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EDIBLE

A PERENNIAL ALTERNATIVE

By Ron Berezan

When English horticulturalist Robert Hart set out in the mid-1960s to create a healthy and self-sufficient lifestyle for himself and his handi- capped brother, he purchased a few acres of land in Shropshire near the Welsh border and began to farm.

ithin a few years, however, Hart realized plus , fodder, building materials, that neither he nor his brother had the feedstock for micro-biogas digesters and fibre for Wphysical stamina to manage the intense crafts. Similarly, Hart discovered that forest gardens needs of the annual cropping systems that on the island of Java of just over an in size were they had developed. An avid reader and cross- routinely supporting families of ten or more persons. cultural researcher, he turned his attention to other Over the next thirty years, Robert Hart and his less labour intensive agricultural models, particularly brother began to transform their own property into the famed “home gardens” of state in India. perhaps the first known temperate forest in In his visionary book, Forest : Culti- the west. Although Hart passed away in 2001, his vating an Edible Landscape, Hart notes that Kerala garden remains an inspiration to would-be forest boasts an estimated half million small-scale forest around the temperate world as he has dem- gardens managed for subsistence and income by the onstrated that the agro- principles practiced millions of people that live within them. Hart’s re- for hundreds, if not thousands, of years in the search revealed that these tropical gardens, typically can be successfully adapted to colder climates. half an acre (0.8 ha) in scale, had up to “23 young In the past decade or so, interest has been grow- palms, 12 , 56 , 49 pineap- ing in the model throughout North ples, 30 pepper and numerous other herba- America with many exciting examples coming to ceous perennial species and small .” light. While much of this work is still experimental, With little or no outside inputs, such intense pro- American David Jacke, in Edible Forest Gardens: duction could supply most of a family’s food needs Ecological Vision and Theory for Temperate Cli-

18 – Fall 2010 The Canadian Organic Grower www.cog.ca mate has effectively presented both the possibilities and the technical requirements for forest gardening in the northern hemisphere. Intrigued by the work of pio- neers like Robert Hart and David Jacke, I became determined to develop my own forest garden for our Edmonton home. In partner- ship with my neighbour, we have converted approximately 2200 square feet (204 m2) of our yards into a joint Zone 3 edible forest garden. The work began in June of 2008 with the of large areas of and former vegetable beds with layers of or- ganic matter including cardboard and newspaper, , grass clippings, , straw, alfalfa pel- lets and bark chips. Then the work of planting began.

A well-designed forest garden can eventually out-produce an annual cropping system in food calories per unit of area with far less labour. The work began in June of 2008 with the sheet mulching of large areas of lawn and former vegetable beds with layers of organic matter including cardboard and newspaper, compost, grass clippings, leaves, The principles straw, alfalfa pellets and bark chips. Succinctly put, edible forest gar- dens are “perennial . Rather, we are developing principles articulated well by of multi-purpose powered parallel forest systems that can pro- Robert Hart is that forest archi- by the sun.” Following the pat- vide a wide range of yields to peo- tecture is typically multi-layered terns and ecological functioning ple, while at the same time with a variety of plants occupying of established forests, we are at- offering back numerous eco- niches at different heights: tall tempting to create stable, resilient system services such as carbon , small trees, , herba- and diverse systems that require sequestration, wildlife , soil ceous perennials, ground covers, few outside inputs and are highly building, the creation of micro- vining plants and the zone. productive in relation to the climates and water retention. There is a careful selection and amount of labour required. To be Forest depends placement of all species such that clear, these gardens are not an at- on the careful mimicry of natural functional communities, or guilds, tempt to replace existing natural forest systems. One of the core of plants that support each other www.cog.ca Our Nature is Organic Fall 2010 – 19 Ron Berezan’s Edible Forest Garden in Edmonton, Alberta

Trees Egyptian Onions (Allium X proliferum) Evans Cherry (Prunus cerasus ‘Evans’) Wild Onions (Allium canadense) Brook Red Plum (Prunus salicina ‘Brook Red’ ) Sage (Salvia officinalis) Filazel (Corylus X hybrid) Lupins (Lupinus polyphyllus) Crisp Apple (Malus domestica ‘Honey Crisp’ ) Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Ure Pear (Pyrus ussuriensis ‘Ure’) Self-seeding annuals Espalier trees Borage (Borago officinalis) Norda Apple (Malus domestica ‘Norda) (Calendula officinalis) Fall Gold Pear (Pyrus ussuriensis ‘Fall Gold’) Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) Golden Pear (P. ussuriensis ‘Golden Spice’) Bachelor’s Buttons () Brook Gold Plum (Prunus salicina ‘Brook Gold’) Orach (Atriplex hortensis) Evans Cherry (Prunus cerasus ‘Evans’) Dill (Anethum graveolens) Caraway (Carum carvi) Shrubs Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) Saskatoons (Amelanchier alnifolia) Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) Red Currant (Ribes rubrum) Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) Black currant (Ribes nigrum) Assorted lettuces (Lactuca sativa) Missouri Currant (Ribes sativum) Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) Ground covers Josta (Ribes nigrum X uva-crispa) Wild (Fragaria virginiana) Honeyberry/Haskap (Lonicera caerulea edulis) Domestic Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) Romance Cherries (Prunus cerasus X fruticosa) Creeping Thyme (Thymus pulegioides) Western Sand Cherry (Prunus besseyi) Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) Raspberries (Rubus spp.) – contained area Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) Mints (Mentha spp.) Herbacious perennials Canada Violet (Viola canadensis) Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa) Oregano (Origanum vulgare) Giant Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) Meadow Blazingstar (Liatris ligulistylis) Fungi Betony (Stachys officinalis) Oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus) Garden Sorrel (Rumex acetosa) Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) Good King Henry (Chenopodium bonus-henricus) Horse mushrooms (Agaricus arvensis) * Lovage (Levisticum officinale) Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata) Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) Bloody Dock (Rumex sanguineus) Salad Burnet (Poterium sanguisorba) Garden Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum) Welsh Onions (Allium fistulosum)

20 – Fall 2010 The Canadian Organic Grower www.cog.ca are created. These guilds may in- clude: • soil-building species, such as (clovers, alfalfa, lupins, vetch, caragana, sea buckthorn, buffalo berry), • “dynamic accumulators” (plants such as comfrey, valerian, dande- lion, nettles, yarrow, linden trees and others known to accumulate sub-soil nutrients),

We designed an edible forest garden to mimic the mid-succession .

