Pocket little forests for urban yards

Where people want natural forest for protecting life, people can use the Miyawaki method. The method can work anywhere, even in plots as small as one meter wide, though a minimum of three meters is easier to plant a mix of species.
Kazue Fujiwara

Do you love trees and all the gifts they bring? We do! But trees, like people, prefer to live in communities. So instead of planting lonely trees in our yards, let's plant little forests!

What is a pocket little forest?

Little forests have all the layers you'd find in a wild forest - tree, understory, shrub - in small spaces. Kits include up to 10 native trees and shrubs, a bag of soil love, and a pinch of magic dust (mycorrhizal fungi).

table with species lists for four types of pocket little forests

We're working on a spreadsheet of different pocket little forest possibilities. Here's a draft of what species they might include.

Once the trees have settled into their new home, you can add an herbaceous layer of native plants, grasses, and sedges (a soft landing) that provide critical shelter and habitat for many of our non-human friends.

Why plant a pocket little forest?

We love little forests for feeding and sheltering birds. We love them for the butterflies, moths, fireflies and other creatures they support. We love them for cooling our streets during extreme heat events. We love them for storing carbon, cleaning the air, reducing noise, and soaking up rain. We love them reducing our stress when touch them, hug them, or shelter under their embrace. We love them for making our cities safer.

Last year Jim Brown planted a pocket little forest in his yard. Find out what he has to say about why they matter.

Roman and Kathleen are planting a pocket little forest in their front yard next spring. Watch to find out why.

Want to learn more about pocket little forests? Here's a talk I gave on National Forests Day for Nature Guelph Wildflower Society, Pollination Guelph, and GUFF (Guelph Urban Forest Friends).

Together, let's invite magic back into our city. Let's plant little forests as poems, songs, love letters to the land.

transforming a yard from grass and ashpalt to forest

Let's grow a biodiverse, climate resilient City in a Forest!