By Liliana Uvat
Blog 204-365
Edible Forest Gardening
Edible forest gardening is the art and science of putting plants
together in woodlandlike patterns that forge mutually beneficial
relationships, creating a garden ecosystem that is more than the sum of
its parts. You can grow fruits, nuts, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms,
other useful plants, and animals in a way that mimics natural
ecosystems. You can create a beautiful, diverse, high-yield garden.
If designed with care and deep understanding of ecosystem function, you
can also design a garden that is largely self-maintaining.
Design
Traditional agriculture involves 10% planning
and 90% work. Permaculture involves 90% planning with intelligent
design and 10% work to implement the design and then much less work in
maintanence.
Permaculture
Permaculture
is theory of design which uses biological and ecological systems as
models to create permanent and sustainable agricultural systems.
Permaculture is Consciously designed landscapes which mimic the patterns and
relationships found in nature, while yielding an abundance of food,
fibre and energy for provision of local needs.’ People, their buildings
and the ways in which they organise themselves are central to
permaculture. Thus the permaculture vision of permanent or sustainable
agriculture has evolved to one of permanent or sustainable culture.
History
The
word permaculture was coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the
mid-1970’s to describe an integrated, evolving system of perennial or
self-perpetuating plant and animal species useful to man.
Plants are categorized by their place in the Forest Garden
Tall Trees Layer
Typically over 30 feet (~9 meters) high. This layer is
for larger Forest Gardens. Timber trees, large nut trees, and
nitrogen-fixing trees are the typical trees in this category. There are a
number of larger fruiting trees that can be used here as well depending
on the species, varieties, and root stocks used.
- Alder (Alnus species)
- Apple (Malus domestica or pumila)
- Cherry, Black (Prunus serotina)
- Cherry, Sweet (Prunus avium)
- Cherry, Tart (Sour) (Prunus cerasus)
- Chestnut (Castanea species)
- Lime, Linden, & Basswood (Tilia species)
- Hazelnuts or Filberts (Corylus species)
- Juniper (Juniperus species)
- Monkey Puzzle Tree (Araucaria araucana)
- Mulberry (Morus species: M. nigra, M. rubra, M. alba)
- Oak (Quercus species)
- Pears, Asian (Pyrus species)
- Pecans and Hickories (Carya species)
- Persimmon (Diospyros species: D. kaki, D. lotus, D. virginiana)
- Walnut (Juglans nigra and Juglans regia)
- Walnut - Other species (J. cinerea, J. ailantifolia var. cordiformi, J. x bixbyi)
Tall Shrubs
Typically 10-30 feet (3-9 meters) high. In most Forest
Gardens, or at least those with limited space, these plants often make
up the acting Canopy layer. The majority of fruit trees fall into this
layer.
- Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas)
- Elderberry (Sambucus species)
- Jujube (Ziziphus zizyphus or jujuba)
- Medlar (Mespilus germanica)
- Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)
- Pears, Asian (Pyrus species)
- Plum (Prunus subgenus Prunus species)
- Quince (Cydonia oblonga)
- Sumac (Rhus species)
Shrub Layer
Typically up to 10 feet (3 meters) high. The majority of
fruiting bushes fall into this layer. Includes many nut, flowering,
medicinal, and other beneficial plants as well.
- Aronia or Chokeberry (Aronia species)
- Blueberries (Vaccinium species)
- Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea species)
- Elderberry (Sambucus species)
- Goji Berry (Wolfberry) (Lycium barbarum, Lycium chinense)
- Gooseberries (Ribes uva-crispa)
- Goumi (Elaeagnus multiflora)
- Nanking Cherry (Prunus tomentosa)
- Roses - An Introduction to Rose Types (Rosa species)
- Roses - Rosa rugosa (Rosa rugosa)
- Salal or Shallon (Gaultheria shallon)
- Saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia)
- Sea-Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)
Herbaceous Layer
Plants in this layer die back to the ground every winter... if winters
are cold enough, that is. They do not produce woody stems as the Shrub
layer does. Many cullinary and medicinal herbs are in this layer. A
large variety of other beneficial plants fall into this layer.
- Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)
- Borage (Borago officinalis)
- Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
- Comfrey (Symphytum asperum)
- Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
- Good King Henry (Chenopodium bonus-henricus)
- Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)
- Horseradish (Amoracia rusticana)
- Lupine (Lupinus species)
- Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
- Plantain (Plantago species)
- Ramps (Allium tricoccum)
- Rhubarb (Rheum species)
- Sorrel (Rumex species)
- Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
- Yarrow (Achillea species)
Climber Layer
These vining and climbing plants span multiple layers
depending on how they are trained or what they climb all on their own.
They are a great way to add more productivity to a small space, but be
warned. Trying to pick grapes that have climbed up a 60 foot Walnut Tree
can be interesting to say the least.
- Hops (Humulus lupulus)
- Kiwi - Tropical and Hardy (Actinidia deliciosa, A. arguta, A. kolomikta)
- Malabar Spinach (Basella alba, Basella rubra)
- Maypop (Passiflora incarnata)
- Wisteria (Wisteria species)
Ground Cover Layer
There is some overlap with the Herbaceous layer and the
Ground Cover layer; however plant in this layer are often shade
tolerant, grow much closer to the ground, grow densely to fill bare
patches of soil, and often can tolerate some foot traffic.
- Aronia or Chokeberry (Aronia species)
- Creeping Blueberry (Vaccinium crassifolim)
- Groundcover Raspberry (Rubus nepalensis, R. pentalobus, R. tricolor)
- Juniper (Juniperus species)
- Lupine (Lupinus species)
- Mint (Mentha species)
- Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
- Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
- Rhubarb (Rheum species)
- Salal or Shallon (Gaultheria shallon)
- Sorrel (Rumex species)
- Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
- Wild Angelica (Angelica silvestris)
- Yarrow (Achillea species)
Underground Layer
These are root crops. There are an amazing variety of
edible roots that most people have never heard of, but I hope to
introduce them to you here.
- Groundnut (Apios americana
- Skirret (Sium sisarum)
