Forest gardens are an exciting trend that brings many benefits. We explain what is meant by a forest garden and how you can create a forest garden yourself.
More and more people long for nature and a lifestyle that is as close to nature as possible. No wonder, then, that forest gardens are becoming increasingly popular. The idyllic garden design creates a place of peace and serenity with its unique structure and lush charm. At the same time, a forest garden also supports its environment: numerous beneficial insects such as bumblebees and butterflies, but also forest animals and wild plants find suitable shelter here. In addition, like any permaculture, the forest garden is particularly easy to care for. Here we will tell you how you can create a forest garden and which plants are suitable for it.
What is a forest garden?
In a woodland garden, the gardener attempts to imitate or maintain the layout of a natural wooded area in a kitchen garden. The special feature is above all the special structure of the forest garden: This is not, as usual, divided into different beds, but mainly relies on different growth heights. A forest garden typically consists of a herb, a shrub and a tree layer, which exist on top of each other in a small space. The increased integration of trees and shrubs in the kitchen garden results in a higher number of species per area than is the case in a conventional garden, for example. The individual useful plants benefit from each other, for example, in that the shading of the trees contributes to less evaporation in the area of the soil or the ground covers prevent soil erosion. Ideally, this type of garden design preserves the natural nutrient cycle of the property, which means that the forest garden is particularly easy to care for and sustainable.
What are the advantages of a forest garden?
Forest gardens are becoming more and more popular - but does this type of garden design really have advantages or does it mattera short-lived trend? In fact, creating a forest garden is not only aesthetic and beautiful, but also has other benefits. Forest gardens are a real gift, especially for wild animals, because although the naturally predominant vegetation in Germany would consist mainly of forests, there are only a few natural forests left in many localities today. However, gardens and urban areas are only moderately suitable as habitats for many wild animals - a forest garden, on the other hand, represents a retreat that beneficial insects such as bees and bumblebees, but also birds or squirrels like to accept.
In addition to the animals, many plants also appreciate the forest garden. Thanks to the tiered arrangement due to the height differences of the various plants, a significantly higher number of different species can thrive in a small space. At the same time, native plants in particular, including numerous wild plants, benefit from this type of garden design. Especially in the shady areas of the forest garden, they find a suitable location, which they are denied in many other gardens. In this way, you can make a contribution to the preservation of biodiversity with the help of your natural garden.
Another advantage of the forest garden is that it belongs to the so-called permaculture. This means that, ideally, the forest garden forms a permanent ecosystem that hardly needs to be influenced by humans. As a result, forest gardens are considered to be extremely easy to care for, since, for example, the annual sowing of new plants is saved by the large selection of perennial or recurring species. In addition, the permanent vegetation prevents the soil from being weakened by wind and water erosion. As a result, less fertilizer has to be used in the garden, which is why this form of garden design is considered particularly cheap.
Tip: Since regular harvesting removes nutrients from the soil, you also have to fertilize the forest garden from time to time. Ideally, the nutrients are returned to the soil by using home-made compost or green manure. But the use of organic fertilizers, such as Plantura organic fertilizers, is also possible. On the other hand, mineral fertilizers should be avoided, as they interfere with the natural cycle of nutrient supply in the soil and thus inhibit he althy, natural soil life.
Creating and designing a forest garden
The forest garden is very diverse if you take theexamined in detail at various levels. The soil, the nutrient supply or the relationship between light and shade can also be just as varied, resulting in numerous small climatic areas. The selection of plants for the forest garden is correspondingly complex: Many plants are generally suitable for the forest garden, but you have to pay close attention to the individual location requirements when planting. If these are not met, the new plants cannot survive in the long term - and one would like to save oneself the work of replanting. Below we go into the important elements of the forest garden:
Soil: Before planting can begin, the soil of the forest garden should be examined carefully: Ideally, it should be humus-rich and be able to store moisture and nutrients well. While a former forest property can already meet these requirements well, other soils must first be prepared for their new task. A green manure with clover (Trifolium) or phacelia (Phacelia) can loosen compacted soil and at the same time supplies the soil with new nutrients. Alternatively, you can also enrich the soil with compost or bark humus, but an organic fertilizer such as Plantura organic fertilizer is also a good idea.
