The Home-Scale Forest Garden: How to Plan, Plant, and Tend a Resilient Edible Landscape

Baker, a farmer, harnesses “the full power of nature” in this practical guide to forest gardening. Inspired by a course in farming organically, Baker created a half-acre edible garden and shares with readers how to create a “resilient and regenerative” garden of their own, whether it’s a small or large plot, where “nature serves all the roles,” including weeding, watering, fertilizing, and managing pests. She makes recommendations for choosing and grouping plants, such as shrubs (an “encouraging” layer because they can bear fruit soon after planting) and herbaceous plants (which die back in winter and grow again in spring) like “must-have” peonies, and shares some expert tricks (plant daffodils as a weed and rodent deterrent, and stomp on the shoots of coneflowers to help them compost). Throughout, Baker reflects on her own learning process, including making such mistakes as overinsulating some berries and poisoning herself by squashing caterpillars. Her way of gardening requires a long view, she writes: “It will take many years, perhaps beyond my lifetime, to determine whether some of my choices were correct.” While Baker comes across as knowledgeable, her delivery’s a bit on the dry side. Experienced gardeners with a serious interest in sustainability would do well to check this out. (May)