Growing a more resilient, biodiverse and food-secure London
Imagine a London where every borough has at least two publicly accessible community forest gardens. Places where people can come together to grow food, learn about nature, support wildlife and create greener, healthier neighbourhoods.
Why London needs community forest gardens
London faces a growing combination of environmental challenges. Climate change is bringing hotter summers, more unpredictable rainfall and periods of drought, while biodiversity continues to decline. At the same time, many communities have limited access to green spaces, nature and locally grown food.
Community forest gardens can help address several of these challenges at once. They are productive, biodiverse spaces designed around the structure and relationships found in natural woodland ecosystems. Rather than relying on annual planting and intensive maintenance, they use a diverse mixture of trees, shrubs, perennial vegetables, herbs, climbers and ground-cover plants.
A well-designed forest garden can provide food, habitat, shade, carbon storage, soil improvement, education and opportunities for community connection. It is a practical example of how one space can deliver multiple benefits.
Building climate resilience
One of the strengths of a forest garden is its diversity. Conventional food production can depend heavily on a relatively small number of crops. When weather conditions change or a particular crop fails, the consequences can be significant.
A forest garden works differently. It brings together many different species, each with its own characteristics, growing requirements and seasonal patterns. Some plants may struggle in a particular year while others thrive. This diversity helps spread risk and makes the overall system more resilient.
Each plant has multiple roles to play. A tree might provide fruit, shade, shelter for wildlife, nectar for pollinators and organic matter for the soil. A nitrogen-fixing shrub may improve soil fertility while also providing food or habitat. Ground-cover plants can protect the soil, reduce evaporation and provide additional harvests.
When plants perform several functions, the whole system becomes more resilient. Instead of relying on individual plants to perform one task, we create relationships between plants that support the health and productivity of the wider ecosystem.
Growing food in a changing climate
As London's climate changes, we need to think carefully about the food plants we grow. Hotter summers, changing rainfall patterns and more frequent periods of drought mean that some familiar crops may become less reliable.
Forest gardens give us an opportunity to experiment with a wider range of perennial and climate-adapted food plants. Depending on the local conditions, suitable choices might include:
- Mulberry: A productive fruit tree that can tolerate relatively dry conditions once established.
- Fig: Well suited to warm, sheltered locations and increasingly familiar in urban gardens.
- Medlar: A traditional fruit tree that is relatively undemanding once established.
- Almond: Worth considering in suitable warm, well-drained locations.
- Elephant garlic: A perennial-style allium crop that can provide substantial underground harvests.
- Jerusalem artichoke: A productive perennial vegetable that can grow in a range of conditions.
- Turkish rocket: A hardy perennial leafy vegetable.
- Sea beet: A perennial relative of cultivated beet, naturally adapted to coastal conditions.
- Daylilies: Some species have edible parts, but correct identification and appropriate preparation are essential.
These are examples rather than a universal planting list. The right plants will depend on soil, aspect, exposure, available space and the local microclimate. Drought-tolerant does not mean drought-proof, and even resilient plants need suitable conditions, particularly while establishing.
You can explore some of the plants we commonly use in forest garden designs in our plant names and reference list.
Reducing the need for watering
One of the biggest challenges when establishing a new forest garden is managing water during the early years. Young trees and plants need time to develop their root systems and become established. During this period, some watering may be necessary, particularly during prolonged dry spells.
However, we do not have to rely on regular watering as our main strategy. By designing the landscape to capture, slow, store and make better use of water, we can significantly reduce the amount of additional water needed.
There are several techniques that can help, including:
- Swales: Shallow, level channels designed to intercept and slow surface water, allowing it to soak into the ground rather than simply running away.
- Bunds: Raised earth banks that can help hold water back, slow its movement and encourage infiltration into the surrounding soil.
- Banana sponges: Designed planting areas that use organic matter and moisture-loving plants to capture and retain water, creating productive pockets of moisture within the landscape.
- Biochar: Properly prepared and charged biochar can help improve soil properties and contribute to water and nutrient retention.
- In-situ composting: Composting organic matter directly in the growing area helps build soil organic matter, improve soil structure and increase its ability to retain moisture.
These are not isolated tricks. They are part of a wider approach to designing landscapes that work with natural water cycles. The aim is to keep water in the landscape for as long as possible, encourage it to infiltrate the soil and build healthier, more moisture-retentive growing conditions.
These are techniques that Rakesh Rootsman Rak has developed, adapted and refined over many years of practical experience in permaculture design, teaching and implementation. They can be combined and adapted to suit the particular conditions of each site.
Good water management is especially important during the establishment phase. As trees and perennial plants mature, their roots extend, the soil improves and the developing canopy creates shade. These changes can help the forest garden become increasingly self-reliant and reduce the need for ongoing intervention.
