Forest garden advise please

[jackyspratty]

Hi everyone, not sure if this should go here or not?

Anyway, as you know I am co-ordinating the development of theschool garden.

We have a very shady area, under a large beach tree. We want to develop this as a quite reading space but also with a mixture of edible and non edibale planting.

I have done a little research, and found that there are plants such as Graet Solomans Seal which is shade loving and has asparagus like shoots in spring, Sweet cicely with its anised leaves and partial likeing for shade, Ostrich fern with edible young shoots. There is also an evergreen thornless raspberry.

Has anyone any tips for developing this sort of garden in a school setting? Either regarding practical considerations or plant suggestions? I went on the followiing link

Agroforestry research trust fruits nuts seeds plants publications

Many thanks in advance

[Two_Sheds]

there are plants such as Graet Solomans Seal which ... has asparagus like shoots in spring, Sweet cicely with its anised leaves and partial likeing for shade, Ostrich fern with edible young shoots.

They may well be edible, but is anyone seriously going to want to eat them? What is your main objective - for the planting to be edible, or for it to be attractive? I'd go for attractive, myself. Just watch out for anything obviously poisonous

It would make a nice fern area. There're other ideas here: http://www.plantsforshade.co.uk/acat...Dry_Shade.html

[rustylady]

Sorry Donna, I wouldn't consider one beech tree (however big) as a forest. True it will cast a lot of shade in the summer but in winter it will be quite open. Thinking of children I wouldn't attempt to mix edible and non-edible items in case they are tempted to pick stuff themselves. Have completely separate edible and non-edible areas. Why not underplant with spring bulbs for colour (crocus and daffodils). Summer I'm a bit stuck at the moment, but will have a think. As a quiet reading area maybe something scented. Not sure if lavender will do well in shade.

[jackyspratty]

I know one beech tree isnt a forest but its very large and the area is in shade most of the time esoecially in summer. The school is next to a wooded park which overhang the grounds so the idea of underplanting has to be considered. We will have seperate raised beds to concentrate veg growing in the sunny areas. The shade area is not so much a growing area for full on veg but a quiet space that at the moment is barren under the beech.

There will be a mix of edible and non edible in the form of fruit bushes and climbers anyway, incorporating clematus and honeysuckles etc, and part of the idea is also to teach about the dangers of eating berries etc if you dont know what they are. But due to Health and safety issues much of the grounds cannot be used.

I wasnt thinking so much along the lines of edible fuschias, hostas, ferns as they are obviously difficult for children and adults to identify (more thinkingof my own shade ridden garden there!) but more along the lines of the evergreen raspberry mentioned on the site. Also things such as wild garlic that can be planted in a natural way under the trees. The idea was to do some naturalistic planting with some specific edibles in there too.

[Hilary B]

Ramsons have their points, but if the leaves get bruised the whole area will STINK of garlic all day! (one of the NGS gardens we visit has a woody-bit underplanted with ramsons, and after a few people have walked through there, the whole (large, a couple of acres) garden smells of just one thing!)
For a bit of late-season colour, have you considered the hardy cyclamens?
There are only so many things that WILL grow under beech trees, raspberries being on the list (they grow wild in the woods around here, presumably from seeds dropped by birds that went theiving in gardens).

[SarzWix]

Wild strawberries for the outer edges? Thornless blackberries?

[jackyspratty]

Also the wild garlic spraeds rapidly so it will have to be in a relatively contained area, away frothe walking/seating areas. Thornles blackberries and wild strawbs sound good too. Cyclamens sound great too.

[Two_Sheds]

Blackberry will need staking and regular tying in: it's extremely rampant

[jackyspratty]

Thanks TS I think there may be some trellis/fencing that it could be placed against maybe. I have a Tayberry in my garden growing against a trellis in all day shade, seems to be doing well this year. I think lot of the woodland type dwellers tend to have a spreading nature, plus withe the birds and squirrels scattering the seed........

[Hilary B]

Just thought... beech tree.... Beechmast. Fiddly but tasty mini-nuts. There tend to be a lot of 'blank' seeds (only got the glossy brown 'skin', with no nut inside) but the ones that DO have a nut in are very nice.

[jackyspratty]

Ill have to find my food for free book and have a gander HIlary! The tree is definately a nut dropper of the highest calibre!

[Hilary B]

I just nibble the mast as I find them, usually when walking in the woods at this time of year. I think "Food for Free" tends to dismiss them as too fiddly for eating (suggests making booze with them) but as a tasty 'nibble' they are worth the effort, not least because it slows you down (they would be fattening if you could actually eat a REALLY large quantity)

[jackyspratty]

Thanks HIlary, I live next to woods so might just pop out today and take a stroll!

[jackyspratty]

Any suggestions for a nice smelly shade loving climber?