Tag: forest garden

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Free Garden Tour with a focus on Designing Polycultures: Sunday the 19th, 3:00

Michael Hoag

This Sunday we’ll be offering a free garden tour with a focus on designing practical polycultures. I’m making up a nice handout with online resources on Polyculture design and a summary of the techniques and strategies I’ll be covering and demonstrating.  We’ll be checking out the garden and tasting some plants while we explore current theory and research on interplanting strategies including: Basic “Root type” polycultures based on the “carrot, onions, lettuce” model.  Naturally modelled plantings that mimic locally found plant communities. Time based “advanced polycultures” such as the “Ianto Evans Polyculture.”  Strategies for mixed Annual/Perennial Polycultures  “Plant Guild” roles: … Continue reading Free Garden Tour with a focus on Designing Polycultures: Sunday the 19th, 3:00

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Stir-Fried Food Forest

Michael Hoag

With a home forest garden, our meals usually start with a quick trip out the front door. And when we’re busy, “Stir-Fried Food Forest” is often on the menu. Today’s perennial or self-sown veggies all came from within 50 feet of our front door. In about 5 minutes of work, with no required yearly digging or planting, I found perennialized garlic, perennial spring onions, self-sown carrots, sorrel, lovage, turkish rocket “broccoli,” asparagus and a few herbs to spice things up.  A quick chop and a light stir-fry meant dinner went from “farm to table” in about 15 minutes.  You want … Continue reading Stir-Fried Food Forest

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Establishing a Food Forest Garden: Planting Density

Michael Hoag

(A view of one of our forest gardens with high density. Looks like a natural system!) What’s the correct density for a Food Forest Garden in the Great Lakes region? How close do you plant the trees? How should density change as the forest matures? We’ll look at a variety of perspectives on the topic and discuss how we can pick the right strategy for each garden and gardener to maximize productivity and minimize maintenance. First of all, there’s no wrong way to forest garden. We humans seem to have a built-in ability to garden this way. It is, after … Continue reading Establishing a Food Forest Garden: Planting Density