Robert A de J Hart (b. April 1 1913, d. March 7 2000) was the pioneer of forest gardening in the UK. Hart began his forest garden project at Wenlock Edge on the Welsh borders in the early 1960s with the intention of providing a healthy and therapuetic environment for himself and his brother Lacon, who was born with severe learning disabilities. Although starting as a relatively conventional smallholder, Hart soon discovered that maintaining large annual vegetable beds, rearing livestock and taking care of an orchard were tasks beyond his strength. However, he also observed that a small bed of perennial vegetables and herbs he had planted up was looking after itself with little or no intervention. Furthermore, these plants provided interesting and unusual additions to the diet, as well as s