Common Questions
You Ask. We Answer.
Looking for more information about the work that we do? This is a collection of all the questions we are asked most often, listed here for your convenience. If there is anything we didn’t cover, please let us know.
What is a Fruit & Nut Village?
A Fruit & Nut Village is a collection of organisations and individuals who work together to create edible landscapes across a neighbourhood or similar area. These landscapes will include perennial growing spaces such as linear orchards, traditional orchards, trained orchards and forest gardens.
What is forest gardening?
Don’t be put off by the name. A forest garden is essentially an orchard on steroids! In a forest garden we grow a mix of plants in a way that mimics a more natural system. Forest gardens offer a range of crops to people and also a home to wildlife. Crops grown in a forest garden could include, apples and pears, blackcurrants and gooseberries, perennial onions and cabbages, underground tubers, climbing plants and herbs. All in one area.
Why does Fruit & Nut Village plant forest gardens?
Fruit & Nut Village grows forest gardens because they are a great way of creating a sustainable, perennial, edible landscape. We can grow a wide-range of foods in them, which help to promote good health for us and homes for wildlife. These spaces look beautiful and are popular with communities. Forest gardens were originally developed to create a natural forest system in a small space to help to compensate for global forest loss. Everybody can do their part to fight climate change!
Can I grow my own forest garden?
You certainly can grow your own forest garden, no matter how small a space you have available! The key thing with growing a forest garden is to try and make it more natural than a traditional garden. For example, you could grow fruit trees and vegetables on the same patch of land as edible flowers and other plants, to try and mimic a more natural woodland edge setting.
Why do we prune fruit trees?
We prune fruit trees to keep them healthy and to generate a good crop. Pruning lets us remove any dead or damaged branches that risk harming the tree, and makes sure that air and light enters the middle of the tree, helping the tree to stay healthy. Pruning also allows us to make sure that our trees are growing in the right way – we need to make sure that the trees give us as much of the best quality fruit as they can!
Why do we prune fruit trees in the winter?
Although it might seem a bit strange, the best time to prune fruit trees is usually in the winter. This is because during the winter the tree stores all of its energy in its roots and enters
How can I pick fruit and other foods from Fruit & Nut Village sites?
Our sites are often located on public land, and managed by local volunteers. If you’d like
to become involved in our work and take part in harvesting, or any other aspect of the
work, please contact us at fruitandnutvillage@gmail.com