Free Food Forever

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. 
Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Teach a man to farm...
and you feed him and his descendants forever.

Hardy Fruit Tree Nursery

local fruit trees

You can find local fruit trees in garden centres
and online from farms and tree nurseries.

If you grow fruit trees from seeds of fruit
from farmers markets and grocery stores
it may take a few years longer to fruit.
You might end up with a new variety.
You can also graft on favourite varieties
if you find the flavour of known varieties better.
For faster results also try cuttings.

growing trees from seeds

Seeds are very small but very powerful.

Trees grown from seed are often very strong.

Even some fruit trees may live 100+ years.

A little extra time and care
can lead to great rewards.

The fastest way to sow seeds
is in the ground before winter,
or before the rainy season,
depending on the variety of seeds.

try many plants in many places

 I try to plant many things

in many places

 

because I do not know

which ones will grow.

flowering trees

Sometimes flowering trees make excellent pollinators, specimen trees, hedges or even windbreaks.

starting a fruit tree collection

The most important thing to consider is fruit trees that will grow well in your area.

berries and cherries fruit plants

pear tree

bees are friendly pollinators

Flowers and flowering trees attract bees which pollinate fruit trees.

partial shade trees canopy for multi level gardens

 
Many trees spread by seed on their own so I sometimes find young trees popping up everywhere. This little one appears to be a honey locust tree. These grow very fast and tall and provide a partial shade canopy, which blocks out excess sun and wind, but many things can grow beneath the tree, including smaller trees, shrubs, fruits, vegetables, flowers, herbs, gardens, etc.

The Freedom Farm - The Green Barn Nursery

oak tree with red fall colour leaves

sugar maple: the iconic maple syrup tree

The sugar maple tree is the iconic maple syrup tree. When I find these growing in my gardens due to nearby maple trees I uproot them and plant them in a place large enough for them to grow. They are excellent shade trees, great for windbreaks for smaller trees and areas, and can be tapped for maple sap in the spring which is then boiled down into maple syrup and maple sugar.

The leaves turn colour in the fall. I usually plant trees in the rainy season, mostly spring and sometimes autumn. With enough water, they don't need much more care.

baby sugar maple tree

A FOOD FOREST: Green Barn Tree Tour

baby oak trees grown from acorns