Orchard Planning- Growing Zone 5

Ok I am officially overwhelmed and need professional help! Not that kind of help, yea loonies… but I feel like I do need a permaculture consultant!

I’ve officially got the go ahead to clear a walking path around our hay field, with the intent of using the outer edge as planting space. My East hedge has about 420 ft, South has 300 ft, and West Hedge has 625 ft. I’m going for mostly perrenial or self-seeding, and focusing on cut flowers, tea flowers, berries, and finally fruit and nut trees.

1. Fruit Orchard

   Apple, pear, plum, cherry, apricot, peach, nectarine
   

2. Alternative Orchard

   Pawpaws, persimmons, quinces, hardy oranges, figs
   

3. Nut Orchard

   Hickory, oak, chestnut, pecan, heartnut, hazelnut
   **Walnut & butternut do not co-plant well, will keep on the back burner.
   

4. Berry Orchard

   Blueberries, gooseberries, currants, saskatoon berries, seaberry, elderberries

   **Blackberries, raspberries and strawberries will be limited to raised garden beds.
   

5. Perennial Flowers

   Lavender, lilacs, hydrangeas, lilies, peonies, roses.
   

6. Teas

   Echinacea, chamomile, calendula, borage, bee balm, feverfew
   

7. Bonus- Spring Round
   This one deserves some explanation. I’m hoping to plant spring bulbs all up and around each of these spaces to get some spring growth & colour in early. I’ve learned that buying last in the fall when it goes on discount is generally best!
   Hyacinthe, tulips, daffodils, snowdrops, crocus

First I’m splitting my ‘hedges’ into 16 ft sections, each containing 1 tree to keep them far enough apart. My west hedge is close to a ditch with water access with full sun and offers 620 linear feet, this leaves room for 38 trees total. I think this will be our line of fruit trees.

With 7 fruit tree varieties, 5 alternative varieties, I’m looking at about 12 varieties, or 24 trees when doubled up. This is perfect because I want to add in another 4 trees for apples and pears each, to space out the harvest season, leading to 32 trees total, and an extra few spaces to play with.

The south hedge adds another 300 ft, or another 7-15 trees. This I think will be our line of nut trees.

My East hedge is 420 linear feet, or 28 sections when divided into 15 foot spaces. This will be for berry bushes & more tea flowers.

Last but certainly not least, as another extra bonus, I would love to be able to plant a row of roses along the southern edge of the field… just because.

I’ll admit, this whole process is a way bigger project than I was planning on getting into for my second year of gardening, but I am SO excited to keep growing!
-Anna R.