Woodland Gardens
beautiful and resilient ecosystems
Woodlands - and particularly woodland edge - are one of the most biodiverse and rewarding habitats we can create, even in a small garden. Creating woodland gardens combines Mark's skills as a designer, aboriculturist and ecological thinker.
People have intereacted with, and managed woodlands for thousands of years and they can be a rich resource, producing wood products, fuel and a variety of foods. We can recreate some of this, even in a modern, small garden and combine productivity, beauty and biodiversity in one of the most climate-resilient ecosystems. This principle holds true in temperate climates, but also in arid regions of the Middle-East, where Mark also works.
The Coppice Garden
a landscape methodology
Multi stemmed coppice as the basis of a garden
Managing the garden as an active resource that feeds back into the garden itself, is a circular, or closed-loop ecosystem and is highly resilient. It also create a staggering range of biodiverity and change within the fixed framework of a garden, as light is opened up in one area and shade increases in another, giving a huge dynamic in a small plot. The coppiced material can be used in the garden as poles or edging, it can be chipped into mulch to be returned tot he soil. Such a garden needs no external input.
The range of woodland plants, both native and exotic, that thrive in woodland conditions is well known to many gardeners, giving them a well thought-through structure and management plan is less well considered, yet makes all the difference.
![Camassias on the woodland edge](assets/images/2023/coppice_garden-2.jpg)
Camassias flowering on the woodland edge, planted in grass. They love and thrive in these conditions, as do many other plants.
![Coppiced hazel stool in West Sussex](assets/images/2023/coppice_garden-1.jpg)
A garden hazel stool, coppiced in winter; the thin epicormic growths were from the previous year and left intact. Sunlight now reaches this area.
![Oyster mushroom are essential ecosystem providers](assets/images/2023/Oyster_Fungi_MLD.jpg)
Oyster mushroom are essential ecosystem providers. A well as being edible, they can also deter parasitic fungi like Honey fungus
![making mulch from garden waste](assets/images/2023/mulch_making.jpg)
Mulches are essential to create good, active soil ecology. Using garden waste is a good, cyclical systems principle.
mark laurence design ltd | adaptive landscapes for a changing world
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