POSTED: Tuesday, Feb. 09, 2010

Speaker to detail 'edible forest gardening' for city dwelllers

If you'd like to learn how to turn your lawn into a food source, or learn how to grow tasty plants you never knew existed, Dave Sansone wants to tell you how.

New aspects of "edible forest gardening" are the subject of his free talk Wednesday, Feb. 10, at Western Washington University. Sansone is the director of Perennial Harvest, a nonprofit outfit.

Question: Can people with "brown thumbs" benefit from your talk?

Answer: If a guy like me, from the sticks of New Jersey, can learn sustainable organic gardening, anyone can! I played in the woods when I was young, but I never thought about working the land.

Q: Where are you gardening now?

A: I'm working 14 acres near Marblemount, in Skagit County. I'm growing 350 species of plants, and more than 250 are edible.

Q: Is it true that the bulk of humanity's food comes from eight species?

A: It is. To name five: wheat, corn, rice, beans and potatoes. I'm offering a sustainable, organic way to learn to grow many different species, while converting lawns into forest gardens, without use of a greenhouse.

Q: What are some less-common species people might enjoy?

A: One of the secrets of successful edible forest gardening while using perennials is to start with something like zucchini. That's what I did, and it really gave me confidence. A couple of other examples are Good King Henry, a perennial form of spinach from Europe, and mallow, a perennial salad green that is very tasty.

Q: Do you have special favorites?

A: I'll be talking about growing chocolate berries from Asia. They're great; they taste just like chocolate.

Q: Why do you use the term "forest gardening" when you are talking to urban gardeners?

A: Because it's a style of gardening such as exists naturally in forests but can be adapted to an urban setting with fruit and nut trees, berry-producing shrubs, and edible ground cover and vines.

Nature is my inspiration. I teach systems that mimic nature. It's similar to permaculture. Edible forest gardening first developed 7,000 years ago in the tropics, inspired by indigenous landscape management.

Q: How do you mean "mimic?"

A: Take landslides, for example, where wood is naturally buried under soil. I teach how burying wood under soil can provide water even during drought, and how it helps edible plans grow naturally. It's about understanding ways to mimic how nature works.

Q: What else keeps you busy?

A: I'm a gardening consultant and I specialize in difficult gardening and shade gardening. I also teach whitewater rafting, outdoor education and habitat restoration.

COMING UP

What: Dave Sansone's free slideshow and talk about "edible forest gardening."

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10.

Where: Western Washington University, Frazier Hall, room 4.

Online: perennialharvest.org and terracommons.us.