1. Prioritize water: Install water catchment systems. Divert gutter water into tanks and barrels from the house, greenhouse and other buildings for future use during droughts. Create ponds, build swales (read on for an explanation), create ditches, etc.

2. Swale: Can be large or small scale to collect water. Dig a trench on contour at the bottom of a slope. You can berm up your swale by adding more soul to the bottom edge. Add mulch, leaves and decaying logs in the swale to soak up and slow down water. It is an ideal spot for tree planting. It is self fertile because the rains will wash down nutrients from the top of the slope.

3. Introduce a way to make compost. Compost piling directly on the ground is the best method of production because it is quicker and natural. Install a three component system: a pile for new compost that gets turned into a second pile then back to the first; when the first pile is ready, leave it in the second pile spot until the first pile is ready to turn. The third pule spot is for compost that is ready to use in the garden. Using compost as fertilizer eliminates the need to buy commercial fertilizers.

4. Medicinal herb garden or culinary herb garden or combined. Styles: Herb spiral (dry to wet) keyhole raised bed or mandala garden.

5. Vegetable garden beds: Add a raised bed if your soil is poor or on a slope. Traditional kitchen gardens were planted near the home to monitor growth and wildlife and for easy access when preparing meals.

6. Hugle piles: A formal one requires logs, branches and cuttings to be buried into the ground then covered with soil. An informal one is a dry stack left on the ground and topped off with soil. This dry stack takes much longer to break down naturally. Both will break down over time and serve as fertilizer to vegetation. They can be installed in different ecosystems to serve both shady and sunny areas. By placing both kinds in your garden, you can provide shelter to wildlife.

7. Plant a hedgerow of berry bushes in a straight line. Used as a wind break, a visual barrier and to attract pollinators and other wildlife. Choose bushes that are native and grow well in your environment with minimal maintenance.

8. Plan a dedicated area for a pollinator garden or better yet introduce your pollinator plants into your vegetable garden. Used to attract pollinators and for visual pleasure. Choose local and native varieties to support native species. Plant diverse colors, sizes and plan for flowers or flower heads in all seasons. Focus on more perennial plants interspersed with annual ones. Add a water feature and rocks to support wildlife.

9. Add a greenhouse, poly tunnel, cold frame or nursery. Multipurpose uses: To germinate, grow cuttings and protect tender plants, or for seasonal extensions in areas that have a short growing season; for storage, washing produce, and drying plants. Ideal for geological areas that get a lot of rain and less sun. They can extend the growth season by a few weeks when growing crops in them.

10. Plant a guild. Plant a community of plants that work together and support each other. The vegetation is carefully selected to work symbiotically. Year one-Begin with the canopy: Three standard sized fruit trees that are compatible. Also add a few dwarf-sized trees Space them according to their growth habits. Year two-Add berry and flowering shrubs around the base in the second or third year or once the trees are established. Choose an area or two without shrubs and vegetation in order to create a path to access the trees at the center of the guild. Year three-Add the rest if the layers to the guild. Be aware that vines can choke out other vegetation and should be carefully pruned as necessary.

Here’s a recap of The seven layers of a food forest:

A. Canopy/Tall Tree (standard and giant overstory sized trees, oak, maples, pears)

B. Sub canopy/large shrub (dwarf and semi-dwarf sized trees, grafted fruit trees onto smaller root stalks, hazelnut)

C. Shrub layer (bushes, berries)

D. Herbaceous layer (hold soil together, herbs, vegetables)

E. Groundcover layer (clover, strawberries)

F. Underground layer (taproot, root crops, radish, mustard, and carrot family such as, parsnip; horseradish, burdock, parsley, dandelion, turnip, poppy, milkweed (Asclepias), coneflower, chicory, pigeon pea

G. Vertical/climbing layer (vines, grapes, roses)

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