I am a widowed mother of 3 home educated kids & budding self-sufficientisher, living in North Cornwall. I am in the process of setting up my own business selling eco-friendly menstrual products online & spend every free moment I can either in my garden or out walking the dogs with my crazy kids & exploring our beautiful Atlantic coast surroundings.
I have a new-build housing association property, with an L shaped patch of builders rubble pretending to be a garden. Having spent the last couple of years accumulating hardcore, topsoil, pots, rocks, flags & various garden paraphernalia via begging, borrowing & Freecycle™ I have finally this year been able to plant some veggies... & as predicated they have done very badly, mainly thanks to the damn trees surrounding my property over which I have an ongoing battle to get them a hair cut... oh well, maybe I'll see the light next year... shame really as I have a south facing garden too
...In the interim, any tips on 'Forest gardening' would be gratefully received 
The aim is to eventually end up with a decent crop of fruit & veg each year, maybe bees & *a couple* of chickens... despite suggestions of friends & kids I AM NOT GETTING ANY MORE/OTHER ANIMALS after that... (even if Ducks are cuter & have bigger eggs)... Have been juggling an idea in my head for a while about suggesting to the Housing Association that we have solar panels on our properties but still unsure how to broach it... If I had my way we would have a compost loo here too but I know for a fat that the HA wouldn't hear of such a thing, lol... as it is Im pushing it with Chickens. Luckily I have neighbours who are as crazy as I am so I shouldn't get any complaints from their quarter as long as I keep bribing them with apple pies & eggs
so yeah...hummm... hi!
There are some excellent textbooks - particularly Jacks and toensmeier, or Michael Crawford. All quite pricey though so try before you buy.