• insectary plants for attracting pollinators and other beneficials, • aromatic species to confound pests, and • ”nurse plants” that grow up quickly to shelter younger more vulnerable species. Our forest garden In our Edmonton garden, the lay- out centers around five key guilds, each comprised of one , four to six shrubs, numerous perennial ground covers and self-seeding A line of espaliered fruit trees with a diverse forms the annuals. These “nodes” are ar- western border of the garden. ranged in a large semi-circle open- ing to the south, thereby creating a warm, sunny micro-climate in spawn. Other areas of the garden few tall species dominate until fire the centre for annual have been inoculated with shiitake starts the process all over again. and . spawn. A line of espal- A sixth node occupies a par- iered fruit trees with a diverse tially shady area on the north side understory forms the western bor- Forest architecture is of the house. Several currants, der of the garden. typically multi-layered. gooseberries and josta , Temperate forests, like all land- along with shade-tolerant peren- scapes, are not static and move nials and ground covers (lemon through a series of stages or David Jacke observes that forests balm, mint, Canada violet), make successions over time. What began in the mid-succession stage offer up this guild. In this moist, shady as a meadow will evolve into a the greatest diversity of species area, we have also inoculated the thicket, followed by early, mid and due to their mosaic texture and with oyster mushroom late succession , and fi- the fact that there is still sufficient nally old growth forest in which a light penetrating through the www.cog.ca Our Nature is Organic Fall 2010 – 21 and bounty During our first season, harvests were limited primarily to fast- growing edible perennial greens, some and herbs, and annual vegetables planted in open spaces. Two years later, now our third season, we are also enjoying

Forest garden design depends on the careful mimicry of natural forest systems.

a substantial harvest of berries, , and edible Functional communities, or guilds, may include insectary plants for mushrooms. The beauty of this attracting pollinators and other beneficials. model is that we are harvesting something from the garden from layer to support a lush understory. Hence, we design an edible late April until early October. The forest garden to mimic the mid-succession woodland in which the tree future productivity of this system layer covers only 50–75% of the overall surface area. This means that the spacing between trees in a for- est garden will usually be farther apart than in an , which is not typically concerned with a di- verse and productive understory. In the early years of forest garden development, there will be larger open spaces which allow for the placement of annual vegetable and self-- ing annual species for other purposes. Many of these species will recede from prominence as the - land evolves towards mid-succession resulting in more shade. Once the guilds have been planted, the role of the forest is to ensure that the more aggressive species do not overwhelm the slower grow- ing ones. Hence in our two-year old forest garden, the main labour is currently to “chop and drop” the fast-growing species such as alfalfa, clover, comfrey, valerian, borage and orach, adding to the mulch layer as we go.

What was once a rather sterile lawn is fast becoming a diverse and an oasis of biodiversity for countless soil organisms, bees, butterflies, , fungi and other life forms that dwell on the site.

22 – Fall 2010 The Canadian Organic Grower www.cog.ca has a particular interest in alternative models for growing food in cities and has compiled a database of over 200 species suitable for Zone 3 forest gardens. In the winters, Ron organizes trips to Cuba for Canadian and gardeners to visit organic farms and projects (see ad below).

Photo credits: Ron Berezan References Forest Gardening: Cultivating an Edible Landscape, Robert Hart. Chelsea Green Publishing Co. 1991. Edible Forest Gardens: Eco- “The forest garden...supplies people’s spiritual needs by its beauty and the logical Vision and Theory for wealth of wildlife that it attracts.” —Robert Hart Permaculture, David Jacke with Eric Toensmeier. Chelsea Green is fascinating to contemplate and mankind’s material needs. It is a Publishing Co. 2005. forest garden advocates like Hart way of life and it also supplies peo- and Jacke suggest that even in ple’s spiritual needs by its beauty temperate zones, a well-designed and the wealth of wildlife that it forest garden can eventually out- attracts.” produce an annual cropping sys- While it is unlikely that for- tem in food calories per unit of est gardens and other forms of area with far less labour. perennial agriculture will ever Perhaps the greatest delight completely replace our annual thus far, however, has been to ob- cropping systems, they represent serve the evolution of ecological a promising complementary vi- activity within our now thriving sion for a truly sustainable and garden. What was once a rather regenerative approach to meet- sterile (and struggling!) lawn is ing our essential needs and re- fast becoming a diverse ecosystem generating ecosystem health. and an oasis of biodiversity for From urban yards to acreage countless soil organisms, bees, and farm- scale installations, we butterflies, birds, fungi and other have only begun to explore the life forms. This is the beauty of possibilities for forest gardens as the forest garden model: while a model for reweaving ourselves providing for our own needs, we into natural systems. are simultaneously regenerating soil, capturing water, turning car- Ron Berezan operates The Urban bon dioxide into and cre- , an organic gardening, ating habitat for a host of other edible and creatures. As Robert Hart ob- permaculture design service serves, “The forest garden is far serving western Canada more than a system for supplying (www.theurbanfarmer.ca). Ron www.cog.ca Our Nature is Organic Fall 2010 – 23