Edible Forest Gardens Demystified

Date
Date(s) - May/Sat/2015 - May/Sun/2015

Location
Spiral Ridge Permaculture Homestead

Category

• edible forest garden course
• food forest course
• Resiliency Series

Tags food forests, forest gardens, Nashville, permaculture, southeast, Tennessee

Edible Forest Gardens Demystified 

May 16-17, 2015

What is a forest garden? How do we garden like a forest?

Edible forest gardens are low-maintenance, perennial gardens modeled on the dynamics of forest ecosystems.

Forest gardens incorporate fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines and perennial vegetables that can be used for food, fuel, fiber, fodder, medicinals, crafts, fertility and forage.

Forest gardeners, create systems that mimic nature; from the above and below ground architecture, to how the plants play a part in succession, to the beneficial relationships between the plants.

This 2 day course will cover:

Forest Ecology: The Ecosystem Designer

Dynamics of the Forest: Succession, Forest Architecture & the Underground Economy

Pattern Mimicry: Pattern Language of Forest Gardens

Patterns to Details: Polycultures and Guilds

Nature of Design: Designing polycultures

Soil Fertility: Soil test/Compost teas/Ground Prep

Care taking your garden: planting, pruning, propagating & mulching

Creating a local nursery: Why? Ideas and How to’s

Disturbance as evolution! Animal integration

There will be interactive lectures and group work, as well as hands-on experiential learning.  This workshop will be held among several edible ecosystem educational gardens.

Course Details

Instructors:  Jennifer Albanese and Cliff Davis of Spiral Ridge Permaculture, educational company and co-owners of New Agrarian Design, a permaculture and regenerative farm design firm.  Cliff has attended and co-taught courses with Dave Jacke, author of the two-volume set, Edible Forest Gardens, and a leading expert in forest garden design.  More bio details on Cliff and Jen here.  Cliff’s full resume.

Time:  9-4 each day with a break for lunch.  We suggest you bring a brown bag lunch or go to a nearby restaurant.

Cost:  $150

Pre-requisite – We recommend taking our Introduction to Permaculture Course to be familiar with basic principles and terms.  Alternatively, some reading on permaculture ethics and principles will help you be more prepared for this class.

This course is part of our Spring Resiliency Series.  The more classes you take, the more you save.  For details and to sign up for a multiple class discount, please go to the Spring Resiliency Series registration page.   For a description of each class in the series, click the name of the class below.

This Series Includes:

Sign up below for the 2 Day Edible Forest Gardens Demystified.

If you would rather send check or money order, please make it out to:

Spiral Ridge Permaculture

444 Walker Rd.

Summertown, TN, 38483

We must receive and be able to cash your check before you can attend the course.  No walk-ins.

Bookings