Blurring the edges
More and more people today are looking to lessen their impact on our natural environment, but often they don’t know just where to begin. At Word of Mouth Wines, Deborah Upjohn wants to show people that it doesn’t have to be that hard, you just have to start somewhere.
“I knew it had to change and I didn't quite know how to change it, but I thought if I keep growing things and greening the place, something has to change — and I’ve noticed that change,” said Deborah.
Over the past few years, Deborah has planted hundreds of trees in the open field surrounding cellar door and vineyard she operates with her partner Peter Gibson.
And she has plans for at least 1500 more, plus expanding the native wildlife corridor already established on the 25-acre property.
“We have the bush corridor for native animals as they are getting pushed out to the fringes,” said Deborah.
“Over the last 200 years we've pushed the environment to the edges and we are functioning in the empty space in the middle. I'm wanting to start raise awareness that we can all live together on these parcels of land and all be productive.”
For Deborah, the goal is to show that it is possible to incorporate productive farming activity, a productive and aesthetically pleasing garden while making room for native species.
It’s a philosophy that extends to the vineyard, where there has been no herbicide on the ground for almost 10 years, and care is taken to limit heavy equipment, while vegetable matter is left to decay and promote better soil health.
But it was three years ago that Deborah embarked on her ambitious planting program.
“I wanted to reconnect with what sustains me and for me it is being around plants and animals, not always productive plants and animals, but companion animals and companion plants,” said Deborah, whose garden is an eclectic mix of fruit trees and other edible plants, along with native and exotic trees.
“For me, it’s not about a landscaped, botanical garden — I didn't want the European style garden — it’s about growing food for yourself and family and friends… being economically viable and somewhere you want to be because it is aesthetically pleasing to live here.”
Sometime that involves compromise, said Deborah, who is sanguine about sharing her fruit harvest and garden with the other local residents.
“For me it is about integrating all the wildlife — and all the pests and the bugs — and saying I'll have that tree, you have the rest. So now I'm flexible,” she said
“And our visitors love it to see cockatoos feeding on my beautiful sunflowers that I grew to look at. It is helping us all appreciate that it is not all for us.”
It is early days yet, but Deborah has teamed up with local horticulturalist and garden consultant Dhyan Blore to present a series of workshops throughout the year looking at topics such soil health, being waterwise, plant selection, plant placement, attracting native birdlife and bug life, pruning fruit trees and rewilding.
“I want them to be simple and practical for the everyday householder; urban dwellers as well as small farms,” said Deborah
“I think there is interest in how we can be consumers and conservers at the same time… I think people are interested because we are all wanting to do something differently, but we don't quite know what that is collectively.”
For many people just where to begin can be the biggest challenge, and that’s what Deborah is hoping to help with.
“It can be an overwhelming project to think let's re-tree this place, so often people just run cattle and that's how it stays and no one does any tree planting or any renewing the landscape, but having lived here for 15 years, this is all slowly happening around me and I’m hoping that we can have this as a little showcase of what you can do with 25 acres.
“You don't have to clear it all out and put sheep on it. You can still have your work, you can still have a highly productive and creative life in your garden… We want to help people chunk it down and show them that it is achievable and help them set goals.”