Remy Alonso

2022

Horticulture

In Honour of Sir John Pagan

Sponsored by the Ryde Student Fund

Ever since being gifted a slightly faded used copy of the Yates Garden Guide by a now passed neighbour and great friend , it has been my bible which has informed many of my practices , particularly those pertaining to soil . I always advocate for organic matter .  It is a policy of mine that no organic matter leaves a given site . The practice of letting no material leave the site leads to the organic matter content of the soil being continually built up , and on heavy clay soil it doesn’t take long to see a very appreciable change . It also means that other than that lost to leaching and perhaps birds taking their business elsewhere , you are not losing nutrition by disposing of plant material synthesised in part by minerals from the ground . This is also as it is in the unkept natural environment .

Gardens are a sort of substitute for true nature , and are part of the broader landscape . Practices employed in ornamental gardens have implications for the broader environment too, so best to make it best practice . 

I saw a story on Peter Andrews and later read his book “Back from the Brink”. Some of his ideas were similar to my own inclinations I have long had , particularly in relation to prioritising having as much bulk of plant life in a given space as possible , the movement of nutrients in the landscape and organic matter in soil. I am forever talking people into practices which continually build organic matter in the soil for all its innumerate advantages . I have since been seeing how I can use his insights to inform our practices on the family’s farm , and mandated mum and dad read the book too!

I hope to come back from my travels with a broadened perspective of what the whole practice of cultivating plants might entail , more than what my experience of it in Australia leads me to believe . For one thing , I’d certainly like to broaden my own plant palate , as well as the palate of how plants can be used in the landscape.  Developing my own ‘best practices’ is yet another objective . If at the end of it I can improve the standard of horticulture in our country in some small but tangible way then it will have been well worth while.

Q: A Global Footprints Scholarship is for those who are passionate about creating a sustainable future. Describe something you have done at work or are working on, that helps the environment. Why is it important to you?

Further to this , it is a policy of mine that no organic matter leaves a given site . Autumn leaves are removed off the lawn and put back on the garden beds under the trees from which they were borne . On lawn , I always use a mulch mower or simply let the clippings fly on short grass where none is available . On the rare occasion that I use the catcher , the clippings are composted or dried and used as a nitrogenous mulch on vegetable gardens . All prunings are turned into a mulch , aged and then spread on the gardens . For this purpose I have a 13HP Australian made Red Roo Chipper-Shredder which takes everything including palm fronds and newspaper . At home , everyone gets involved and we even save up our lamb bones and eggshells to go out onto the garden . Mulching the prunings is just as enjoyable for me as the act of pruning itself , for which I am very fond . My only shortcoming is rose prunings , which for hygiene purposes I have to force myself to bin to prevent perpetuating various fungal diseases , chiefly black spot , which causes havoc on the east coast . I would love to hear from someone who has successfully devised a method of composting rose pruning without the risk of spreading disease . Botanic gardens have declined to answer my enquires with them as to how they deal with what must be very large volumes of rose refuse . It pains me to see good material synthesised by the plant go in the bin , but as of yet I have no alternative .

Q: Everyday across the globe, people make breakthroughs for a more sustainable future. What have you seen or heard about that you find inspiring, and why?

When I first came across Peter Andrews OAM on Australian Story a few years back , he intrigued me . The programs reported on much of his life’s travails , but didn’t talk about the specifics of his philosophies . But what little he spoke of it captured my interest . I had to look into this man . I’ve since read his book ‘Back from the Brink’ which is a summation of the Australian landscape prior to settlement , as Peter saw it , and how that came to be ; What it looks like now and what practices have led to this presentation ; And most crucially , what the principles and practices are , that are needed to successfully maintain our agricultural systems in a way that is sustainable ( able to be carried on indefinitely ) and allows ongoing production of food and fibre for our country’s welfare and prosperity . Sustainability is key for the farmer’s own viability .

Q: As a Global Footprints Scholar you can choose to go anywhere in the world. Where would you travel with your Scholarship and why?

The ideal place to travel is one in which there is much to be observed , and where the opportunity exists for you to be immersed in it . It is fair to say gardens are a reflection of their owner . I have always admired the Japanese as a people and would love to see the details of how they curate their gardens . That would be wonderful . And I love pruning . But I am a dinky die Aussie so language would likely be prohibitive .

I am aware that many BBM scholars go to Europe , and particularly the British Isles , which makes sense because they have a long history , and they place great value on gardens and so invest in them and their upkeep . Thus they have some truly awesome and internationally significant gardens and the ideal opportunity exists . And they speak English too , which is helpful.

“Remy is passionate about his chosen field. He has a sense of engagement and passion to improve practice”

- Tim Pickles, Global Footprints Assessor

“Remy is self motivated and driven.”

- Narelle Smith, Global Footprints Assessor