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Create Your Own Florida Food Forest
If you've been fighting with your Florida garden, you're doing it wrong! Florida wants to be covered in forest, not grass and annuals. Picture yourself strolling through a lush and tame jungle loaded with sweet fruit, vegetables, roots, medicinal herbs, flowers and darting butterflies. Now imagine that Eden is your very own Florida yard! By creating an edible forest garden, you'll be working with nature instead of against her! No matter where you live in the state, you can transform a patch of grass or woods into a magical edible Eden in just a few years. Discover the permaculture breakthrough that may one day feed the world. Build soil, get plants for free and grow more food with less work! Learn how in this booklet with expert Florida gardener David The Good.
- GenresGardeningNonfiction
66 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 17, 2015
150 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 21, 2019
A PRICELESS RESOURCE FOR FLORIDA GARDENERS!
I just re-read this book for the third time. It is jam packed with information on planting a food forest in Florida regardless of how big or small your property is.
What I found most helpful was the listing of which plants (especially fruit trees) do well in different parts of the state, the importance of soil fertility and the encouragement to observe how things grow in Nature.
David The Good has an abundance of knowledge and writes with humor and humility in an easy to read conversational manner. Highly recommended to help turn a barren lawn into an abundant source of food and life.
I just re-read this book for the third time. It is jam packed with information on planting a food forest in Florida regardless of how big or small your property is.
What I found most helpful was the listing of which plants (especially fruit trees) do well in different parts of the state, the importance of soil fertility and the encouragement to observe how things grow in Nature.
David The Good has an abundance of knowledge and writes with humor and humility in an easy to read conversational manner. Highly recommended to help turn a barren lawn into an abundant source of food and life.
January 7, 2016
Loved it! Looking for a low maintenance yard plan that provides food and do it in an environmentally friendly way without chemical fertilizers, bug killers, etc? This is how you do it. The author is very informative, yet entertaining. This is not your typical boring gardening book. I love how he is not afraid to try unconventional plants and methods, also. So many gardening books cover your typical tomatoes, lettuce, etc., even if those plants are not ideal for the area you live in. This book geared toward the warm, humid climate and sandy soil of Florida, cuts through the fluff and gives wonderful and realistic information about how to get the most out of your yard without a ton of work. Highly recommended!
February 15, 2018
Much rah-rah, not so much solid advice
This brief booklet is long on cheerleading but somewhat short on substance. While I can appreciate the author's enthusiasm and daring in his "just toss seeds" experience, I would have appreciated more specific information.
That said, I am looking forward to creating my own Florida food forest in my new backyard. The lists of suggested varieties sort of skip over my area (Florida's Space Coast), and I have thus far been unsuccessful in finding local sources and gardening groups. Nevertheless, I will persist!
This brief booklet is long on cheerleading but somewhat short on substance. While I can appreciate the author's enthusiasm and daring in his "just toss seeds" experience, I would have appreciated more specific information.
That said, I am looking forward to creating my own Florida food forest in my new backyard. The lists of suggested varieties sort of skip over my area (Florida's Space Coast), and I have thus far been unsuccessful in finding local sources and gardening groups. Nevertheless, I will persist!
May 18, 2017
Too short, but packed full!
This is a short book, jam packed with information. The author's excitement is contagious. Even those of us with a black thumb (when, like myself) are left feeling confident that something, maybe even a whole lot of somethings CAN be grown in our own yards. I'm raring to go, just itching with ideas to try. David's emphasis on free or dirt cheap gardening really takes the pressure off!
This is a short book, jam packed with information. The author's excitement is contagious. Even those of us with a black thumb (when, like myself) are left feeling confident that something, maybe even a whole lot of somethings CAN be grown in our own yards. I'm raring to go, just itching with ideas to try. David's emphasis on free or dirt cheap gardening really takes the pressure off!
August 19, 2017
Inspirational Read
Looking for permaculture books specific to tropical climates I stumbled upon this little gem and very glad I did. It gives lots of inspiration and all the practical advise you need distilled into a few quick read pages instead of wasting your time on a full blown repetitive book.
Looking for permaculture books specific to tropical climates I stumbled upon this little gem and very glad I did. It gives lots of inspiration and all the practical advise you need distilled into a few quick read pages instead of wasting your time on a full blown repetitive book.
December 2, 2015
Meh
Meh same as his other books. Lacks detail. Just Google florida gardening and save yourself the time and money honestly.
Meh same as his other books. Lacks detail. Just Google florida gardening and save yourself the time and money honestly.
August 22, 2022
I picked this up after struggling with the majority of gardening books being more suitable for more temperate areas, and lacking relevance to Florida.
