The concept of a food forest goes back thousands of years where native people observed forest edges and recreated the ecology. Today’s food forests are designed to maximize biodiversity, soil health and food production while requiring minimal maintenance once established.
Layering and stacking plants vertically allows you to grow and reap more food even in small spaces. Food forests offer more than just a bountiful harvest. They're also resilient ecosystems that can adapt to our changing climate. As weather patterns become increasingly unpredictable, cultivating your own food forest becomes not just a hobby, but a necessity.
The harsh, hot summer has changed things as we will have to garden differently from now on.
Let's not be seduced in the garden by making choices for instant gratification – we’ve been lured by pretty things and imagine we can have whatever we want. But plants are not paint and gardening is not decorating: It’s about creating an ecosystem for humans and non-humans alike.
THE 7 LAYERS OF A FOOD FOREST
- A canopy layer of large fruit trees
- An understory layer of smaller fruit & nut trees
- A layer of shrubs such as currants and berries
- A vertical layer of vines and climbers
- A herbaceous layer of perennial veggies, flowers & herbs
- A ground cover of living mulch
- A mycelium/fungus layer forms a network of fine threads that can connect with plant roots and enhances the transfer of nutrients.
Have you ever dreamt of having your own secret garden?
Well, I'm turning that dream into reality with my very own food forest right in my backyard. Imagine a garden filled with all sorts of yummy treasures—apples, berries, even the occasional surprise like pawpaws or persimmons. It's like nature's buffet, and I'm the lucky diner.
There are many options besides slow-growing fruit trees.
Serviceberry, raspberries, blackberries produce a significant harvest the second year after planting. I've planted elderberry for its antioxidant-rich berries, nanking cherry for its cold-hardiness and sweet fruit and hardy kiwi for its grape-like flavour and quick growth.
It doesn’t have to be intimidating. Start with planting some dwarf fruit trees and berry bushes and practise companion planting.
Intermix marigolds with vegetables or plant a cheerful crop of woodland sunflowers on a garden edge. Experiment with different layers knowing that the garden transforms over time, creating a dynamic and diverse ecosystem.
The Three Sisters: Nature's Teamwork in Your Garden
The classic example of annual polyculture is the “three sisters” method of growing corn, beans and squash together, a Native American tradition.
The corn stalks provide a trellis for the beans to climb up. Beans are legumes that fix nitrogen in the soil, which benefits the corn. The squash spread out, suppressing weeds. Together, these three plants form a mutually beneficial ecosystem.
It's a beautiful way to cultivate abundance while respecting the earth and its natural rhythms.
A certified landscape designer and horticulturalist, Monika Rekola brings landscapes to life with her passion for gardening and CAD designs, guided by a profound love for all living beings. As a budding homesteader and garden writer, she shares her passion for sustainable living. With a knack for recycling and repurposing, Monika finds beauty in simplicity, while her love for birds makes her a keen observer of nature. Committed to forest management and gardening with an ecological focus, she strives to create balance in our delicate ecosystem. She can be reached at [email protected].