Tip: So that the soil does not dry out, it makes sense to cover unvegetated soil with bark mulch such as our Plantura organic pine bark - this keeps the moisture in the soil and creates a Soil quality resembling that of a forest floor. As the plants grow and spread, they will cover the unplanted areas and mulch is no longer necessary. Since the plant nutrient nitrogen can be fixed for a short time after mulching, compensating fertilization is always necessary immediately before mulching. Our Plantura organic universal fertilizer has proven itself in this context.
Trees: Particular attention should be paid to the selection and placement of trees when designing a forest garden. These form the basic structure of the garden and are not only particularly present visually, but also change the location conditions for smaller plants in their vicinity through their shadows. It is therefore worth making a precise plan for the existing trees in the garden and then considering which locations are suitable for planting new trees. A sufficient distance should be maintained between the individual trees to ensure growth in thenot to impede subsequent years. Fruit trees are particularly popular in the forest garden, because they are not only visually appealing, but also promise a tasty harvest. Especially local fruit varieties such as apple (Malus domestica) or cherry (Prunus cerasus, Prunus avium) can be grown integrate well into the forest garden.
Shrubs: Once the planning of the tree structure in the garden is complete, you can start choosing the other plants. Ideally, you should also start with the selection of large shrubs and hedges that should move into the garden. Here, too, useful plants such as hazel or raspberries can be easily integrated into the forest garden.
Perennials and ground covers: Once you have found a suitable location for the shrubs, you can select suitable perennials and then ground covers and ferns and assign them a place. The individual location requirements of the individual plants must always be taken into account: First and foremost, the relationship between light and shade, but also the composition of the soil and the moisture in the soil can vary greatly depending on the location in the forest garden, so that not every plant is suitable for every location. Edible groundcovers are, for example, forest blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) and of course wild herbs such as the platewort (Claytonia perfoliata).
Plants for the forest garden
Hardly in any other garden is such a variety of species found as in a forest garden. The range of plants that are suitable for a forest garden is correspondingly wide: both tiny ground cover plants such as the small periwinkle (Vinca minor) and large trees such as the oak ( Quercus) can easily find their place here. Naturally native plants and shrubs are best suited for the forest garden, as these correspond best to the flora in a naturally formed forest. On the other hand, shade-loving ground covers are particularly suitable for the soil, as they also thrive well under trees and shrubs. Plants that bloom in early spring also like to join forest gardens. Climbing plants are also very welcome in forest gardens, because they use the existing trees as climbing aids and give the garden an almost fairytale flair. Vegetables such as chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris), onion (Allium cepa) or kale ( Brassica oleraceavar. sabellica) fit perfectly into the forest garden. However, since regular harvesting removes nutrients from the soil, additional fertilization with compost or another organic fertilizer should be ensured, especially in these areas.
Suitable trees for the forest garden:
- Different fruit trees like apple (Malus) or cherry (Prunus): edible fruits
- Nut trees such as walnut (Juglans regia) or hazelnut (Corylus avellana): edible fruits
- Chestnut (Castanea): the fruits of the sweet chestnut are edible
- Beech (Fagus): Foliage good for humus formation
- Birch (Betula): Foliage good for compost
- Spruce (Picea): Needles with medicinal properties
Suitable shrubs and perennials for the forest garden:
- Various berry bushes such as blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) or raspberry (Rubus idaeus): edible berries
- wild roses (pink): edible rose hips
- Lupine (Lupinus): Cover crops
- Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea): ornament and bee pasture; Attention: extremely poisonous!
