The Home-Scale Forest Garden by Dani Baker

I give this book 8 out of 10 acorns.

Imagine a fusion between an encyclopedia of temperate forest plants-- sorted by level!--and a chatty garden memoir a la Liz Zorab, and...you've got this book. Being what it is, it is useful and very readable at the same time; yes, I did read the whole thing! The author is enjoying a vibrant Permaculture retirement and I was carried along on the verve and joy of her experiences so far, although, again, this is a Chelsea Green book that looks and feels like a textbook. (May they redesign their layouts soon!)

To many of you Permies readers this will be a “duh”, but the very best thing I got out of this book during my first read-through was the information from the section on grapes: there is a sentence that starts “It typically takes four years for a grapevine to come into good production…” Well, this year just so happens to be the 4th year for my mom's Concord grapes, which have frustrated her for the last few years. She noticed that this year oddly it is the first year that she has gotten a decent harvest out of them. Wish I’d read this book before! And so much else was useful: charts, recommendations, photographs, insets with hints and warnings, and so many beautiful photographs.

How does it compare to Gaia’s Garden? It is a totally different kind of book. Hemenway’s book weaves together a comprehensive guide to all things Permaculture that is equal parts theory and balanced chapters of all facets of the home ecosystem. There is some, but very little theory here—this book is about the author’s hands-in-the-ground experience, with a particular focus on the author’s plants, although the critters that live among them are frequently mentioned. You need both books-they are not the same type at all!

I recommend this book be read right after Hemenway's for those who are excited and ready to plan and plant and want great and specific advice on what they could do.