The tree of life, or the sycamores that haunt the afterlife in the Egyptian book of the dead, Christmas trees, the Bodhi tree, the ogham tree-alphabet - trees, with roots delving deep into the earth and and branches reaching to the sky, have long been revered by mankind. 

For good reason. Long-lived, steady, they are our ancient companions. They are the super-producers that convert sun into some of our most valued foods. They have built our houses, kept us warm in the cold, cooked our food, given us shade. We etch the names of our dear ones into their bark so that our love will be so long lived. But more importantly, trees are the tenders of ecosystems, providing varied transactions that enrich all, build soil, grow fertility, and provide shelter. 

Forest gardens work because they invoke this ancient kinship and harness this power of trees. 

But for a forest garden to really work, it's important to pick the right trees, and grow them in the right numbers. 

Here's the short of it: for this FREE mini-course, we're going to keep things really simple, by picking one of my two top-recommended fruit trees and we're going to build our starter-gardens around those:

1. Chojuro Asian Pear: Fireblight resistant, beautiful lanscape tree with few pests, delicious apple-like fruit with a taste of butterscotch. Recommended Nursery: Stark. 

2. Mango Paw Paw: The fastest growing paw paw tree, with fruit similar to a mango, if you use your imagination, but delicious in its own right. No pests, no diseases, no maintenance.

So, FOR THE FREE MINI-COURSE that's the super-easy option for beginners who don't want to get overwhelmed. For the Complete (paid option) Forest Gardening Course members, we'll be looking into customized options and coming up with a plan for your site. 

But since I think this topic is so important, you can visit the in-depth, super geeky article that really gets into the nitty-gritty on tree choices for a family or homestead. 

And if you're loving this whole forest gardening thing and would like to join our Complete Forest Gardening Course, look below for a special limited offer. Folks reading this email are the very first to see it!

Next time, we'll start talking about planting trees.