A Backyard Urban Food Forest: Year One
Placing seeds in beautiful rich soil coupled with the conditions for them to thrive sparks awe and wonder in me.
Watching them grow in leaps and bounds, a dynamic synergetic exchange, nourishing insects and birds, and at maturity, our bodies!
Expansion
I have enjoyed tending to a couple of small gardens in the backyard for many years.
As the years passed, I began dreaming of creating an abundant food forest. The learning curve has been steep. Fortunately, it’s learning that I enjoy that feeds me on multiple levels :)
A large part of the yard was made up of sprawling juniper bushes, a slowly dying tree with a big crack in the back left corner of the yard, and three jagged barberry bushes, making moving around in the garden and expansion difficult.
With those removed and everything in place(ish), in the Spring of 2023, a budding baby food forest was ready to begin taking shape.
I wrote about the “Essentials of Creating an Abundant Food Forest” here.
So far, the trees and berries I have planted:
A Gala Apple and an Espalier Apple Tree
Blackberries
Hascap (or Honeyberries) Berries
Red and Black Currants
Lingonberries (unfortunately, they did not survive the summer heat).
Blueberries (not having much luck with these).
Dwarf Nectarines
Huckleberries
Strawberries
An array of herbs:
Spearmint
Chives
Lemon Balm
Basil
Thai Basil
Mojito Mint
Cilantro
Parsley
Lovage
Stevia
Pollinator, insectary, and medicinal plants:
Salvia
Wild Bergamot
Tulsi
Meadow Arnica
Lupin
Comfrey
Yarrow
Borage
Sunflower
And, of course, the vegetables:
Kale
Red Peppers
Celery
Squash
Pumpkins
Tomatoes
Beans
Peas
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Yams
Carrots
Lettuce(s)
Beets
Asparagus
Rainwater harvesting
The rainwater collection is coming together. There are two tanks at the side of the house dedicated to watering the backyard, which still need to be hooked up but will be ready to go by the Spring of 2024 at the latest, as there will be a tank behind the shed to collect rainwater too.
The evolution
Also, In the Spring of 2024, I am excited to welcome chickens, plant a pear tree, Mulberry, Bare Root Heartnut- (they grow 4 to 6 feet tall), Beaked Hazelnut, Sea Buckthorn or Sea Berries, Elderberry, Concord Grape, Hardy Kiwi, Figs, Canadice Grape, Just a Berry- which is a mix of gooseberries and many (many!) other delights!
Here is part one- the front yard food forest evolution.
Abundance
Walking a few steps outside and having a good chunk of our nourishment provided is such a fulfilling feeling. I also enjoy sharing it with others.
I have an overabundance of yellow squash and have been giving many away, searching recipes, shredding, and freezing them. I reached out to the food bank (who did not get back to me). I am learning it is not a favourite vegetable of many!
What is your favourite thing to grow?