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Permaculture food forest design

Draft 2 - Deer-Proof Berries and Kitchen Herbs

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Maximum edibility and browse resistance, minimum pruning

The hardiest option. Every front-zone plant is either extremely deer resistant or protected by thorny or dense neighbours, and the edible payload is pushed into berries, currents, gooseberries and herbs rather than into tender fruit trees. Zone G becomes a perennial asparagus bed, and the backyard leans on pawpaw, plum and hazelnut with a heavier understory.

No tender species in Zones A-E without a physical barrier: thorny gooseberry and currant rows on the Zone E edge, aronia and viburnum collars elsewhere, and the fig wrapped and fenced until it is 6 ft tall.

Placement notes

Grouped by zone. Bullets describe where plants were tightened or crowded to fit the drawn area.

A Zone A

  • 'Aronia 'Nero' (black chokeberry)' closely spaced (3.6 ft instead of 5.0 ft centre-to-centre)
  • 'American Cranberrybush Viburnum' closely spaced (2.5 ft instead of 5.0 ft centre-to-centre)
  • 'Woodland Sage' closely spaced (1.1 ft instead of 1.5 ft centre-to-centre)
  • 'Stonecrop 'Autumn Joy'' closely spaced (1.1 ft instead of 1.5 ft centre-to-centre)

B Zone B

  • 'Nannyberry Viburnum' closely spaced (3.1 ft instead of 5.0 ft centre-to-centre)
  • 'Buttonbush' closely spaced (2.2 ft instead of 5.0 ft centre-to-centre)

C Zone C

  • 'American Cranberrybush Viburnum' closely spaced (2.0 ft instead of 5.0 ft centre-to-centre)
  • 2 'American Cranberrybush Viburnum' crowded - could not be spaced properly, so thin or relocate one if it is too tight
  • 'White Imperial Currant' closely spaced (2.0 ft instead of 5.0 ft centre-to-centre)
  • 1 'White Imperial Currant' crowded - could not be spaced properly, so thin or relocate one if it is too tight

D Zone D

  • 1 anchored 'Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry' position(s) sat just outside the traced zone edge - pulled back to the nearest point inside the zone
  • 'Hazelnut 'Jefferson'' closely spaced (5.0 ft instead of 12.0 ft centre-to-centre)
  • 1 'Hazelnut 'Jefferson'' crowded - could not be spaced properly, so thin or relocate one if it is too tight
  • 'American Cranberrybush Viburnum' closely spaced (4.2 ft instead of 5.0 ft centre-to-centre)
  • 'American Hazelnut (multi-stem shrub form)' closely spaced (2.2 ft instead of 5.0 ft centre-to-centre)
  • 'Woodland Sage' closely spaced (1.0 ft instead of 1.5 ft centre-to-centre)
  • 'Purple Coneflower' closely spaced (1.0 ft instead of 1.5 ft centre-to-centre)

E Zone E

  • 'Gooseberry 'Amish Red'' closely spaced (3.1 ft instead of 5.0 ft centre-to-centre)
  • 'Black Currant 'Consort'' closely spaced (2.2 ft instead of 5.0 ft centre-to-centre)
  • 'Witch Hazel' closely spaced (2.2 ft instead of 5.0 ft centre-to-centre)
  • 'American Hazelnut (multi-stem shrub form)' closely spaced (2.0 ft instead of 5.0 ft centre-to-centre)
  • 1 'American Hazelnut (multi-stem shrub form)' crowded - could not be spaced properly, so thin or relocate one if it is too tight
  • 'Plantain Lily' closely spaced (1.0 ft instead of 1.5 ft centre-to-centre)

F Zone F

  • 1 anchored 'Peach' position(s) sat just outside the traced zone edge - pulled back to the nearest point inside the zone
  • 'Apple 'Enterprise'' closely spaced (10.2 ft instead of 12.0 ft centre-to-centre)

