Forest gardens in practice – kurz v angličtině s Tomasom Remiarzom

This course will teach you how to design, plant and maintain a forest garden. We will use the land and people around for a practical example. You will learn to observe the land around you, ask questions of the people using the site and analyse the gathered information. We will explore how to combine trees, shrubs and perennial plants and how to organise planting, harvesting and maintenance.

Forest gardens have been growing for centuries in tropical countries and have become popular in colder climates over the last 30 years. They use and adapt the principles working in natural landscapes to combine trees, shrubs, flowers, herbs and vegetables in a productive garden. You can plant a forest garden almost anywhere – in a small urban garden, on a farm, in a park or community garden.

In a well managed forest garden you can grow a lot of fruit and vegetables in a small space with relatively little effort. Forest gardens can produce food, medicine, fuel, timber other products. They can be used to regulate local climate and water and build soil over many years. They can be beautiful in formal or wild ways.

Topics that we will cover

Forest gardens for homes, neighbourhoods, public spaces, market gardens and farms
Designing with and for people
Reading and understanding the landscape as a starting point for site design
Trees, bushes, herbs and ground cover, climbers, roots, mushrooms and how to choose them
Combining beauty and functionality
Converting orchards into forest gardens
Design for easy maintenance