Medlar
A fruiting medlar

I’ve mentioned forest gardens many times here on the blog, because I think they’re a lovely concept. The idea is to plant a garden that mimics the way that nature does things, but that fills all the available ecological niches with productive plants. If you do it correctly then you end up with a garden that is resilient and sustainable, productive all-year round (producing food and other useful products) and low maintenance. They’re also beautiful, as anyone who has had then opportunity to visit one can confirm.

Not everyone wants, or has the space for, a complete forest garden with plants in all seven layers, but the techniques can be put to good use in smaller plots as well.

That’s why I have decided to start a new blog carnival – Forest Garden Fridays. Every Friday, I’ll give you a round-up of the websites and blog posts I find (or that are submitted) on a forest garden theme. If you have a post or website that you’d like to submit to the carnival then you can email me.

I’ll be looking for photos and reports from forest gardens you’ve visited, information on plants that would be good in a forest garden, and general forest garden (essentially permaculture) techniques and book reviews.

Unless I’m deluged with responses in the next couple of days I will probably start next Friday – 2nd April.