The Garden Paints a Picture

Beauty and Function in Work and in Nature

Young apple tree in blossom adds a splash of colour

Here at MVMG, we are firm believers that beauty and function should go hand in hand to create a truly successful market garden in the fullest sense. You could say that winter provides our blank slate—a rather bare garden, save for a few overwintered crops and our green manures (a mix of grasses and nitrogen-building clovers). In fact, much of the garden is covered in black polythene to protect the soil from the impact of heavy rainfall. Onto that blank canvas we “paint” our garden into existence over the growing season—steadily from early spring (and sometimes quite rapidly in late spring), adding crops to the beds. The black plastic sheets disappear as vegetables take over, splashed with the colour of flowers to attract pollinators, alongside flowering crops such as courgettes. The fruit trees in the orchard, as well as structures like our pea supports (shown in the picture above) and sweet pea wigwams made from bamboo or willow, add a third dimension of height.

Keeping the garden tidy and weed-free is important too, contributing to both the beauty and efficiency of the site. Of course, nature provides the “raw materials” of our “paints”, and there is beauty to be found in the form and colour of even the simplest plants, such as the broad beans at present. And sometimes we are lucky enough to witness the mastery of form, function, and beauty up close. This week, we discovered a robin’s nest, with a single egg, tucked away in a box (see picture below) in the caravan. We had left the caravan window open by mistake for a few weeks and had noticed a regular winged visitor, though we had no idea what it was up to. Not realising the purpose behind the visits, the window was eventually closed. It is now open again—but alas, perhaps too late.

Still, we can admire the craftsmanship and beauty of the perfectly formed nest, made from moss, twigs, and leaves—a lesson in the harmony of beauty and function that we can only aspire to.

Birds nest in a box!