Our ability to take advantage of all the species and cultivars utilized and developed by man in other places, or at other times, depends directly on our ability to provide the situation (niche) suited to them. Hence the rationale of modifying existing natural systems or buildings. “An environment can in this way be made to accommodate many species without competition between them.” (Watt”).
The main modification, and it is a very important one, is that a well-occupied system resists invasion by rampant forms (such as blackbirds and blackberries), so that the initial diversity, plus lack of disturbance are the factors that will preserve the diversity-stability dynamism. I cannot stress too much the importance of keeping a small area fully occupied with plants as a strategy to reduce work.
-Bill Mollison Permaculture ll
I was just looking at one of my beds the other day where I planted a “Brandywine” raspberry -a cross between a black and red raspberry.
I thought it would have a well behaved raspberry form, but no, the tiny thing I planted last May shot out ten foot tentacles in all directions. It obviously takes after the dark side of its parentage. Thankfully none rooted; most of the branches even died back to a foot or two long.
It’s coming out this year. Let the Japanese Knottweed (Fallopia japonica) at the forest edge deal with it.
Mortal Tree 