H Zone H

  • 1 anchored 'American Hazelnut' position(s) fell outside the traced zone edge by more than 4 ft - could not be placed
  • 'American Hazelnut' closely spaced (5.0 ft instead of 12.0 ft centre-to-centre)
  • 1 'American Hazelnut' crowded - could not be spaced properly, so thin or relocate one if it is too tight
  • 'Hazelnut 'Jefferson'' closely spaced (5.0 ft instead of 12.0 ft centre-to-centre)
  • 1 'Hazelnut 'Jefferson'' crowded - could not be spaced properly, so thin or relocate one if it is too tight
  • 'Shagbark Hickory' closely spaced (5.0 ft instead of 12.0 ft centre-to-centre)
  • 2 'Shagbark Hickory' crowded - could not be spaced properly, so thin or relocate one if it is too tight

Zone by zone

A West side of the front yard, adjacent to the driveway

Brief: Street-facing ornamental fruit tree(s) backed by a deer-resistant berry shrub border.

Owner's instruction: One, maybe two, fruit trees can go here (maybe one by the street and one by the house) surrounded by deer resistant berry bushes - or have a sufficient deer resistant border to prevent / reduce browsing. The street-facing size of Zone A should be ornamental, the north side of Zone A facing the house does not need to be ornamental; possibly an Asian pear could go on the south side of Zone A in at least one of the design drafts.

Sun: Full sun unless blocked by a tree · Deer resistance priority: high · 27 plants

PlantTypeQtyNote
Callery Pear (Asian Pear)
Pyrus calleryana		 tree 2 Asian pear on the street-facing (south) side, wrapped and staked for its first three seasons. Two cultivars (the nursery lists Hosui, Shinseiki and Yoinashi) so the pair cross-pollinates.
Aronia 'Viking'
Aronia melanocarpa 'Viking'		 shrub 4 The main deer-resistant collar around the pear.
Aronia 'Nero' (black chokeberry)
Aronia melanocarpa 'Nero'		 shrub 3 Second aronia row on the house side.
American Cranberrybush Viburnum
Viburnum trilobum		 shrub 2 Thickening the outer edge with edible cranberrybush.
Blue False Indigo
Baptisia australis		 perennial 3 Nitrogen-fixing, near-impossible for deer to browse.
Woodland Sage
Salvia nemorosa		 perennial 5 Front edging row.
Stonecrop 'Autumn Joy'
Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude'		 perennial 4 Low groundcover between the shrubs.
English Lavender 'Hidcote'
Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote'		 perennial 4 Fragrant street-edge planting.

B Front yard immediately to the east side of the stairs that lead towards the house

Brief: One showpiece shrub ringed by drought-tolerant, deer-resistant ornamentals.

Owner's instruction: Ornamental section with some nice flowers and maybe one show piece of a shrub, possibly a goumi berry, carolina allspice or something else; needs to stand up to deer pressure; can have lots of ornamental, drought tolerant, deer resistant companion plants around a main bush/shrub.

Sun: Full sun unless blocked by a tree · Deer resistance priority: high · 19 plants

PlantTypeQtyNote
Carolina Allspice (Sweetshrub)
Calycanthus floridus		 shrub 1 Sweetshrub as the showpiece - one of the most deer-resistant shrubs available.
Nannyberry Viburnum
Viburnum lentago		 shrub 1 Nannyberry for fruit and autumn colour.
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis		 shrub 1 Buttonbush - a native, and a host for the swallowtail butterfly.
Creamy False Indigo (leadplant)
Baptisia alba 'Sierra Gold'		 perennial 1 Nitrogen fixer at the back.
Russian Sage
Perovskia atriplicifolia		 perennial 4 Silver drought-tolerant massing.
Yarrow
Achillea millefolium		 perennial 5 Native filler.
Rough Goldenrod
Solidago rugosa		 perennial 3 Autumn structure.
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea		 perennial 3 Pollinator bonus.

C Adjacent to the front porch, parked between the walkway to the front door and Zone A

Brief: Kitchen-adjacent berry bushes with culinary herbs and ornamentals within easy reach of the porch.

Owner's instruction: This should be ornamental and deer resistant with a berry bush or two in the middle, surrounded by ornamental companion plants and culinary herbs (since it's close to the house and easy to reach).

