Edible Trees, Soft Fruits, Perennial Vegetables, Herbs and Wild Plants

Edible Trees, Soft Fruits and Wild Plants

Ordering and Planting in Winter and Early Spring

Ordering:

Future Forests (www.futureforests.net)  is a source for ordering edible trees and soft fruits by mail order.

Irish Seed Savers (www.irishseedsavers.ie) sells Heritage Apple and Pear Trees often by mail order.

Peppermint Farm and Garden (www.peppermintfarm.com) is a source for herbs and wild plants by mail order.

Sonairte, The Ecology Centre (www.sonairte.ie) often stocks wild herbs and plants for sale outside their shop.

To learn how to use edible berries, wild plants and herbs, consult the following book:

Edible Wild Plants and Herbs: A Compendium of Recipes and Remedies by Pamela Michael

The following is a list of soft fruit, trees, herbs and wild plants for a forest garden.

1. Edible Trees

Trees compose the backdrop to a forest garden.

Hazel, Cobnut and  Filbert Trees for Nuts

Elder for Flowers and Berries

Blackthorn for Sloe Berries

Hawthorn for Berries

Wild Roses for Rose Hips

Damson, Gage, Plum Trees

Cherry Trees

Irish Apple, Crabapple and Pear Trees

Rowan Trees for Berries

2. Soft Fruits

Soft fruit compose the second highest layer to the forest garden.

Gooseberries, Red, White and Black Currants, Raspberries, Thornless Blackberry, Strawberries

3. Perennial Vegetables

These vegetables follow down from the soft fruit layer.

Rhubarb, Red Stalks in Spring

Good King Henry, Perennial Spinach for Spring and Summer

Wild Garlic, Young Leaves in Spring

Globe Artichoke, Edible Flower Head in Summer

Jerusalem Artichoke, Tubers for October – February

Black Salsify, Root Vegetable

4. Herbs

Tansy, Fennel and Lovage are taller herbs to be planted below perennial vegetables, followed by the planting of the shorter herbs

Mint, Leaves

Lemon Balm, Leaves

Hyssop, Leaves and Flowers

Bergamot, Leaves

Lovage, Leaves

Fennel, Leaves and Seeds

Sage, Leaves and Flowers

Salad Burnet, Leaves

Rosemary, Leaves and Flowers

Sweet Woodruff, Leaves

Tansy, Leaves

Borage, Young Leaves in Early Spring and Flowers

5. Wild Plants

Meadowsweet and Marsh Mallow to be planted with the taller herbs, with the rest of the wild plants to be inter-mixed with shorter herbs.

Yarrow, Young Leaves in Early Spring

Marsh Mallow,  Leaves in Summer

Meadowsweet, Flowers in Summer

Primrose, Flowers in Early Spring

Nettles, Leaves Cooked in Early Spring