A forest garden is a designed agronomic system based on trees, shrubs and perennial plants. These are mixed in such a way as to mimic the structure of a natural forest - the most stable and sustainable type of ecosystem in this climate.
The primary aims for the system are:
to be biologically sustainable, able to cope with disturbances such as climate change
it should be productive, yielding a number (often large) of different products
Perennial vegetables are a joy to grow and require a lot less time
and effort than annuals. In this book Martin Crawford gives
comprehensive advice on all types of perennial vegetable (edible plants
that live longer than three years), from ground-cover plants and
coppiced trees to plants for bog gardens and edible woodland plants.
There are many advantages to growing perennial vegetables, for example:
they need less tillage than conventional vegetables and so help retain carbon in the soil
the soil structure is not disturbed in their cultivation
they extend the harvesting season, especially in early spring
and, of course, they are much less work.
Part One looks at why and how to grow these crops, and how to look after them for maximum health.
Part Two features over 100 perennial edibles in detail, both common
and unusual – from rhubarb to skirret; Jerusalem artichoke to nodding
onions. This book offers inspiration and information for all gardeners,
whether experienced or beginner, and also includes plenty of cooking
tips. It includes beautiful colour photographs and illustrations
throughout.
The Eastern Agricultural Complex are a
group of crops that were domesticated in Eastern North American before
the arrival of corn, beans, and squash from Mexico. In 2011 Jonathan and
I grew out a bunch of them to learn more about this fascinating but
largely neglected group of native crops.