Sun: Full sun unless blocked by a tree · Deer resistance priority: high · 35 plants

PlantTypeQtyNote
Aronia 'Nero' (black chokeberry)
Aronia melanocarpa 'Nero'		 shrub 2 Berry shrubs in the middle of the zone, as the owner asked.
American Cranberrybush Viburnum
Viburnum trilobum		 shrub 2 Second berry shrub, extends the hedge.
White Imperial Currant
Ribes nigrum 'White Imperial'		 shrub 1 White currant for the kitchen.
Common Sage (Culinary)
Salvia officinalis		 herb 4 Culinary sage - the most deer-resistant kitchen herb.
Chives
Allium schoenoprasum		 herb 6 Chives along the path edge.
Thyme
Thymus vulgaris		 herb 4 Creeping thyme between pavers.
Oregano
Origanum vulgare		 herb 3 Oregano.
Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus (Rosmarinus officinalis)		 herb 1 Rosemary - deer resistant, but give it the sunniest corner.
Comfrey
Symphytum officinale		 herb 2 Comfrey leaf for the compost and for the fig guild.
Strawberry 'Honeoye'
Fragaria x ananassa 'Honeoye'		 groundcover 10 Strawberry carpet under the shrubs.

D Adjacent to the front of the house

Brief: Long-bloom ornamental border along the house face; one 10-12 ft feature plant between the windows and a small ornamental tree at the east end.

Owner's instruction: This should be ornamental with an extended bloom season when taken as a whole; some shrubs/bushes can be tucked behind a row(s) of deer resistant companion plants, herbs, and/or flowers. Possibly, there can be one 10-12' or so plant between the two windows (could a Chicago Hardy Fig go here?); the furthest east part of this zone could also have a small tree, maybe a serviceberry or something else not too big, but ornate.

Sun: Full sun unless blocked by a tree · Deer resistance priority: high · 39 plants

PlantTypeQtyNote
Chicago Hardy Fig
Ficus carica 'Chicago Hardy'		 tree 1 Chicago Hardy fig between the windows, as suggested - the single most protected spot on the property.
Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry
Amelanchier lamarckii 'Autumn Brilliance'		 tree 1 Serviceberry closing the zone at the east end.
American Cranberrybush Viburnum
Viburnum trilobum		 shrub 4 Continuous shrub back row.
American Hazelnut (multi-stem shrub form)
Corylus americana 'Newell'		 shrub 1 Multi-stem hazelnut as a second layer behind the border - paired with Hazelnut 'Jefferson' planted beside it, because a single hazelnut clone does not pollinate itself.
Hazelnut 'Jefferson'
Corylus avellana 'Jefferson'		 tree 1 Hazelnut 'Jefferson' (European hazelnut) - a different genotype, required to pollinate the multi-stem hazelnut clone beside it.
Woodland Sage
Salvia nemorosa		 perennial 6 Front row.
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea		 perennial 5 Mid row.
Bee Balm
Monarda didyma		 perennial 4 Beebalm for the pollinators.
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae		 perennial 4 Autumn asters.
Russian Sage
Perovskia atriplicifolia		 perennial 3 Silver late-season structure.
Hardy Geranium 'Rozanne'
Geranium macrorrhizum 'Rozanne'		 perennial 5 Edging.
Stonecrop 'Autumn Joy'
Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude'		 perennial 4 Front edge.

E Adjacent to the east side of the house

Brief: Thorny gooseberry row plus partial-shade woodland perennials and groundcovers.

Owner's instruction: Maybe a row of gooseberries (thorns) could go here; doesn't matter if it's ornamental; perhaps this is partial sun; any other plants that thrive in partial sun could be considered in this zone.

Sun: Partial sun · Deer resistance priority: high · 33 plants

PlantTypeQtyNote
Gooseberry 'Amish Red'
Ribes uva-crispa 'Amish Red'		 shrub 5 Thorny gooseberry row - the owner's suggestion, doubled.
Black Currant 'Consort'
Ribes nigrum 'Consort'		 shrub 3 Black currants for jam.
Witch Hazel
Hamamelis virginiana		 shrub 1 Witch hazel in the shade corner.
American Hazelnut (multi-stem shrub form)
Corylus americana 'Newell'		 shrub 1 Hazelnut multi-stem for nuts - planted with Hazelnut 'Jefferson' beside it so the pair cross-pollinates.
Hazelnut 'Jefferson'
Corylus avellana 'Jefferson'		 tree 1 Hazelnut 'Jefferson' (European hazelnut) - a different genotype, required to pollinate the multi-stem hazelnut clone beside it.
Plantain Lily
Hosta plantaginea		 perennial 4 Part-shade evergreen-ish foliage.
Barrenwort
Epimedium grandiflorum		 groundcover 6 Barrenwort groundcover.
Hardy Geranium 'Rozanne'
Geranium macrorrhizum 'Rozanne'		 perennial 5 Groundcover.
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis		 perennial 3 Native columbine.
Canadian Wild Ginger
Asarum caudatum		 groundcover 4 Wild ginger in the moist corner.

