ROADSIDE ON THE ISLAND OF MØN

To me, this epitomises Danish design: clever place-making, using local materials in an understated way. Just a few beautiful boulders placed in a circle under an oak tree.

I was struck by the beauty of the landscape in the southern islands of Denmark. While the land is intensely cultivated in the typical industrial agricultural manner (monocultures, ploughing), there were some mitigating factors: 1) No fences! 2) Biodiverse edges to the fields and roadsides supported a variety of flowering plants and pollinators. 3) Patches of forest among the fields provided habitat and refuge for wild animals. I suspect they were not natural forests: they may well have been mixed woodlots (harvested by farmers in the past) that have gone wild, but they were alive with birdsong and signs of wildlife.

Imagine if our wheat, wine, and fruit farmers had pockets of biodiverse, indigenous veld to protect drainage lines, conserve soil, and provide habitat for pollinators and local wildlife.

MARIJKE HONIG Landscape Designer, Botanist, and Author Think Ecologic