Forest Gardening: Cultivating an Edible Landscape, 2nd Edition: Robert Hart: 9780930031848: Amazon.com: Books
Forest Gardening: Cultivating an Edible Landscape, 2nd Edition Revised and expanded for North America Edition
by Robert Hart (Author)
3.6 out of 5 stars 15 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0930031848
ISBN-10: 0930031849Why is ISBN important?
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Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
What exactly is a forest garden? British author and gardener Hart describes it as a miniature imitation of a natural forest, complete with a fruit and nut tree "canopy" and lower tiers of climbers, bushes, creepers, and assorted perennial vegetables and herbs. Such a garden may occupy half an acre or less and like the natural forest is largely self-regulating once established. In addition to self-sufficiency, it offers aesthetic rewards and provides a sanctuary for wildlife. In this book, originally published in Britain in 1991 and revised for a U.S. readership, the author describes his own forest garden in affectionate detail, as well as similar individual and community projects around the world. Both philosophical and practical, Hart discusses gardening, agroforestry, permaculture, the environment, and what constitutes a proper diet. At times he drifts away to romantic visions of a future postindustrial Green utopia, but for the most part his feet remain planted firmly in his beloved garden. Hart's personally annotated lists of trees and perennials include many varieties known and grown in North America. Suitable for both public and academic libraries.?William H. Wiese, Iowa State Univ. Lib., Ames
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
A holistic approach encompassing health issues, spirituality, and environmental concerns governs Hart's philosophy of "forest gardening" --akin to multistory gardens maintained by certain indigenous societies. Hart and a partner have implemented just such a garden on a small farm in Shropshire, England, and Hart's ardent treatise champions a union of modern technological methods and machines with ecologically sound practices. Interplanting edible crops is utmost: herbs and fruiting shrubs, "fodder-bearing" trees, and a variety of perennial plants. Highlights include mention of other communities that have achieved great degrees of self-sufficiency, where a sacred view of man's connectedness to nature appears inextricably linked to low-maintenance symbiotic plantings, appreciation of handcrafted objects, a vegan diet, and independent lifestyle. Alice JoyceSee all Editorial Reviews
Product details
Paperback: 259 pages
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing; Revised and expanded for North America edition (September 1, 1996)
Language: English
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---------------------------15 customer reviews
3.6 out of 5 stars
3.6 out of 5 stars
Showing 1-8 of 15 reviews
Top Reviews
Cyndi
4.0 out of 5 starsContains some good informationJune 19, 2015
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I'd been wanting to read this book for some time. I was a bit disheartened to find it a "preachy" read, harping on our connection to nature (referred to as Gaia frequently), and on the evils of modern life. I was hoping for a more objective overview of forest gardening practices and examples. So far this book has had the most specific information which was nice, but I will continue looking for more as it is by no means a comprehensive guide.
While I agree with some of the things he says, I think the ideology being thrown out so hard might limit the readership of the book to people of the same mind. I also think it's a bit over beaten, considering that the audience is predominately going to be people who are already trying to get closer to nature... Just the feeling I got from the book.
Overall, if you can push past the preaching, it's a worthwhile read.
One person found this helpful
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MYOB
3.0 out of 5 starsAn interesting read but not much practical informationJuly 20, 2009
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
As others have said, if you'd actually like to grow a forest garden, get something more useful, such as
How to Make a Forest Garden; or, if you can afford it and want really in-depth information,
Edible Forest Gardens, Vol. 2: Ecological Design And Practice For Temperate-Climate Permaculture.
12 people found this helpful
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Maryellen V. Little
3.0 out of 5 starshoping for more directionFebruary 7, 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I was hoping for more direction on how to plant a forest garden. This is not really a guide but full of interesting and helpful facts.
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riotthill
5.0 out of 5 starsexcellent informationDecember 18, 2012
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
great read, good illustrations and clear writing make this an excellent book for anyone interested in environmentally sound gardening and healthy eating
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsGoodJanuary 17, 2013
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
This book is very good. It is the story of a great man who advocated a new form of agriculture more sustainable.
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edwin icogo
2.0 out of 5 starsLeaves Falling.July 6, 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I know I bought it second hand but I dont expect the leaves to be falling apart after few browsing. No, I havent started understanding the contents. Its disgusting to see pages being detached from the main book. Once again, its a second hand book but it should clearly state that pages are expected to fly.
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DAVID-LEONARD WILLIS
5.0 out of 5 starsEveryone can profit from this bookJanuary 31, 2004
Format: Paperback
If you have not yet read 'Forest Farming' by Douglas and Hart, then you may lack the background to fully appreciate this book. In 'Forest Farming' we are told that civilized man has marched across the face of the earth and left a desert in his footprints primarily because he has ploughed the hills with the loss of top soil.
12 people found this helpful
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Maryellen V. Little
3.0 out of 5 starshoping for more directionFebruary 7, 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I was hoping for more direction on how to plant a forest garden. This is not really a guide but full of interesting and helpful facts.
