Forest gardening – the practice of planting trees, herbs and vegetables in an agroforestry system – is an ancient tradition with modern relevance, says an article in the Financial Times.

The article looks discusses how forest garden systems around the world, from India to Zambia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Indonesia and Tanzania, have been maintained for generations.

One example, the Chagga home gardens on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, provides an insight into how ancient humans may have created the first forest gardens. Tribes migrated to the forested slopes for their cooler climate and good growing conditions. They identified the most useful food plants in the forest and protected them. Over time, useful plants from neighboring regions were introduced.

Robert Adrian de Jauralde Hart converted an entire orchard in Shropshire, United Kingdom into a forest garden, modelled on observations that the natural forest functions in layers. This modern-day example demonstrates the continued relevance of forest gardens.

Read the full story: How to create a woodland where everything is edible