Supporting biodiversity and wildlife
Forest gardens are designed to create diverse habitats. A mixture of trees, shrubs, flowering plants, climbers and ground-cover species provides food, shelter and breeding opportunities for a wide range of wildlife.
Different plants flower and produce fruit at different times of the year. This can provide a more continuous supply of nectar, pollen, seeds and other food sources. Layers of vegetation also create a variety of habitats, from the soil and leaf litter to the canopy above.
Healthy soil is central to this process. By keeping the ground covered and adding organic matter, we encourage the fungi, bacteria, invertebrates and other organisms that support healthy ecosystems.
A forest garden is not simply a collection of edible plants. It is a living ecosystem designed to support relationships between plants, animals, fungi, soil and people.
More than food production: places for people
Forest gardens are often described in terms of their layers of edible plants. However, a community forest garden can offer much more than food production. It can also become a place for people to meet, learn, relax, play and connect with nature.
My approach combines traditional forest garden design with wider permaculture design principles. This means considering how people will use and experience the space, as well as how the plants and ecological systems will function.
Depending on the site and the needs of the local community, a forest garden might include:
- Spaces for children to play and explore nature.
- Outdoor classrooms and areas for practical workshops.
- Places for community meetings and gatherings.
- Quiet spaces for meditation, yoga or simply enjoying nature.
- Seating areas where people can relax and enjoy the changing seasons.
- Outdoor kitchens and spaces for preparing and sharing food.
- Accessible paths and growing areas that welcome people with different abilities.
The design should reflect the people and community who will use the space. A forest garden in a school, housing estate, community centre or public park will have different needs and opportunities.
By thinking about the whole site, rather than just the planting, we can create places that are ecologically productive and genuinely useful to the people around them.
Designing in manageable stages
One of the challenges with community projects is that the resources needed to implement a complete design are rarely available all at once. Funding, plants, materials, volunteers and people's time may become available at different moments.
My approach is to design the whole space while dividing the implementation into smaller, manageable areas. I often describe these as mini forest gardens.
Each mini forest garden can be designed to function as a productive and ecologically useful area in its own right. It can be established independently, according to the resources available at the time. As more people, plants, materials or funding become available, another area can be developed.
This means a community does not have to wait until it has enough money or resources to complete the entire project. It can start small, learn through doing, celebrate progress and gradually expand.
The overall design provides a shared direction, while the smaller sections make implementation more realistic and achievable.
Our vision: two community forest gardens in every London borough
Roots n Permaculture is working towards a vision of at least two community forest gardens in every London borough. With 32 boroughs, that means a minimum of 64 gardens across London.
We want to build on the work that is already happening, connect people and projects, and support communities to establish new forest gardens where they are needed.
This is not about creating a central organisation that controls every garden. It is about helping local people connect, share knowledge, develop skills and take ownership of projects in their own neighbourhoods.
We are interested in existing forest gardens, community orchards and other projects that may already be doing some of this work. We also want to identify potential sites and communities interested in developing new spaces.
You can explore our growing list of London forest gardens here:
View the London Forest Garden Directory
How you can get involved
There are many ways to contribute to the development of community forest gardens across London. You do not need to be an experienced gardener or permaculturist to get involved.
Do you know of an existing forest garden?
Help us identify community forest gardens and related projects in London. If you know of a garden that should be included in the directory, please get in touch.
Do you have access to land?
We are interested in connecting with schools, community organisations, housing associations, landowners, local authorities and others who may have land suitable for a community forest garden.
Can you help with funding or resources?
Establishing community forest gardens takes resources. We are keen to hear from people and organisations who can help with funding, plants, tools, materials, land access or practical support.
Would you like to become a local champion?
We want to connect people in every borough who are interested in helping develop local projects. You might be a gardener, community organiser, educator, designer or simply someone who wants to see more productive and biodiverse green spaces in your neighbourhood.
Would you like to learn how to design a forest garden?
Roots n Permaculture runs practical courses and workshops to help people understand forest garden design and develop the skills to create their own productive, biodiverse spaces.
Find out more about our forest garden design courses.
Growing a movement, one forest garden at a time
Imagine what London could look like if every borough had at least two thriving community forest gardens. Imagine the food being grown, the wildlife supported, the skills being shared and the relationships being built.
Each garden will be different because each community, site and local environment is different. But together they can become part of a wider network of productive, biodiverse and welcoming spaces.
We do not need to wait for someone else to make this happen. We can start with the land, people and resources already available to us, learn from one another and grow the network over time.
If you would like to help create two community forest gardens in every London borough, get in touch with Roots n Permaculture and become part of the growing network.