HelpfulComment Report abuse
riotthill
5.0 out of 5 starsexcellent informationDecember 18, 2012
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
great read, good illustrations and clear writing make this an excellent book for anyone interested in environmentally sound gardening and healthy eating
HelpfulComment Report abuse
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsGoodJanuary 17, 2013
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
This book is very good. It is the story of a great man who advocated a new form of agriculture more sustainable.
HelpfulComment Report abuse
edwin icogo
2.0 out of 5 starsLeaves Falling.July 6, 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I know I bought it second hand but I dont expect the leaves to be falling apart after few browsing. No, I havent started understanding the contents. Its disgusting to see pages being detached from the main book. Once again, its a second hand book but it should clearly state that pages are expected to fly.
HelpfulComment Report abuse
DAVID-LEONARD WILLIS
5.0 out of 5 starsEveryone can profit from this bookJanuary 31, 2004
Format: Paperback
If you have not yet read 'Forest Farming' by Douglas and Hart, then you may lack the background to fully appreciate this book. In 'Forest Farming' we are told that civilized man has marched across the face of the earth and left a desert in his footprints primarily because he has ploughed the hills with the loss of top soil.
Crop-yielding trees offer the best medium for extending agriculture to hills, steep places, rocky places, and to the lands where rainfall is deficient. Every good Buddhist plants and sees the establishment of one tree at least every five years and this simple act multiplied six billion times would have a greater economic benefit for humankind than traditional development plans. The 'tool' with the greatest potentials for feeding men and animals, for regenerating the soil, for restoring water-systems, for controlling floods and droughts, for creating more benevolent micro-climates and more comfortable and stimulating living conditions for humanity, is the tree. Douglas and Hart point out that the deeper problem is ignorance as many crop-yielding trees and shrubs are currently ignored by farmers because agriculture in most parts of the world is geared to cereal growing and livestock rearing by conventional means, despite the fact that trees offer higher yields per acre. If the tree growing potentialities of city private gardens was fully recognized, suburban areas would not only have purer air and a more benevolent microclimate but a greater degree of self-sufficiency.
In this book Hart develops the case for the urban dweller to adopt forest gardening to achieve economy of space and labor while producing fruit, nuts, root and perennial vegetables and herbs. He provides the guidelines required for temperate, tropical and sub-tropical climates. "Like the forest it is arranged in seven 'storeys', with the original apple and pear trees constituting the 'canopy' and the other plants occupying the lower tiers. Thus the garden has a well-defined vertical dimension as well as horizontal ones. Now that it has been established for several years, I can affirm that it requires minimal maintenance, as the plants - nearly all perennials - largely look after themselves and are very healthy. The main work involved is that of cutting back plants that try to encroach on others. The wide diversity of species ensures that any small invasions of pests never reach epidemic proportions, as they tend to do under monocultural conditions. The large number of aromatic herbs creates a deliciously fragrant atmosphere, and, I am convinced, contributes to the pest-and-disease-resistance of the other plants. As we eat the herbs and perennial vegetables daily in our salads, the garden makes a significant contribution to our diet throughout the growing season, from the first herbs and wild garlic in March to the last apples in November."
The author goes on to warn us that we must seek ordered diversity governed by the laws of plant symbiosis but the results can be that a half hectare can support a family of up to ten people. Java has the greatest concentration of forest gardens yet is one of the most densely populated rural areas of the world. Forest gardening is more than a system for supplying mankind's material needs; it is a way of life which addresses man's spiritual needs by its beauty and the wealth of wildlife it attracts. In the early chapters we follow the author's development as he wrestles with the problem, concluding that: "if one could devise an integrated system of land-use consisting mainly of perennial plants - fruit and nut tress and bushes together with perennial vegetables and herbs - as well as a diet based on this mix, the task of achieving self-sufficiency would be vastly simplified. This is how I discovered agroforestry."
There are plenty of good tips such as this one on potatoes. "The champion exponent of this technique, the aim of which is to grow a colossal crop of potatoes from a single seed, was a Sussex villager, Tom Cooke, known as the Ace of Spuds. This was his procedure: large seed potatoes, well supplied with eyes, were soaked in a solution of liquid seaweed and water for an hour a week for six months, starting in October. During the winter Tom prepared his plot, allowing eight-foot squares for each seed. The site was excavated one-foot deep and filled with wheat straw, to which dry seaweed fertilizer was added after the straw had weathered and was almost black. On top of this came a layer of manure and soil mixed with more seaweed. The tubers were planted at the end of March or early April and covered with a thin dressing of straw. Then, at fortnightly intervals, the growing plants were earthed up with layers of straw, seaweed and soil until they reached a height of some 3-4 feet, sending out numerous side-shoots liberally supplied with tubers. After a series of foliar feeds with liquid seaweed, the harvest was eventually reached: over half a ton of potatoes from just six seeds!"
If you are an avid gardener there will surely be something new in this book; if you simply want to make your garden more productive and did not know of the seven story concept, you will find this book helpful; if you have been overwhelmed by the work in the garden you should concentrate on perennials as Hart has done; if you have just a small plot this book will help you get the maximum production and help you to eat healthily; if you would like to attract more wildlife to your garden, read this book. It is difficult to imagine anyone not profiting from Hart's theoretical and practical research.
