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Comment by FredPret | Hacker News Reader

Incredible - apparently you can do one in your back yard!

https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/the-many-benefits-of-...

I'm having a hard time picturing what they look like -- and the photo in that article is unrelated.

Googling them, I can find images of a few proof-of-concept plots in the middle of fields but I can't find a single example of how they might integrate with a city.

It would be nice to see some kind of before-and-after, even if just an illustration, to get a sense of how they would fit into a cityscape aesthetically and practically.

Here's a NYT article with some good photos, gift link: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/24/climate/tiny-forests-clim...

Here's a photo of what it looks like when it's first planted: https://voice.somervillema.gov/miyawaki-micro-forest

Another good article: https://www.creatingtomorrowsforests.co.uk/blog/the-miyawaki...

PDF with lots of pictures and information: https://urban-forests.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Report-...

I'd love to know if there was an equivalent one for species native to the UK.

EDIT: Found a great list after a little investigation! https://www.north-norfolk.gov.uk/tasks/projects/miyawaki-for...

It doesn't always have to be trees. Hedgerows can be good too.

And a good thing too, because trees in London cause havoc with all the Victorian houses with no foundation in the modern sense.

I bought three boxes of Microforest from Edwina Robinson here in ACT Australia and planted them in my front yard.

Here is an article about her project.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-08/act-micro-forests-in-...

It's been two years, the some of the trees are well over 2m tall already.

Possibly a misconception of mine; Australia has some added complexities that not all of us face. What creatures will my mini forest it attract and will my little forest set fire to my home?

I’m in New Zealand where life is less spicey.

You choose what species get planted, so you can control all that. Plant a grove of mainly sheoak for example, and you have fire retardant species that discourage snakes.

Here's video footage of the linked 2021 Canberra plantings from nine months ago - mid 2023.

https://youtu.be/P2_YVkfzpnE?t=23

That 3x3m project shown is not realistic. Not for a newbie and probably not easy to keep from falling apart for an expert.

But yes, wild hedgewoods of a mix of useful shrubs are totally doable even in really small spaces. I had designed a few. They are low maintenance, beautiful, useful, funny, and tasty and everybody should have space for one of this wildlife lifesavers in their gardens.

They're surely extremely region-specific—sourcing with native trees is a big part of their sustainability. Do you know anything about where to find local growing guides for different regions?

Here's one site that seems solid: https://nativeplantfinder.nwf.org/

Note though that your climate is changing, and what was historically considered native for your region may no longer be a good fit: https://heatmap.news/is-native-gardening-becoming-pointless

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