Creating A Forest Garden: Working With Nature T... Review

As the seasons shifted, the layers filled. He planted hazelnuts and currants in the dappled shade. At the feet of the shrubs, he sowed herbs and perennial kale. Finally, he introduced the groundcovers—creeping thyme and wild strawberries that acted as a living carpet, keeping the moisture in and the invasive weeds out.

In the center, he placed the "Overstory"—towering walnuts and chestnuts that would one day reach for the clouds. Beneath them, he tucked "Understory" trees: tart apples, sweet pears, and nitrogen-fixing alders that whispered nutrients back into the ground. Creating a Forest Garden: Working with Nature t...

By the third year, the straight lines of his neighbors' farms looked stark and fragile compared to his vibrant tangle. Elias didn't spend his mornings weeding or spraying chemicals. He spent them walking. He watched ladybugs patrol the fennel for aphids. He saw birds nesting in the thickets, dropping seeds that brought new, unexpected life to the garden. As the seasons shifted, the layers filled