Creatin' a livin' ecosystem in your backyard
Welcome to an excitin’ journey where nature and gardenin’ come together. Today, we’re gonna explore how you can turn your backyard into a thrivn’ food forest garden, a livin’, harmonious ecosystem that ain’t just pretty to look at, but also benefits you and the environment.
What's a forest garden to ya?
For us, a food forest garden is a growin’ system that tries its darndest to mimic the natural ecosystem of the woods. Here, plants, critters, and tiny organisms work together to create a self-sustainin’ environment. Unlike your regular gardens, a well established forest garden needs minimal fussin’ over time and gives a heap of benefits compared to them yearly plants. What we’re talkin’ about today is kind a mix with some lookbacks to tie it all together, y’know?
Plannin' your food forest garden
Before you start diggin’, think about these three things:
1. What’s your goal for your forest garden?
2. How wild do you want your garden to be?
3. What local plants are growin’ in your neck of the woods?
Take your time to check out your land. Notice where the sun hits, where it’s shady, what kind of dirt you’ve got, and how water flows naturally. This’ll help you figure out what your garden’s all about.
Your 4 key elements in a forest garden
1. Layered vegetation
Create different levels in your garden:
Tall trees (like fruit trees)
Shorter trees and bushes (like berry bushes)
Herbs and veggies
Ground cover
Root crops
Climbin’ plants
This makes the most of your space and sunlight.
2. Plant diversity
Choose a mix of:
Nitrogen fixin’ plants (like beans)
Nutrient gatherin’ plants (like dandelions)
Nectar rich flowers for pollinators
Edible wild plants
3. Critter habitats
Make homes for different critters:
Ponds for frogs and water bugsRock piles for lizards and small critters
Birdhouses and birdbaths
Bug hotels for solitary bees and other helpful insects
4. Wild corridors
Make paths that connect different parts of your garden and nearby natural areas. This helps critters move around freely and boosts biodiversity.
Perks of a food forest garden
More biodiversity: A well planned forest garden supports all sorts of species, from tiny organisms to bigger critters.
Natural pest control: By creatin’ homes for predators like birds and helpful insects, you naturally keep pest populations down.
Better soil: The variety of plants and rich microlife in the soil makes for healthy, nutrient-packed dirt.
Climate ready: Forest gardens can handle extreme weather better and help ease the effects of climate change.
Edible harvest: Enjoy all kinds of fruits, nuts, berries, and veggies from your own backyard.
Less work: Once it’s up and runnin’, it needs less maintenance than regular gardens.
Learnin’ opportunities: Your forest garden becomes a livin’ lab where you can learn about ecology and sustainable growin’.
Gettin' started with your forest garden
Start small and expand bit by bit. Get to know your garden and adjust your plans to fit its unique setup. Be patient, a forest garden grows over time, so enjoy the process. Try different plant combos and techniques to see what works best in your spot and don’t forget the 90/10 rule that we have mention in previous posts.
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Well, that’s all for today, folks. Now don’t be shy about sharin’ what you learn and inspirin’ others with your experiences and know how.
Creatin’ a food forest garden is an excitin’ journey that rewards you with its beauty and a deeper understandin’ of how nature works together. We hope this has fired you up to start explorin’ the possibilities in your own backyard.
Do not hesitate sharing your thoughts and questions in the comments below. We’re itchin’ to hear about your adventures and ideas.
In our next post that’s our very last post on this adventure we’ll be talkin’ about what’s holdin’ you back from makin’ your dreams come true. so mark your calendar.
Until then, take care dear friend and enjoy the beauty of nature, y’hear?
Warm regards, Tidde and Fidde