edible and medicinal plants. Essentially a beautiful foraging garden that’s interspersed with a selection of fruits, berries and edibles, as well as some rare and unusual varieties, the forest contains everything from apple trees (canopy layer) to blueberries and chokeberries (shrub layer), hops (climber layer) and murnong daisy (root zone). So unique are many of the ingredients, local chef Reuben Nieuwesteeg creates unusual preserves and spice mixes to share with the conference groups who visit the forest.

Jaimie describes the forest as its own ecosystem, and visitors couldn’t agree more. A one-acre heavily netted structure sited in the middle of a bare paddock, it certainly has a unique presence, and this is evident from the moment you step through the gate. Netted at the base to prevent rabbits, snakes, deer and other fauna, the food forest is also netted at the top to prevent large destructive birds from picking off the fruit.

The only breaks in the fence are around two metres from the ground, which are there to permit small birds and insects access to the forest for pollination and pest control. Several resident blue tongue lizards also assist with this and enjoy a bounty of fallen goodies from the ripening trees and shrubs.

As we explore the forest, we stop to test ripening berries, crush fragrant leaves and consider their culinary attributes, whilst marvelling at the diversity of plants available with incredible nutrient opportunities and flavour attributes, a fraction of which are popular in our everyday diet.

“We are not suggesting everyone plants a food forest at home,” says Louise, “but we do hope to inspire people to grow edible plants within established gardens.” Reiterating that permaculture is not just polystyrene boxes and mess, Louise has clearly shown that you can have a beautiful garden and eat it too.

Written by Marcelle Swanson, Diggers horticultural editor, sustainable farmer and author.