I have been developing a bit of a forest garden in my urban back yard, so when Tomas Remiarz’s new book, Forest Gardening in Practice, was offered as a prize at permies.com I decided to see if I could win a copy. I am pleased to report that I actually did win a copy of this very informative book.
It features an in depth look at the history of the development of forest gardens, or food forests, and why they are becoming so popular around the world. The concept is only about three decades old, and seems to have taken root in Great Britain, where Robert Hart was an early adopter. His property is one of many around the world that are profiled as case histories in the book.
This approach to gardening draws heavily on permaculture principles, so the importance of understanding how ecosystems evolve with many layers of plants, soil, insects, humans and other animals is stressed. There is a step-by-step guide to how to create your own food forest. The book is heavily illustrated with color photographs and other imagery.
Forest Gardening in Practice is intended for private gardens as well as community endeavors. And then if you get the bug to go into business with your forest garden, there is much advice for doing that as well. All in all, I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the concept of maximizing the potential edible output of your land in an ecologically benign way.