Christopher Shein has been a gardener in Berkeley and Oakland, California since 1993. He has started dozens of community gardens, school gardens, market gardens, and gardens in backards in centers serving the homeless. He teaches permaculture at Merritt Community College where he helped develop the award-winning student farm. Shein also owns Wildheart Gardens, a permaculture landscape business that designs and builds sustainable gardens. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and earned his Permaculture Design Certificate at Linnaea Farm on Cortes Island, British Columbia. He lives with his wife, Dr. Runa Basu, D.O., and their daughters, Gitanjali and Bija Sol, in urban South Berkeley.

“Chris Shein captures the essence of permaculture practice for any landscape and any gardener. This book will be a classroom and garden staple.” —Claudia Joseph, director of environmental education for The Old Stone House, Brooklyn, New York Grow your own food forest—Take your organic gardening to the next level by learning the low-maintenance secrets of permaculture. These tried-and-true methods teach gardeners of every skill level—with any size space—how to live in harmony with both nature and neighbors to create an abundant harvest.   Permaculture expert Christopher Shein shows you how to build an edible ecosystem—a thriving food forest—in your own backyard with the least possible expenditure of time, effort, and the earth’s resources. By updating ancient techniques from cultures around the world, Shein takes you step-by-step through the process of designing your ideal edible garden with the most productive fruits and vegetables so that you have enough food to feed your own family and to share with your friends.   This inspiring, easy-to-follow, information-packed, practical guide will help you transform your garden and nurture the earth for years to come.