Courses

Join Dan Harris Pascal for a hands-on course in designing, installing and understanding a temperate forest garden system.

Forest Gardens can be resilient perennial polyculture systems  which mimic the structure and ecology of a forest ecosystem, and can be designed to produce diverse yields from the different layers within the forest.

This course is a dynamic workshop that leads you through the process of design for Forest Gardens. From setting the goals and objectives, developing a concept plant and implementation and evaluation. The course uses presentations, games, group work and applied practicals to take you through every step of the design process.

By careful design, the polycultures in the forest garden can produce more food than when the plants are grown separately. This is achieved by 'guilding' plants together so that the products and functions of one plant meet the needs and requirements on another.

Further, a forest garden seeks to support and provide for the needs of beneficial birds, insects and animals which reduce our work and increase yields when they take up residence in our forest gardens.

This workshop will cover:

• Forest Ecology and the natural processes we are trying to mimic in a Forest Garden
• Design strategies for Forest Gardens in  urban and suburban environments
• How to provide for and support beneficial insects, animals and birds in your garden.
• Exercises to develop an understanding of guild design to meet a plants needs and build an over-yeilding polycultures
• The process of Succession and methods of design through time
• Design and planning habitat for all the workers in your forest garden: the birds, insects, fungus and other forest friends.

Dan Harris Pascal's background in horticulture and passion for plants has led him to work in a range of forest settings in Australia and beyond.

Dan brings a unique and extensive knowledge of plant species and functions and experience in practical permaculture guild design to this workshop.

You, however, can just bring yourself. We will provide all design materials, plants, shovels, gloves and knowledge. You will leave this workshop confident, able and ready to design and plant your own temperate forest garden.