Suitable plants for the herb layer in the forest garden
- Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa): poisonous
- Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis): slightly toxic
- Crocus (Crocus tommasinianus): slightly toxic
- Stinging nettle (Urtica): edible
- Sorrel (Rumex acetosa): edible
- Platewort (Claytonia perfoliata): edible
- Strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa or Fragaria vesca): edible
- Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon): edible
- Woodruff (Gallium odoratum): edible
- Dandelions (Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia): edible
- … and lots of crops!
Suitable climbing plants for the forest garden:
- Ivy (Hedera helix): poisonous
- wild roses (pink): edible
- Wild vetchling (Lathyrus silvestris): inedible
- Honeysuckle (Lonicera henryi/caprifolium/periclymenum/… ): slightly toxic
- Hops (Humulus lupulus): usable
- Clematis (Clematis vitalba): poisonous
- Kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa): edible
The 5 best plants for the forest garden
The selection of plants for the forest garden is like thisbig that you can quickly lose track. That's why we've rounded up the top five plants you need to know about if you're planning a woodland garden:
1. Sweet Chestnut
The sweet or sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) with an average growth height of 20 to 25 meters is perfect as a tree for the forest garden. With its spreading crown, the pretty flowers in spring and its golden-yellow foliage in autumn, the sweet chestnut is particularly decorative. Sweet chestnuts need a sunny place, in colder regions they should also be protected, since young trees in particular can react sensitively to frost. In the forest garden, however, their fruits bring great joy: the dark brown nuts of the chestnut not only taste good to squirrels, but can also be collected and eaten by us humans.
2. Blackberries
Blackberries (Rubus sect. Rubus) should not be missing in any forest garden. The prickly plant is not only perfectly suited to populating the shrub layer, but also provides a vitamin-rich snack for in between with its juicy fruits. Since blackberries in the wild are mainly found in wooded areas and they prefer slightly acidic forest soil, they can easily be planted in a sunny to partially shaded spot in the forest garden. Since blackberries feel particularly at home in the forest garden, they can quickly spread uncontrollably. If you want to prevent this, you should think about a root barrier when planting the blackberry.
3. Forest Forget-Me-Not
Pretty flowers can also be found in a shade garden. The best proof of this is the forest forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica): The cup-shaped individual flowers with their beautiful shade of blue are a real feast for the eyes and are a real eye-catcher in the forest garden from April to June. Beneficial insects are also very fond of the small plants, because they are a popular supplier of nectar. The plant for the forest garden feels at home in partially shaded places and hardly needs any care. The entire plant is edible.
4. apple
The apple (Malus) is one of the best-known and most important types of fruit - which is why it should not be missing in a forest garden. The humus rich soil of theForest garden is perfect as a location for the apple tree. However, since the apple tree is "only" 10 meters high, when creating the forest garden you should make sure that it is not overshadowed by larger trees in a few years. In addition to its beautiful flowers and delicious fruit, another advantage of the apple tree is that it has a deep taproot. This means that small, shade-tolerant plants can be planted directly under the apple tree as a shrub layer.
5. Hazelnut
The hazelnut (Corylus avellana) is one of the oldest fruit species used in Europe - and should also find its way into the forest garden. The shrub, which can be up to 7 meters high, naturally grows primarily on forest edges and in hedges, but can also be grown in the forest garden without any problems. It can also tolerate a shady place here, but it forms most of the flowers and fruits in a sunny spot. The hazelnut is particularly popular because of its small, nutty fruits, which can be collected in autumn and taste wonderful both fresh and in baked goods.
Tip: Of course you are free to add elements to the forest garden that would be rather untypical for the forest. In classic permaculture, for example, the raised bed is an important element. Filled with fertile soil like Plantura Organic Tomato and Vegetable Soil and your own compost, and mulched with the leaves of your forest trees, it produces he althy fruit that is easy to harvest.
Do you want to start right away and are now looking for the right trees for your forest garden? Then take a look at our article on bee-friendly trees to see if you've found something that suits you.