F North-east backyard (behind and east of the house, near the pool's east side)

Brief: 2-3 full-size fruit trees (15-25 ft) in the north-east backyard.

Owner's instruction: Plant 2-3 fruit bearing trees (15-25' height) in this spot - assume the two large backyard trees are removed.

Sun: Full sun unless blocked by a tree · Deer resistance priority: medium · 22 plants

PlantTypeQtyNote
Peach
Prunus persica		 tree 2 Two peaches for a reliable crop - different cultivars (the nursery lists Gala and Indian Free) so the pair pollinates.
Apple (Honeycrisp type)
Malus domestica		 tree 1 Apple as the third tree, planted beside Apple 'Enterprise' which pollinates it.
Apple 'Enterprise'
Malus domestica 'Enterprise'		 tree 1 Apple 'Enterprise' - the pollinizer for the main apple; two varieties are required for fruit.
Elderberry 'Adams'
Sambucus canadensis 'Adams'		 shrub 2 Elderberry thicket - 'Adams' plus 'Marge' so every bush has a different cultivar beside it.
Elderberry 'Marge'
Sambucus canadensis 'Marge'		 shrub 1 Elderberry 'Marge' - the second cultivar that makes the thicket crop.
Blackberry
Rubus occidentalis		 vine 3 Thornless blackberry on the boundary.
Comfrey
Symphytum officinale		 herb 4 Comfrey mulch block.
Strawberry 'Earliglow'
Fragaria x ananassa 'Earliglow'		 groundcover 8 Groundcover between the trees.

G Rear (north) boundary of the property

Brief: Lowest-priority rear boundary: optional asparagus bed / perennial strip, otherwise left as lawn.

Owner's instruction: Lowest priority zone; currently grass. Possibly asparagus here, otherwise can remain lawn.

Sun: Full sun unless blocked by a tree · Deer resistance priority: medium · 15 plants

PlantTypeQtyNote
Asparagus
Asparagus officinalis		 perennial 15 Perennial asparagus bed in the low-priority rear zone - the alternative the owner flagged as TBD.

Draft note: Asparagus bed: plant in spring, expect the first real harvest in year three, and leave the ferns standing over winter.

H North-west backyard (behind and west of the house, near the pool's west side)

Brief: 2-3 full-size fruit trees (15-25 ft) in the north-west backyard.

Owner's instruction: Plant 2-3 fruit bearing trees (15-25' height) in this spot - assume the two large backyard trees are removed.

Sun: Full sun unless blocked by a tree · Deer resistance priority: medium · 11 plants

PlantTypeQtyNote
Pawpaw
Asimina triloba		 tree 2 Pawpaw at the rear of the zone - two genetically different trees, since one alone will not fruit.
American Plum (Chickasaw Plum)
Prunus nigra		 tree 2 Chickasaw plum - the cheapest fruit tree in the plan. Two plants so the pair cross-pollinates.
American Hazelnut
Corylus corellata 'Newell'		 tree 1 Hazelnut - the American clone, planted with a second genotype so it sets nuts.
Hazelnut 'Jefferson'
Corylus avellana 'Jefferson'		 tree 1 Hazelnut 'Jefferson' - a different genotype, required for the hazelnut clone to crop.
Shagbark Hickory
Carya ovata		 tree 2 Shagbark hickory for nuts and future canopy - two trees, since a hickory needs a second tree for a nut crop.
Cliffbrush Locust (Rose Acacia)
Robinia hispida		 shrub 2 Nitrogen-fixing shrub for the tree guild.
Grape 'Mars' (table grape)
Vitis labrusca 'Mars'		 vine 1 Grape on the fence line.

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