Forest Gardens: A Sustainable Vision for UK Gardeners
A Forest Garden Is A Carefully Designed Ecosystem That Benefits Both People & The Natural World. Structured In Layers—Tall Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Ground Cover Etc. It Harnesses The Power Of Biodiversity & This Video Explains It.
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Unlike conventional farming, which relies on ploughing, weeding, and finite resources like oil, forest gardens take inspiration from woodlands. These dynamic, self-sustaining systems fertilise themselves, need no watering and require minimal cultivation while yielding abundant food.
But they’re more than just productive spaces—they’re places of natural beauty. The dappled light of the canopy, the hum of life, the sense of wildness—all speak to something deep within us. By working with nature rather than against it, forest gardening aka food forests, offers a way to grow food without degrading soil or sacrificing biodiversity. In an era of climate uncertainty, they represent a vital, sustainable future for food and livelihoods.
This then is as the video is called, Forest Gardening: Living with The Land.
Reflections on Martin Crawford’s Approach
Listening to Martin Crawford describe what was then his 20-year-old forest garden in Dartington, it is now 30 years old. What stands out is how this system challenges conventional gardening norms. He notes that visitors range from permaculture advocates to traditional gardeners—some enchanted by its beauty, others unsettled by its “untidiness.” But as Crawford wisely points out, tidiness always costs energy. And in a world where energy, both human and fossil fuel derived, is increasingly precious, that’s a lesson worth absorbing.
His emphasis on vertical productivity is key for UK gardeners working with limited space. By layering trees, shrubs, and perennial crops, forest gardens make efficient use of sunlight and soil, mimicking nature’s own patterns. Yet Crawford is careful to highlight that British forest gardens can’t simply copy tropical models. Our weaker sunlight demands thoughtful spacing to ensure fruit ripens properly. The result is a unique, semi-wild space, neither a dense forest nor an orchard, but something in between.
What I find most compelling is his observation that forest gardens reconnect people with nature. In an age of sterile lawns and regimented flower beds, (my rant over) the slightly unruly abundance of a forest garden feels alive in a way that tidy borders often don’t. Yet designing one requires deeper thought than planting a conventional veg patch. You’re working with relationships between plants, not just rows of them. And the timescale is no longer a single season, it is decades. But as Crawford says, it’s not beyond anyone’s reach. I agree.
His nod to Robert Hart, the British “pioneer” of temperate forest gardening, is a reminder that this isn’t some far-off ideal. It’s a practical, proven approach, rooted (literally) in our own soil. And I can stay this with conviction as my grandfather had a forest garden during World War 2. So when Hart is claimed as a pioneer, I would argue he is reintroducing something that has been with us for a very long time.
For UK gardeners looking to reduce labour, boost biodiversity, and grow food resiliently, Martin Crawford’s work is both an inspiration and a blueprint. The question isn’t whether forest gardening has a place in Britain, it’s how soon will more of us will give it a try, as we have in Sidmouth at our Community Food Forest. We are now in our third year, and despite set back caused by vandalism, the food forest is coming into its own. We have root crops, berries, top fruit, assorted leafy greens and nuts to harvest.
Have you tried growing a food forest? What might amaze you is that a mini food forest need only take a square metre. That’s no bigger than a compost bin!
