The Backyard Forest

No matter the size of your garden, you can create a lush food forest using forest garden techniques. Step-by-step, you’ll learn how to work with nature to grow edible crops, all the while creating a haven for wildlife.

The course is divided into 3 stages

1. Watching, thinking and planning — where you observe, measure and document your garden to start the planning process, then on to create the map to enable the design process.

2. Structural planting — establish the windbreaks & protective structures, start a productive perennial veg bed and plant the canopy tree layer.

3. Filling in the structure — prepare the ground so that you can plant the shrubs and the ground cover

A forest garden emulates the edge of woodland, working with nature to reduce the amount of watering and maintenance, with a permanent living ground cover and a self-sustaining ecosystem of nutrients & pest control. Mostly perennial plants are used, in all three dimensions, as they are more resilient, lower maintenance and more nutritious.

NB course slideshow & notes available on my Nature Works website.

Also, I now recommend not using woven plastic sheet mulch, in 8. Ground Preparation, as we need to reduce our reliance on plastic.

The full course outline is:

1. Introducing

2. Plan

3. Design

4. Protect

5. Perennial Veg

6. Canopy layer

7. Ground Preparation

8. Shrubs & Ground Cover