Forest gardening

**History and Development of Forest Gardening:**
– Forest gardening originated with hunter-gatherers in Europe and is considered the world’s oldest form of land use.
– First Nation villages in Alaska had forest gardens as early as the 1930s, containing nuts, stone fruit, berries, and herbs.
– Robert Hart adapted forest gardening for the UK’s temperate climate in the 1980s.
– The seven-layer system, inspired by forest farming methods, was a key innovation in forest gardening.
– Organizations like the Agroforestry Research Trust and Plants for a Future promote forest gardening and sustainable practices.

**Temperate Climate Forest Gardening:**
– Robert Hart initiated forest gardening in Shropshire, focusing on fruit, nuts, and green leafy vegetables.
– Hart’s model forest garden was based on a 0.12-acre orchard.
– The seven-layer system in forest gardening included canopy, low-tree, shrub, herbaceous, rhizosphere, ground cover, and vertical layers.
– Shade-tolerant perennial vegetables were preferred in temperate forest gardens for optimal growth.
– Edible shade-tolerant plants are emphasized for successful forest gardens in temperate regions.

**Permaculture and Forest Gardening:**
– Bill Mollison adopted the seven-layer system from Robert Hart’s forest garden into permaculture.
– Permaculture advocates like Graham Bell and Dave Jacke promote forest gardening practices.
– Concepts of food forests and forest gardens are widely embraced in the permaculture community.
– Books like “The Permaculture Garden” and “How to Make a Forest Garden” promote forest gardening principles.
– Films like Geoff Lawton’s “Establishing a Food Forest” highlight the importance of forest gardens in permaculture.

**Plants and Projects in Forest Gardening:**
– Plants like wild yam, cardamom, ginger, and chervil are commonly used in forest gardens.
– Ground covers are low-growing edible plants suitable for forest gardens.
– Forest gardening projects include El Pilar in Belize-Guatemala, Beacon Food Forest in Seattle, and Känan Kaax model forest garden in Santa Familia Primary School.
– Organizations like the Boston Food Forest Coalition promote the establishment of local forest gardens.
– The Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute in Basalt, Colorado, is involved in forest gardening initiatives.

**Related Concepts and Resources:**
– Forest gardening is linked to concepts like agroecology, climate-friendly gardening, forest islands, and mycoforestry.
– Books like “Creating a Forest Garden” by Martin Crawford and “Edible Forest Gardens” by Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier are valuable resources.
– Studies on forest ecosystems and indigenous forest gardens provide insights into sustainable land use practices.
– Various external links provide additional information and resources on forest gardening and related topics.