Here at Cornwall Park, our nursery team is always looking at innovative gardening techniques within the park's unique urban setting. That’s why we are proud of our new “food forest” at the Belvedere Garden. The garden’s theme is based around a fruit tree guild: a self-sustaining community of plants that live in symbiotic harmony around a central fruit tree. This approach means we can naturally feed, protect, and hydrate our trees, reducing the need for chemicals and excessive watering.

The Cornwall Park Fruit Tree Guild Recipe

Our team recently featured a mini version of our Belvedere at the Eden/Albert Garden Festival (Western Springs), which was a huge hit!

For those inspired to create their own, here is the detailed plant list from the guild we designed:

Pollinator Attractors:

• Role: Invite essential pollinators and beneficial insect predators.
• Plants Used: Nasturtium, Cosmos, Dianthus.
• Note: Choose heirloom varieties! Modern varieties often lack the nectar and pollen that insects rely on.
  
  Nitrogen Fixers:
• Role: Add free, natural fertiliser by pulling nitrogen from the air and fixing it into the soil.
• Plants Used: Red Clover, Tree Lupin.
• Note: Any legume (peas, beans) will carry out this function.
  
  Pest Repellents:
• Role: Use strong scents to confuse and deter common garden pests.
• Plants Used: Marigolds, Pyrethrum.
• Note: Also excellent: Garlic, Chives, and Onions (Alliums).
  
  Ground Covers:
• Role: Suppress weeds, conserve soil moisture, and regulate soil temperature.
• Plants Used: Strawberries, Thyme.
• Note: These act as a living mulch and provide a bonus yield!
  
  Bio-Accumulators:
• Role: Deep taproots "mine" essential minerals from deeper soil layers.
• Plants Used: Comfrey, Borage.
• Note: The leaves can be 'chopped and dropped' as a rich, slow-release mulch.
  
  Mulch Providers:
• Role: Produce large amounts of leafy material that can be cut and used as a carbon source for the soil.
• Plants Used: Rhubarb, Courgette, Silverbeet.
• Note: Most plants perform multiple functions, and many are also edible!

Come visit the Belvedere to see our nursery team’s design in action and gather inspiration for your own small garden!