This is a short book, which can be read in an hour or two. David’s enthusiasm for food forests comes across and is infectious. The outline:
Chp 1: Why a food forest?
Chp 2: Getting started with food forests
Chp 3: Growing your own plants from (almost) scratch
Chp 4: Food forests in small spaces
Chp 5: Creatures (other than dinosaurs) that should be in your food forest
Chp 6: Figuring out what grows in your climate
Chp 7: Starting with an existing forest
Chp 8: “But… wait! If I plant a food forest, where will my kids play?”
Chp 9: Go crazy or go home!
If you are looking for something “deep” about the principles of permaculture and/or food forests, this isn’t it. But, importantly for me, David provided examples of challenges you’ll face in Northern or South Florida and practical adaptations of food forests for different types of of soil (particularly, sand and swamp).
But honestly, the part I appreciated most were the appendices, which had lists of plants, categorized by their layer in the food forest, and ease of growing. Hoping this will help get some momentum going for my neighbors who have black thumbs but are still interested in growing their own food!
This is a short book, which can be read in an hour or two. David’s enthusiasm for food forests comes across and is infectious. The outline:
Chp 1: Why a food forest?
Chp 2: Getting started with food forests
Chp 3: Growing your own plants from (almost) scratch
Chp 4: Food forests in small spaces
Chp 5: Creatures (other than dinosaurs) that should be in your food forest
Chp 6: Figuring out what grows in your climate
Chp 7: Starting with an existing forest
Chp 8: “But… wait! If I plant a food forest, where will my kids play?”
Chp 9: Go crazy or go home!
If you are looking for something “deep” about the principles of permaculture and/or food forests, this isn’t it. But, importantly for me, David provided examples of challenges you’ll face in Northern or South Florida and practical adaptations of food forests for different types of of soil (particularly, sand and swamp).
But honestly, the part I appreciated most were the appendices, which had lists of plants, categorized by their layer in the food forest, and ease of growing. Hoping this will help get some momentum going for my neighbors who have black thumbs but are still interested in growing their own food!
August 5, 2022
Awesome well of information!
This book is not only inspiring, but chocked-full of information of the best varieties of plants to grow a food forest anywhere in Florida.
I've selected several plants for my food forest based on this book. I can't wait to grow these edibles!
David's books are an awesome resource for anyone growing edibles in their bsck yard or on their homestead.
This book is not only inspiring, but chocked-full of information of the best varieties of plants to grow a food forest anywhere in Florida.
I've selected several plants for my food forest based on this book. I can't wait to grow these edibles!
David's books are an awesome resource for anyone growing edibles in their bsck yard or on their homestead.
May 17, 2018
Really enjoyed this quick read
David the Good has some great advice for Florida gardening. He also has an easy to read style to get the most out of the time you’re not gardening but reading about gardening...
David the Good has some great advice for Florida gardening. He also has an easy to read style to get the most out of the time you’re not gardening but reading about gardening...
February 15, 2020
Encouraged me to go for it!
This was a fairly quick read. I got more motivation out of it than anything and was encouraged to just give it a go! My baby food forest is started and on its way ☺️
This was a fairly quick read. I got more motivation out of it than anything and was encouraged to just give it a go! My baby food forest is started and on its way ☺️
December 20, 2017
Break it down
And this book does! I'm a horrible gardener who lives in North Florida. This is so simple I will be trying these methods in my side garden this fall.
And this book does! I'm a horrible gardener who lives in North Florida. This is so simple I will be trying these methods in my side garden this fall.
April 19, 2020
Good General book. I am hoping to find something more tailored to my area with specifics on what does well in my area.
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February 22, 2021Your guide to Goodness
Fun and information packed bible for the food forest addict. I love all of davids books. Thank you David the good
Fun and information packed bible for the food forest addict. I love all of davids books. Thank you David the good
July 21, 2022
Short, sweet, to the point with a ton of green ideas that make good sense.
March 4, 2023
Informative and Quick Read
I love how the author doesn’t make it overly complicated and connects all the dots to how one can truly embrace chaos gardening and be prolific.
I love how the author doesn’t make it overly complicated and connects all the dots to how one can truly embrace chaos gardening and be prolific.
August 13, 2025
Great overview of plants suitable for Florida and the conditions they desire.
August 26, 2020
The author seems a bit extreme, but the information is helpful for a Florida vegetable gardener. It's a book I'll hang on to.
January 2, 2016
Overall, I liked the book and was really encouraged to keep working on my own garden and food forest. However, the information regarding bees was incorrect, and it made me doubt the validity of other statements in the book.
July 14, 2017
A fun and informative book with many useful tips for gardening in Florida - the unconventional way.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews