Courses
Forest Gardening Mastery: Design, Plant, and Sustain Your Own Forest Garden
Course Overview
Join our comprehensive forest gardening course in Glastonbury, held at Bridie’s Regenerative Agricultural Project. Whether you're a beginner or experienced gardener, this hands-on course will teach you to design and cultivate a self-sustaining, multi-layered ecosystem that mimics the natural forest—producing food, enhancing biodiversity, and promoting environmental resilience.
What You’ll Learn
Core Principles of Forest Gardening: Understand how forest gardens function, from layered planting systems to the ecological benefits they provide.
Site Assessment and Surveying: Use photography, drone imagery, and simple measuring tools to evaluate your garden’s sunlight, soil, water flow, and microclimates.
Design and Mapping: Create professional, scaled garden plans using both hand-drawn and digital tools like CAD and Photoshop.
Water Management and Sustainability: Learn how to design effective swales, mounds, and other water management techniques to optimize moisture retention and soil health.
Plant Selection and Layering: Select the right trees, shrubs, and ground cover plants to form a productive, diverse forest garden that thrives in your climate and soil.
Soil Preparation and Improvement: Boost soil fertility and structure through mulching, nitrogen-fixing plants, and natural soil amendments.
Ongoing Care and Maintenance: Master pruning, pollination strategies, and long-term garden management to ensure your forest garden flourishes over time.
Propagation and Genetic Diversity: Learn propagation techniques to increase plant diversity and strengthen the resilience of your forest garden.
Course Structure
Introduction to Forest Gardening: Learn the foundational concepts and benefits of forest gardening.
Planning, Surveying, and Design: Assess your site, map it with photos and drones, and create a scaled design using both traditional and digital methods.
Site Assessment: Light, Soil, and Microclimates: Evaluate sunlight, soil composition, and microclimates to inform your plant choices and layout.
Water Management and Protection: Design sustainable water management systems and plan for environmental protection.
Plant Layers and Spacing: Structure your garden by layering canopy trees, shrubs, and ground cover, ensuring the right plant spacing for optimal growth.
Shrubs, Ground Cover, and Soil Preparation: Choose and plant shrubs and ground cover while preparing and enriching the soil.
Pollination, Pruning, and Maintenance: Learn essential techniques for managing your garden's growth, productivity, and health.
Propagation and Long-Term Care: Use propagation techniques to expand and maintain genetic diversity in your garden.
Final Design Project: Develop a complete design for your forest garden and present it for expert feedback.
Key Features
Hands-On Site Surveying: Learn to use photography and drone imagery to survey your garden, helping you make informed design decisions.
Design Flexibility: Master both traditional pen-and-paper mapping and modern digital tools like CAD and Photoshop, ensuring a flexible approach to garden planning.
Scalable Design: Whether you’re working with a small backyard or a large piece of land, the course can be adapted to suit your space and goals.
Expert Feedback: Receive personalized advice and feedback on your final garden design from experienced forest garden specialists.
Comprehensive Learning Materials: Access a wealth of resources, including video tutorials, design templates, and expert-recommended reading.
Final Design Project
By the end of the course, you’ll create a fully designed forest garden plan tailored to your site and goals. Present your design for expert feedback and leave with a clear, actionable plan to bring your forest garden to life.
Enroll Now
Transform your space into a thriving forest garden with our Forest Gardening Mastery course. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced gardener, this course equips you with the knowledge and skills to create a self-sustaining garden that nurtures the environment and provides for you.
Ready to get started? Contact us at futureforestsuk@gmail.com for more information.
Meet the Team
-
Adam Crofts
Adam Crofts, the Director and Founder of Future Forests Project CIC, is deeply passionate about restoring woodlands and planting and designing forest gardens, dedicating his expertise to creating thriving, sustainable ecosystems.
-
Thaddeus Monk
Thaddeus Monk, a soil science expert with a profound passion for mycology, trees, and ecology, is dedicated to restoring natural habitats. As a Director of Future Forests Project CIC, he channels his extensive expertise into advancing ecological restoration efforts.
-
Joeseph Lyster
Joseph Lyster, with a commitment to sustainability and a strong focus on sustainable product design and innovation, uses his role as Director of Future Forests Project CIC to drive community engagement, and advancements in sustainable practices.
Get Started
There are several ways you can help us plant trees and contribute to environmental sustainability:
Each of these actions supports our mission to plant trees, restore ecosystems, and combat climate change. Whether you contribute time, money, or simply your voice, your support is invaluable in helping us grow a greener future.
Donate
Your financial contributions directly support our tree planting initiatives. Donations help cover the costs of saplings, planting materials, and ongoing care, ensuring each tree thrives and contributes to the environment.
Volunteer
Join us in the field! Volunteering your time to help plant trees is a hands-on way to make a difference. Whether you’re an individual, part of a group, or representing an organization, your efforts will have a lasting impact.
Corporate Partnerships
Businesses can support our tree planting efforts through corporate sponsorships, employee volunteer programs, or by integrating tree planting into their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. This not only benefits the environment but also enhances your company’s sustainability credentials.
Advocate And Raise Awareness
Help us spread the word! By sharing our mission with your network, participating in community events, or promoting our work on social media, you can play a crucial role in raising awareness and encouraging others to get involved.
Gift A Tree
Gifting a tree is a great way to commemorate a special event or honour a loved one. The recipient will receive updates on the tree’s growth, making it a gift that continues to give, and you can even visit it if you wish with the GPS coordinates.
Include Us In Your Planning
Consider including Future Forests Project CIC in your estate plans. Planned giving, such as leaving a legacy donation or land bequest, ensures that your commitment to environmental stewardship continues for generations.
