Forest Gardening for Small Spaces one day workshop at Marlpit Community Centre, Norwich, 5th September 2026

Join us for this one day course at Marlpit forest garden and community centre in Norwich and learn how to implement the principles of forest gardening in your own garden or community space today!

About this course

Forest gardening is a low-maintenance sustainable plant-based food production system, incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines and perennial vegetables. The design principles can be replicated in even the smallest of urban gardens including public parks, allotments and school grounds – find out how, and learn how to implement this abundant system in your own garden or community space with Graham Burnett, author of Permaculture A Beginner’s Guide and the Vegan Book of Permaculture and experienced forest gardener.

The forest garden concept was pioneered in the UK by Robert Hart, who examined the interactions and relationships that take place between plants in natural systems, particularly in woodland, the climax eco-system of a cool temperate region such as the British Isles, as well as the abundant food producing ‘home gardens’ of Kerala. This led him to evolve the concept of the ‘Forest Garden’. Based on the observation that the natural forest can be divided into distinct layers or ‘storeys’, he developed an existing small orchard of apples and pears into a highly productive edible landscape. Literally thousands have since been created in both in the UK and around the world:

“Obviously, few of us are in a position to restore the forests. But tens of millions of us have gardens, or access to open spaces such as industrial wastelands, where trees can be planted and if full advantage can be taken of the potentialities that are available even in heavily built up areas, new ‘city forests’ can arise…” (Robert A. de J. Hart)

Course content includes –

• What is forest gardening?
• A short history of forest gardening
• Annuals vs perennials and tree crops – food for a future!
• Principles of forest gardening
• Forest garden design step by step
• What do you want from your forest garden?
• Selecting appropriate species for your forest garden
• Forest garden site tour
• Urban forest gardening for small gardens and community projects

Where and when?

Saturday 5th September

Please contact Alice (email below) to book your place.

Fees and booking

What folk have said about previous courses by Spiralseed;

“Graham’s teaching style is open, relaxed, positive and BRILLIANT – A natural educator, thank you!”

“If anyone is considering this course I would really recommend it”

“The course was terrific and was paced in such a way as to ensure maximum benefit”

“A wonderful weekend”

“I’ve done a lot of training courses and Graham is by far one of the best trainers I’ve had”

“I believe that we all left richer for the experience and, speaking for myself, happier and more hopeful. I am now just looking for an excuse to return, because the whole experience was just too good to have only once”