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13 people found this helpful
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R. Griffiths
4.0 out of 5 starsA forest for every home!June 21, 2000
Format: Paperback
Since reading Robert Hart's classic book I have seen forest gardens sustaining life in Mexico, Fiji, Australia, South Africa and Britain. Around the world perennial 'home gardens' have been grown for millennia. Yet in temporate climates we seem to have forgotten how. This book has inspired me to increase the diversity and productivity of my own small garden in England, so far with good results. It is inspirational, but it is also practical. The Appendices offer suggestions for a variety of uses and climates. I would recommend as a companion volume, Patrick Whitefield's 'How to Grow a Forest Garden' for further details of the practicalities. But Hart's desciption of his own forest garden at Wenlock Edge stands alone and is an invaluable guide to practical sustainability.
35 people found this helpful
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See all 15 reviews
In this book Hart develops the case for the urban dweller to adopt forest gardening to achieve economy of space and labor while producing fruit, nuts, root and perennial vegetables and herbs. He provides the guidelines required for temperate, tropical and sub-tropical climates. "Like the forest it is arranged in seven 'storeys', with the original apple and pear trees constituting the 'canopy' and the other plants occupying the lower tiers. Thus the garden has a well-defined vertical dimension as well as horizontal ones. Now that it has been established for several years, I can affirm that it requires minimal maintenance, as the plants - nearly all perennials - largely look after themselves and are very healthy. The main work involved is that of cutting back plants that try to encroach on others. The wide diversity of species ensures that any small invasions of pests never reach epidemic proportions, as they tend to do under monocultural conditions. The large number of aromatic herbs creates a deliciously fragrant atmosphere, and, I am convinced, contributes to the pest-and-disease-resistance of the other plants. As we eat the herbs and perennial vegetables daily in our salads, the garden makes a significant contribution to our diet throughout the growing season, from the first herbs and wild garlic in March to the last apples in November."
The author goes on to warn us that we must seek ordered diversity governed by the laws of plant symbiosis but the results can be that a half hectare can support a family of up to ten people. Java has the greatest concentration of forest gardens yet is one of the most densely populated rural areas of the world. Forest gardening is more than a system for supplying mankind's material needs; it is a way of life which addresses man's spiritual needs by its beauty and the wealth of wildlife it attracts. In the early chapters we follow the author's development as he wrestles with the problem, concluding that: "if one could devise an integrated system of land-use consisting mainly of perennial plants - fruit and nut tress and bushes together with perennial vegetables and herbs - as well as a diet based on this mix, the task of achieving self-sufficiency would be vastly simplified. This is how I discovered agroforestry."
There are plenty of good tips such as this one on potatoes. "The champion exponent of this technique, the aim of which is to grow a colossal crop of potatoes from a single seed, was a Sussex villager, Tom Cooke, known as the Ace of Spuds. This was his procedure: large seed potatoes, well supplied with eyes, were soaked in a solution of liquid seaweed and water for an hour a week for six months, starting in October. During the winter Tom prepared his plot, allowing eight-foot squares for each seed. The site was excavated one-foot deep and filled with wheat straw, to which dry seaweed fertilizer was added after the straw had weathered and was almost black. On top of this came a layer of manure and soil mixed with more seaweed. The tubers were planted at the end of March or early April and covered with a thin dressing of straw. Then, at fortnightly intervals, the growing plants were earthed up with layers of straw, seaweed and soil until they reached a height of some 3-4 feet, sending out numerous side-shoots liberally supplied with tubers. After a series of foliar feeds with liquid seaweed, the harvest was eventually reached: over half a ton of potatoes from just six seeds!"
If you are an avid gardener there will surely be something new in this book; if you simply want to make your garden more productive and did not know of the seven story concept, you will find this book helpful; if you have been overwhelmed by the work in the garden you should concentrate on perennials as Hart has done; if you have just a small plot this book will help you get the maximum production and help you to eat healthily; if you would like to attract more wildlife to your garden, read this book. It is difficult to imagine anyone not profiting from Hart's theoretical and practical research.
Read less
13 people found this helpful
HelpfulComment Report abuse
R. Griffiths
4.0 out of 5 starsA forest for every home!June 21, 2000
Format: Paperback
Since reading Robert Hart's classic book I have seen forest gardens sustaining life in Mexico, Fiji, Australia, South Africa and Britain. Around the world perennial 'home gardens' have been grown for millennia. Yet in temporate climates we seem to have forgotten how. This book has inspired me to increase the diversity and productivity of my own small garden in England, so far with good results. It is inspirational, but it is also practical. The Appendices offer suggestions for a variety of uses and climates. I would recommend as a companion volume, Patrick Whitefield's 'How to Grow a Forest Garden' for further details of the practicalities. But Hart's desciption of his own forest garden at Wenlock Edge stands alone and is an invaluable guide to practical sustainability.
35 people found this helpful
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See all 15 reviews
