I am beginning work on a new book about forest gardens together with Permanent Publications. We want to include a number of case studies of existing forest gardens in this book, to show how the concept has evolved from its initial conception. The primary purpose is to give an accessible account of perennial polycultures people have actually planted and managed, and what they have learned from it. The secondary purpose is to establish a baseline of existing perennial polycultures to enable more detailed academic studies in the future.
If you have been involved in creating and maintaining forest gardens or similar polycultures, I would like to hear from you and potentially include a case study of your system(s) in the project. The idea is to show the successes and problems of real-life projects, so it does not matter if you don't see your system as perfect, or even feel you didn't start on the right footing – whatever you learned in the process may provide useful lessons for future planters.
This research is aimed at temperate forest gardens anywhere in the world with a focus on cool temperate areas, but I am also interested in mediterranean systems.To participate, you can start by filling in the baseline survey which is online at www.surveymonkey.net/s/forestgardenbaseline
More resources
Read a review for Paradise Lot: Two Plant Geeks, One-tenth of an Acre, and the Making of an Edible Garden Oasis in the City
Read: A Greenhouse that Thinks It's a Mini Forest Garden
Read: Using Experimentation to Create Acres of Multiple Fruits for Food Sovereignty and Security