Forest Gardening
Forest gardening aims to mimic the natural balance found in forest or woodland ecosystems. Woodlands are known to support a diverse array of plants, wildlife and microorganisms, from tall trees to shrubs, herbs and wildflowers. They also provide valuable refuge for protected species like pine martens, otters or the Lesser Horseshoe Bat.
You may be surprised to learn that forest habitat once made up about 80% of Ireland's landscape before widespread farming came along.
The concept of forest gardening was popularised by the influential English horticulturist Robert Hart. A vegan, Hart observed natural ecosystems and created his own forest garden in an orchard on the farm he tended in Shropshire.
Hart visualised a future where forest gardens would be a key feature of the British landscape: “a nation of back gardens filled not with grass, decking, or landscaped water features, but with small, verdant, productive forest gardens, which, taken together in towns and cities, would make up great urban forests.” (The Guardian)
He had a holistic view of the forest gardening process: there’s the social aspect mentioned above, the benefits of growing your own food and self-sufficiency, as well as what he saw as the therapeutic health benefits.
A key concept of forest gardening is that you’re working with nature, as opposed to trying to bend nature to a conventional idea of what a garden is. OK, maybe that’s phrased a little harshly. But no matter how much we follow organic principles in the garden, to a certain extent we’re reorganising the natural landscape or at times working against natural processes: whether it’s with neat vegetable rows and boundaries, raised beds and covers that create our own enclosed micro-climate, or with pest control and deterrence methods that can vary in how much harm they do.
To a large extent, with a forest garden you are leaving nature well alone. Also often referred to as a food forest or an edible forest garden, it is designed to be self-sustaining and resilient, with natural interactions between the collective flora, wildlife and microorganisms.
While this may sound like a ‘no work’ approach to gardening, you’re not completely off the hook. Harvesting edible vegetables from a forest garden can be a more time-consuming process, as instead of taking whole plants you are often just picking from and leaving the plant intact. Weeding isn’t something that you can completely dodge unfortunately, and it will also be necessary to prune the forest garden periodically, especially if you’re working with a smaller, more compact space.

Felco No.11 Secateurs
View ProductIn a forest garden, there is an increased focus on perennial plants, which will regenerate each year without needing to be replanted. Perennials have the advantage of being able to stand up to changing weather conditions, requiring less maintenance as well as having beneficial effects on soil structure with their extensive root systems.
Forest Gardening and Layers
The forest garden layout as outlined by Hart consists of 7 complementary and interconnected layers.
1 - Canopy Layer
The tallest layer of the forest garden plays a crucial role in its productivity and how it functions. In a natural forest environment, tree cover provides natural shade and shelter for the underlying plants and shrubbery. So this natural framework or ceiling is what the forest garden is aiming to replicate.
- This natural canopy can protect more sensitive plants from excessive sunlight, while bolstering against strong winds and heavy rain. Established tree roots can work to prevent soil erosion.
- It reduces evaporation and moisture loss.
- One of the beneficial effects of the upper canopy layer is that it creates a microclimate of sorts for the plants growing underneath. Temperature is moderated, and plants suffer less from weather extremes.
- The canopy layer also serves as a habitat for birds, insects and wildlife. Branches provide room for nesting as well as food sources.
Examples of trees to plant include oak or fruit trees (apple and pear trees make great choices for canopy cover). Denser trees are less suitable as they can end up casting shade over a very large area.

Irish Peach Apple Trees MM106 Large
View Product2 - Sub-Canopy Layer
The sub-canopy or ‘low-tree’ layer features bushes or smaller trees - such as elderberry, blackthorn and dwarf fruit trees. In a smaller forest garden it’s ok if dwarf fruit trees form your uppermost canopy layer.
3 - Shrub Layer
This layer features edible flowering shrubs such as gooseberry and blueberry bushes. The shrub layer provides intermediate shade and cover for underlying crops.
4 - Herbaceous Layer
A limitation of the forest garden approach in temperate climates is that the plants and crops in the lower layers will receive less sunlight than they would in tropical regions, where forest gardening is more common. Crops for the herbaceous layer should be chosen with this in mind; concentrate on shade-loving or shade-tolerant varieties: spinach, salad or culinary herbs such as chives, parsley and oregano. Mushrooms are another crop that can thrive in the forest garden environment.
5 - Ground Cover Layer
The main function of this layer is to protect the soil. You may already be familiar with cover crops and their beneficial effects on soil structure and weed suppression. It’s these same kind of crops that are used for the ground cover layer. The thinking is that soil within a forest garden system should be left bare as little as possible. Ground covers can conserve moisture and prevent weeds from gaining a foothold.

Green Manure Winter Vetch (Tares)
View Product6 - Rhizosphere Layer
Perennial crops typically extend bulbs, corms, rhizomes and tubers underground. These parts of the plant store nutrients and energy during unfavourable growing conditions. Subterranean fungi move nutrients between plants in a mutually beneficial relationship.
7 - Vine Layer
A further layer to the forest garden encompasses climbing plants that scale tree trunks and branches and other vertical supports. This can include pea and bean varieties, grape vines, cucumber and squash.

Bean, French Climbing 'Cobra'
View ProductThe Wildlife Benefits of a Forest Garden
The dense, intermingled planting that characterises forest gardens makes for a very favourable environment for wildlife. In turn, a diverse ecosystem will have more of a natural balance to it, which can reduce pest problems.
In conclusion, forest gardening offers a unique approach to cultivating a sustainable and balanced ecosystem that mimics natural woodland environments. With its focus on perennial plants and the interconnection of complementary layers, a forest garden aims to create a self-sustaining and resilient space. By working with nature rather than against it, forest gardens promote biodiversity, conserve soil, and provide habitats for wildlife.
It's an approach that's not without its challenges, and requires a different approach to gardening - with perhaps an emphasis on shade-tolerant plants and less commonly grown (in the UK and Ireland) varieties. But forest gardening also has distinct and unique qualities that may appeal to those who already have an interest in permaculture or with being more in tune with nature.