About US

Bedford Fields Community Forest Garden provides:

• A demonstration of how Permaculture and Forest Gardening can be a viable alternative to conventional food production systems.

• Volunteering sessions, workshops and skill shares for people and groups interested in gardening more sustainably.

It is managed by Leeds Permaculture Network and is one of the national Permaculture LAND network of Permaculture demonstration centres.

Visiting Bedford Fields Community Forest Garden

The garden is sometimes closed for groups and workshops so if you are coming from afar please contact us in advance of your visit. The main garden is open access and you are free to come in and wander around, sit in the sunshine and listen to the birdsong. All we ask is that you do not light fires, take any litter with you and respect our neighbours, as we are in a residential area.

What is in the garden?

All the plants in the Bedford Fields Community Forest Garden are either edible, medicinal or useful in some way. Some of the edible perennial vegetables are unfamiliar and surprising – many commonly considered 'weeds', flowers, shoots, fungi, wild plants are perfectly edible and delicious.

Bedford Fields is not just for humans, it also an oasis for birds, insects, frogs and a rich seasonal feeding ground for bees, not to mention the many small animals that run and shelter in hedgerows. Bedford Fields supports diversity and sustainability on every level.

See us in action by taking a look at our gallery here.

What is a Forest Garden?

Bedford Fields has been designed and planted along Permaculture principles and demonstrates a variety of forest gardening techniques, making it a fascinating educational resource for children and experienced gardeners alike.

The forest garden is planted in 'layers', as you find in a natural forest – with a mixture of small and larger trees, climbers, shrubs, herbaceous plants, and ground cover.  Because we mix our plant types, they are not in competition with each other for sunlight and root space, so we can grow more species in a smaller space.

Healthy soil is also one of our top priorities and so we have created a carbon-rich soil full of worms, fungi and other beneficial microbes by employing a no dig and mulch system.

What is Permaculture?

Permaculture is a design process. It helps create intelligent systems which meet human needs whilst enhancing biodiversity, reducing our impact on the planet, and creating a fairer world for us all.  It has three core principles Earth Care, Fair Shares and People Care. You can find more information on Permaculture by visiting the Permaculture Association website

Permaculture is not just about making a fantastic garden, it's also about 'people care' and so we take extra care to make the garden a welcoming, safe space where anyone can contribute to the garden and where you can come to immerse yourself in the space. We organise tours, workshops, volunteering sessions, social meetings and other events where further insights into this natural and sustainable art of gardening can be explored.

Join our WatsApp Community

If you would like to get up-to-date news of our monthly skillshares, special interest guilds (design, wellbeing, preserving, medicinal herbs, natural dyeing, arts and crafts), volunteering sessions or other organised activities on site, please message us on 07738260619.

Joanna Dornan, who produced the initial Permaculture design for the garden, and  cleared and planted it.

Leeds Permaculture Network, who initially oversaw the development of the garden until the formation of Friends of Bedford Fields.

Ben Lawson, who joined in 2013 and did an amazing job of developing the garden, he also found funding for the garden and ran a brilliant programme of educational courses. Sadly, Ben left us in 2019 to develop the market garden and veg box scheme at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm.

Nigel Lees, who supervised the planting of the wildlife corridor hedge. Nigel is also responsible for the stewardship management and ongoing development of the Woodhouse Ridge woodlands.

Doug Louis, Parks and Countryside Department, and the Education Department at Leeds City Council for securing and developing the project.

Mercia Southon, who first identified the unused bramble- and bindweed-choked site as a possible community resource, sought and gained permission and funding to initiate the project, and created the quarter-mile wildlife corridor hedge that extends from it to the woodland of Woodhouse Ridge. Mercia also led the public campaign to have the path that runs alongside the gardens and the wildlife corridor hedge registered as a public footpath.

Walter Lewis, Lloyd Spencer and Liliya Farzutdinova Lawson, who have taken brilliant photographs that can be seen on the gallery.

Andrew Lambeth, Nat McAnuff and Step Jones who have created this website.

All the lovely volunteers who have helped to create and maintain the Forest Garden in its first decade.