Sandra wrote:
>This reminds me that several years ago I heard of a place in Quebec where
>they were gardening in a maple forest. If I remember right they had
>selectively taken a out a large tree here and there and built beds under
>the newly made opening in the canopy.
I've been thinking about forest gardening the last few days
and have decided it is a process we have just begun to
explore.
One approach seems to ba a succession of plants moving
towards a target. Once the target forest is created then a
new phase begins where you work around the larger perennials
(trees?) and encourage beneficial plants. The whole process
is dynamic.
The succession part can utilize animals to graze around the
slowly growing trees or the trees can be planted like a
ground cover to smother the weeds. As the trees grow some
are removed for firewood or to sell. Then there are more
intensive methods which garden under the trees as they grow.
This is image i get from reading the English books on forest
gardening. A few years back there was talk of using fast
growing trees to establish an initial cover around the slower
growing trees. On a small scale a forest might be bushes and
berry plants mixed with low growing plants. So many
options and different starting points ....
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Jeff Owens ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Zone 6-7
Underground house, solar energy, reduced consumption, no TV
