A forest garden is a garden modelled on a natural woodland. In a natural woodland there are several layers of vegetation, including trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. In an edible forest garden the tree layer contains fruit and nut trees, the shrub layer contains soft fruit and hazelnut bushes and the ground layer contains perennial vegetables and herbs. The soil is not dug. It is usually a very diverse garden, containing a wide variety of edible plants. Many gardens contain the same things as a forest garden, but usually each item is grown separately, as in an orchard, soft fruit area, vegetable patch and herb bed. The distinguishing feature of a forest garden is that all of these crops are grown together on the same piece of ground, one above the other.

Here are some important forest gardening links:                                                      

Agroforestry Research Trust
46 Hunters Moon, Dartington, Totnes, Devon, United Kingdom TQ9 6JT
Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 180 384 0776
Web site: www.agroforestry.co.uk
Email: mail@agroforestry.co.uk
UK Registered Charity Number 1007440
 
BCM Permaculture Association
London, United Kingdom WC1N 3XX
Tel/Fax 0845 458 1805 or +44 (0) 290897
Web site:www.permaculture.org.uk
Email: office@permaculture.org.uk
UK Registered Charity Number 290897
 
Here are some important books:
Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture by J. Russell Smith
(First published in 1929) Published by The Devin-Adair Co. in 1987
ISBN 0933280440
 
Forest Farming by J. Sholto Douglas & Robert A. de J. Hart
Published by Intermediate Technology Publications in 1984
ISBN 0946688303
 
How To Make A Forest Garden by Patrick Whitefield
Published by Permanent Publications in 1998
ISBN 1856230082
 
Feeding Ourselves by Philip Oyler
Published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1951
Predates ISBN numbering system
 
Forest Gardening by Robert A. de J. Hart
Published by Green Books in 1991
ISBN 1870098447
 
Permaculture Magazine
Permanent Publications
The Sustainabilty Centre
East Meon
Hampshire
GU32 1HR
United Kingdom
Tel: 0845 458 4130
Web site: www.permaculture-magazine.co.uk
Email: info@permaculture-magazine.co.uk
 
 
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