23/12/2025
A great explanation and examples showing how to maximise garden design by not just focussing on ground space, but utilising air space effectively as well.
If you want to grow a productive garden, this is key to making the most of it.
This image was something I had created by an amazing designer a few years back that ended up going viral. Lately, I’ve noticed it being reshared without the logo and claimed as someone else’s work. So, I thought it was the perfect time to bring it back around myself 😊
If you could give it a like, drop a comment, or share it, that would really help get the info back out into the mainstream again. Thanks for the support
This illustration visually explains how a food forest is structured in vertical layers, and how each layer occupies a different proportion of the total growing space and airspace. Rather than all plants competing at ground level, a food forest spreads productivity vertically, mimicking a natural forest ecosystem.
1. Canopy Layer – ~20%
• This is the uppermost layer, made up of tall trees.
• It occupies the smallest proportion of plants, but the largest individual trees.
Functions include:
o Capturing high-angle sunlight
o Creating shade and shelter
o Moderating wind, temperature, and moisture
In a productive system, this layer is often fruit, nut, or timber trees.
The image shows this layer as open and spaced, highlighting that canopy trees are fewer but influential.
2. Mid Layers – ~40%
• This includes sub-canopy trees, shrubs, and small trees.
• It represents a larger share of the system’s structure and diversity.
Functions include:
o Filling filtered light niches
o Producing the bulk of fruit, berries, herbs, and support species
o Providing habitat for birds, insects, and beneficial predators
In the image, this layer is dense and varied, showing how it acts as the engine room of productivity.
3. Understory / Ground Layer – ~80%
• This layer occupies the largest proportion of total plant density, even though it sits closest to the ground.
• Includes groundcovers, herbs, grasses, fungi, roots, and soil life.
Functions include:
o Protecting soil
o Cycling nutrients
o Retaining moisture
o Supporting microbial and fungal networks
The image emphasises that most life and function occur at lower levels of the system, even if they're less visually dominant.
The core message is that a food forest is not about evenly spacing plants, but about stacking functions vertically.
While canopy trees may dominate visually, the majority of ecological function, biomass, and productivity happens in the mid and lower layers.
This highlights an important design principle in permaculture:
Work with airspace, not just ground space.
By understanding how much space each layer occupies, designers can:
• Increase yields without increasing land area
• Reduce competition
• Improve resilience, habitat, and system health
Overall, the image reinforces that diversity, density, and productivity increase as you move down through the layers, making food forests highly efficient, resilient systems.
