Spring is the best time to undertake horticultural work. What is more to create a nurturing landscaping. Fruit trees, aromatic plants, edible ground covers… combining business with pleasure is easier than it seems.
From the outset, let us specify that the term “nurturing forest” is a metaphor that refers to a mainly edible development that respects biodiversity and the cohabitation of species. To create this type of landscaping, you must first be informed, do a minimum of reading and visualize different possibilities, launch in turn Véronique Pepin, professor of landscaping at the Institut de technologie agroalimentaire du Québec, and Alexandre Guérin, market gardener and owner of the ecological nursery Take Root, located in Charette, Mauricie.
“Several municipalities have adopted a nourishing forest, including Saint-Raymond, in the MRC of Portneuf, Saint-Ubalde or Beloeil. It can give ideas and it allows you to see how certain plants evolve, explains the entrepreneur, who also offers consulting services in permaculture. People see it big when they start, but you have to go step by step, depending on resources and budget. » Mme Pepin agrees. “Give yourself time and increase your zone over time. Above all, she adds, we must plant what we want to include in our meals.
Between forest and field
Essential element, the selection of plants must also be made according to the type of soil, the sunshine of the land, access to water and the presence of trees or plants on site. “We can start from a traditional layout and incorporate edible plants,” notes Mr. Guérin. To have a set that will unfold well when mature, you have to design it as an edge between the forest and the field, he says. “It’s a transition zone that brings together different species. Eventually, the feeder forest has 40% forest cover. The rest are shrubs, plants, flowers and mushrooms, all of which grow to different heights to let in light. The edges of the forest are where there is a maximum of biodiversity. »
Biodiversity is also what led Alexandre Guérin to start his nursery in 2015. “I was not happy with the offer in garden centres, where the plants are stuffed with chemical fertilizers. I wanted people to have access to organic plants, rarer or native species, and also to real advice. I wanted to be an agent of change. »
Now, like Véronique Pepin, he trains the next generation. He shares with the students his knowledge of the fifty or so edible plants he produces. Among his favorites: blackcurrant, a rapidly productive plant whose fruit he likes in jam. He also recommends asparagus, strawberries, bee balm, an aromatic perennial known to attract hummingbirds and for its medicinal properties, lovage – which looks a lot like celery -, mint and lemon balm, which make good companions .
“The nourishing forest requires a little maintenance, an hour in the spring, an hour in the fall and a few moments each week to come and water, pick what there is to pick, prune dead branches. We install a bench to relax. We grow aromatic plants, it awakens the senses, reduces stress. The idea is to appropriate nature, says Alexandre Guérin. We can install a pergola, grow vines, the Somerset, which resists our climate well, or Kolomikta kiwis. You can also plant a hazel tree. »
He recommends using BRF mulch, fragmented ramial wood from pruning residues. This is one of the keys to a successful nourishing forest, according to him, because it helps recreate the subsoil of the forest, nourishes the humus and makes mushrooms grow, in addition to giving a natural appearance.
Do not control nature too much
Whether on a small piece of land in the city or on a large expanse in the suburbs, the two experts agree that the vegetable garden must be opened up and integrated into ornamental landscaping. Véronique Pepin suggests playing with still little-known edible plants, such as hosta — grown as a vegetable in Japan — and varieties of foliage that add color, including different cabbages or Swiss chard, very aesthetic with its stems red, pink or yellow. “You can put great classics in it, like tomatoes, beans. The important thing is to try. I didn’t like eggplant before, but since I started growing it, I love it! The plant is super easy [à entretenir] and its fruit, so beautiful, allows you to make lots of recipes. »
The professor does not fail to remind us that we must see nurturing landscaping as a whole, that is to say a place where we respect all the inhabitants, even the animals. “Even the squirrels! They are there, you have to live with them. This is the very meaning of permaculture. Me, my solution was to plant a lot of ground cherries. They love it. We share ! Instead of fighting, sometimes you just need to increase the number of a certain vegetable or plant. Another example: the conifer. It is an extraordinary shelter for birds. Everyone should have an evergreen in their garden to provide them with a habitat. »
Passionate since a very young age, Véronique Pepin sees horticulture as a real source of happiness, “and everyone needs happiness in life”! She is convinced of the benefits of horticultural therapy on mental health. “Our brain is calmer, it can let go without having too many concerns. I really believe in it. »
For that, nothing better than letting go. She stresses the importance of not controlling nature too much or not nurturing it to perfection. “Biodiversity is essential to complete balance. Sometimes plants will take hold naturally and do a great job. » Are these unwanted plants weeds? “The answer is almost always no. You also don’t need to rot-till the land every year. Microorganisms do the work for us. » Should we clean everywhere, even the small twig? “No, and especially not! Nature regulates itself. […] People tend to see the layout as something organized and uncluttered. If you need aesthetics, you have to find the right balance; respect yourself as human and respect nature and what it needs. This is also permaculture. »