Toona sinensis & Phormium tenax in Martin Crawford’s forest garden
A quick reference for the multiple layers of a forest garden, because I can only ever remember 3 of them (see my logo)…
@AgroforestryT has a definition of forest gardening and helpfully lists the “seven layers” of a forest garden:
- Canopy—highest layer of trees, plan spacing correctly to allow enough light through to understorey
- Small trees/shrubs—between & below canopy trees
- Shrubs—mostly shade tolerant
- Herbaceous perennials—die back in winter, contribute to ground cover
- Ground cover—mostly creeping carpeting plants, with some clumping examples
- Climbers—require sturdy trees to climb
- Rhizosphere—root bearing plants and fungi