Here’s why I think you need to design and create your own fruit tree guilds. A simple permaculture design that blends fruit trees, productive and ornamental plants that promises abundance and beauty in the vegetable garden. I’m joined by Maiju from her channel @spudsandroses to help me set up my own!
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26 Comments
Tell me!… What do you think? Can't wait to hear from you! ❤
Wonderful idea! I've been thinking of this myself. Love your enthusiasm, Niall ❤️
Hello from across the pond! I am in Michigan, USA. 19:17 I am so glad that you are doing this series on fruit guilds!!! I was so inspired when you did your first video with Maiju. I designing a small fruit guild for my yard. Look forward to your upcoming posts!
That was a wonderful video Niall 🥰 so excited for you. The trees already look like they belong there and knowing your immense plant knowledge – you will have some beautiful combinations by the end 💚 Thank you for the summer clips, it has brought a smile to my face 🥰 all these positive vibes are needed while the spring colours haven't started to appear yet, all is dull and brown still. Best wishes from Co. Kerry 😘🐶
Souds like a formal food forest with lots of old-world charm. I know little of this style which makes me look forward to seeing it evolve. I will say the healthiest soil in New England seems to be under old fruit trees.
I've never heard of a fruit tree guild. It seems to me that the trees would create too much shade for the rest of the garden to grow well. (from USA)
Planting beds look amazing. Love the fruit tree guild concept. Have a wonderful day in the garden.
Fabulous Niall, I'm so excited with you. I have plans to do this too. Followed your video last year and I have big plans for a circular area in the garden that has a rhododendron tree that has been cut back and tailed to allow other plants to thrive 😀
Hi Niall. I’m excited to see you begin your fruit tree guild journey. I remember when you featured the idea a little while ago. Here’s to everything turning out well. We’ll be watching. 😊 Take care and I look forward to another great video. Hey Kenny. 👍🏽
Great video Niall,bet it will look great when established, i do love your gardening footage, I've got my dad's old apple tree in an old black dustbin at bottom of the garden,I brought it to mine when he passed away, 22 years ago,I don't do anything with it,it was full of lovely pink blossom and loads of little apples, they're very tasty, don't even know what they're called but it's a memory of my dad I treasure, thanks again take care till next time x
I appreciate your enthousiasm, Niall !
Its gonna look beautiful and be productive !
This concept is truly wonderful. Thanks for sharing the start of a spectacular journey Niall 😃
What an inspired plan! It raises a question (for me)about shade – with the combination of the hedge and tree canopy, will the vegetables be getting enough sunlight? Trying to place my own vegetable garden and wonder also if the length of your vegetable garden faces North-South or East-West? Thanks Niall
I knew you were going to do the fruit tree guild,you got so excited when you visited Miau's garden. They will be a great addition to your garden. I have a plum tree in my back garden,with a fish pond underneath,I scatter wild flower seeds below the tree,and have small hanging baskets with strawberries and flower around it,with other flowers around,and a bush( don't know the name) it has long bell looking flowers. Niall have you ever grown comfrey,the bees love the purple flowers, can be invasive,so can plant in a large pot. I just distributed split rooting to others in the allotment. Niall I look forward to the ongoing results. Thanks for sharing.
Let us know how digging out the lovage goes. I once had to dig one out of a community garden bed. This thing had roots that went two feet down, and spread to every corner of a 4 X 6 raised bed. It was a nightmare. I don't know if there are different varieties that are less invasive, but for what we get here in Alberta, the recommendation is to plant them in garden spot where they're surrounded by concrete walkways or some other way to contain them, or they spread everywhere.
Oh my, I too was inspired by Mayu’s video. So much so that I have just prepared a no dig bed around two apple trees on my allotment. Ok so it’s a bit rough and ready, not as gorgeous as yours but I think it will work. Someone told me last year that planting chives and borage under apple trees helped with better crops and I was already planning on doing that when I saw Mayu’s video and realised that’s where the idea must have originated. Sleepiness nights are being spent planting calendula, borages, chives, achilleas – it looks beautiful in my mind!
What a wonderful video Niall. Your calm, happy and fun outlook on life and gardening is so lovely to watch. You were made for YT! First found you via Liz Zorabs channel and you have both inspired me to try and do so many new things in the garden and plant different varieties I'd never known before. Thank you! Keep on keeping on! 😁
Great video! BTW, are you worried about the shade that they will cast on the vegetables growing below? is this something i need to worry about?
Great video I have patio fruit trees but they are in pots, apples trees are in bright yellow pots and the cherry tree is placed in the pot between my herb troughs.
I’m really interested in fruit guilds and permaculture but have been struggling to wrap my head around the concepts. Hopefully your series will help me to understand 😊
Great video – I am suitably inspired! I just planted three fruit trees in a strip at the back of my allotment plot. I now definitely want to create a fruit tree guild. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for bringing us along! Here everything is covered in snow, but watching you dig gives a minute of relief from the longing. This is going to be so lovely in every way!
I was so looking forward to hearing what fruit tree guilds were! I didn't bother to ask, I knew that you would get around to explaining it. Turns out I have done almost that thing in my garden, with three espalier fruit trees and three pillar apple trees with underplantings. I look forward to seeing what you choose and why. 🙂 Following Maiju!
Love this!! Have you thought of incorporating mushrooms with the beneficial flowers/herbs around the trees?
All my 51 fruit and nut trees (from almond cross 'Robijn' that is already starting to blossom and medlar to old apple varieties like 'Ashmeads Kernel', 'Ingrid Marie' and 'Groninger Kroon') are part of a guild (in progress). Last year I came to the conclusion I want to pair every tree with spring bulbs. It gives the guilds a nice pop of colour in late winter and spring when most plants are still dormant , bumblebees adore them and I can't plant large plants or tubers directly under the trees. So this seems perfect. I planted over a thousand bulbs and can't wait to see the result.
I'm looking forward to see what you will plant in your guilds.
great idea and look forward to seeing these mature! will you keep them smallish apple trees?
probably got enough fruit trees in our orchard so probably wont be doing this however an area we have which used to have an old fruit cage that had so many tay berry plant but slowly been digging those out and putting raised beds in to put some veggies and my onions but also purchased red currants and blueberries to grow amongst them but there is an apple tree growing in that area too!