Ask the Master Gardener: What’s a ‘food forest’ and should I start one in my yard?

What perennials can I plant around my vegetable garden to attract pollinators? Native species would be a plus.

Some of the best perennials for attracting pollinators include bee balm, coneflowers, milkweed, yarrow, and goldenrod, all of which are also native species. Many herbs, some perennial, also attract pollinators, including lavender, basil, dill, parsley, chives, sage, and thyme. In addition, many annuals such as sweet alyssum, zinnias, sunflowers, and calendula, are also good allies in welcoming pollinators.

In planting flowers to attract pollinators, the emphasis should be on bright and colorful blooms, placing emphasis on color, shape, and bloom time in order to attract varied types of pollinators throughout the growing season. Planting in large patches or drifts is also appealing to many butterflies, bees, and others. In addition to planting concerns, providing a water source for your visitors is also important.

What is a food forest? Is this something I could do in my yard?

A food forest is a multi-layered planting system with emphasis on diverse food crops. The system mimics a natural forest in planting and growing patterns, but the overall emphasis will be on growing food crops. The advantages of this method of growing are many, including being able to maximize food production, great benefits to the environment with little to no need for use of chemicals, and also provides habitat for a multitude of beneficial insects, wildlife, and pollinators.

This method typically consists of seven layers. The first layer would be the canopy, as in a natural forest with taller trees, followed by the understory layer of shorter trees, then shrubs, herbs, root crops, a vine layer, and groundcover layer. Many types of trees and other plants are available to provide edible crops, including nut trees, various fruit trees, and so on.

Would this work in your yard? Without knowing how much space you have available, it’s hard to say, but it is likely that many yards have room for at least a scaled-down version of this growing method. For smaller spaces, a nut tree or two planted with a fruit tree or two of your choice, maybe some bramble bushes like blackberries or raspberries, would work. You could utilize part of this method without having all seven layers in place, whatever fits your space and meets your requirements.

What are some low-maintenance perennials I could start in my garden?

It is important to remember that “low maintenance” does not equal “no maintenance” and that any garden plant will require some care and maintenance from time to time. Perennials are good, since they come back every year. The only downside to perennials is that most have a fairly short bloom season, but this can be handled by planting a diverse variety of flowers with various bloom times.

Good choices will depend of course on your location, sun exposure, and other factors. Good choices for sun include black-eyed Susan, iris, sedum, coneflowers, daylily, hollyhock, yarrow, and bee balm. Hostas and ferns are good choices for shadier locations.

Readers can pose questions or get more information by calling 417-874-2963 and talking to one of the trained volunteers staffing the Mas­ter Gardener Hotline at the University of Missouri Exten­sion Center in Greene County located inside the Botanical Center, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield, MO 65807.