I’ve come along way since last May when I posted my first phase of the food forest garden design for the backyard. Lucky for me, all the trees and shrubs I planted last year made it through the season so I can build off of that initial plan. The Great Sheet Mulching of 2007 went well also, so the garden is a blank slate just waiting to be filled in this season.
The food forest plan is complete, finally. This is, of course, just a plan. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that you can’t control nature and all plans are merely evolutions of a design in progress. Here is a recap of some elements of the design:
- We are building a driveway, patio, and trellis this summer – more on these projects in later posts.
- I have decided to re-build my chicken coop. Generally the same design, but it my carpentry skills have improved dramatically. Improvements will include a slanted roof, so the coop will rest next to the house, insulation/less air gaps, and better light for the girls.
- Existing concrete paths are shown in gray. Informal paths throughout the garden are shown in a bluish-gray.
- Dark brown areas will be filled in with smaller, perennial plants. Emphasis will be placed on beneficial insect-attracting flowers and herbs.
- Orange boxes are my vegetable beds, built last year.
- Potato tires are a project I am trying this year for the first time. Start with one recycled tire and plant potatoes in it. Once the greens get high, place a new tired and fill with soil, forcing the shoots to produce more potato tubers. Repeat. Find more info here and a post will follow later in the Spring.
- Herb spirals were something I first read about in my favorite Urban Permaculture book, Gaia’s Garden, although I have since seen them elsewhere. Here is an example.
Whew. Here is the final, final, final rundown of my forth-coming purchases to complete the shell of the food forest:
- Chinese dogwood – edible fruit (E), wildlife attractor (W), spring flowers (F), fall color
- Aronia (2x) – E, W, F, fall color
- Flowering Quince (4x) – E, F, lovely branch structure for winter interest
- Artichoke (2x) – E (my favorite veggie), mulch material
- Trumpet Vine – beneficial insect attractor (BIA), long-season bloomer
- Currant (2x) – E, W, BIA, F
- Blueberry (2x) – E, W, BIA, F, fall color
- China Blue vine – E, evergreen vine for privacy
- Raspberries (10x) – E, W, BIA, F
- Beautyberry (2x) – W, winter berries for interest
- Asian Persimmon – E, W, F, fall color
- Silverberry (2x) – E, evergreen shrub for privacy, fall flowers
- Hardy kiwi (male & female) – E, W, F
- Porcelain berry vine – E, W, F
The front yard is western-facing, so I am not expecting huge crops since sunlight is limited. Everything there though is up for grabs for the neighbor kids. The old, ancient pine tree is a great landmark that provides shelter for passing birds and squirrels. So basically, the front yard is for the community – not so much for us.
The backyard is entirely for us. Well, and some friends. There are quite a few projects on our roster to make the design come to life, but we are ready for the work and look forward to a season even better than last year.
TexanInHippieland says
Oh sweet mother of god. You are so meant to be a planner. And I thought I had a problem with my powerpoint presentations.
LeLo in NoPo says
Impressive. I like the raspberries in the narrow strip along the edge. I think we’re going to do the same thing along a narrow bed at edge of property. I’ve seen berries wedged into amazingly narrow spaces!
Justin Hahn says
when those persimmons start going off, trying drying them. they’re delicious! you can dry them without machines, so they’ll taste extra good.