Edulis is the place to go if you want edible plants that are also ornamental (‘edimentals’ if you will), or just something a little bit different. Paul Barney is the founder and owner of Edulis, which is tucked away near the village of Pangbourne in Berkshire. The Walled Garden was originally owned by his father, who ran a market garden there, and Paul initially did the same, organically, when he took it over.Wanting to understand more about the plants and soil, he spent some years away studying soil science and landscape architecture and working at the Centre for Alternative Technology, and when he returned in 1993 he wanted to focus on plants for permaculture. In the early stages all the plants he grew were edible, and although there is some dilution now with edimentals and pure ornamental plants, the emphasis is still on sustainable food production. Many of the plants he grows are perennial, and suitable for layered planting (where everything from the tree canopy to the shrubs and ground cover beneath provides a harvest). Some even date back to before his father’s time, such as a globe artichoke growing just outside the walls (Cynara cardunculus ‘Bere’) and a giant rhubarb (Rheum x australe ‘Great Bere’), both named for the local estate.
TheWalled Garden extends to around two-thirds of an acre, with a three-span polytunnel and standing-out areas. In the early days of the business Paul spent time designing gardens as well, but now Edulis keeps him busy for most of the working week, and weekends too when he sells plants at shows around the country. Three part-time staff help keep things running, but all of the administration is done by Paul. As with most nurseries, his busiest times of year are spring and autumn when he is propagating, but the variety of his plants means that making new stock also extends into summer (for snowdrops) and late summer (for alliums). Even winter is hectic, with bareroot and snowdrop sales, though he does manage some time off in November.