Piglets running across my Permaculture planting. They dug up three Hazlenut before weaning. I purchased a Jostaberry and a Blackberry from Jung’s to replace them.
All of my Permaculture reading this winter led me to want to play myself. I’ve always wanted a windbreak north and west of my house, but I don’t like conifers. So I designed what will hopefully grow into an edible windbreak.
In a short-bottomed Y, placed on the contour of the land, I chisel-plowed this spring, then planted the trees and shrubs I purchased from our county, Jung’s, and Chief River Nursery as they arrived. I also dug a hole and placed a kiddie pool to collect rainwater for bucket irrigation when it turns dry this summer.
Below is a Juneberry. I also planted Hazlenut, Highbush Cranberry, Jostaberry, and Blackberry bushes. The trees I planted are Apple, Plum, Peach, Apricot, and Hackberry. If this planting goes well, I have an idea to continue the bottom of the Y with the contour of the land and continue to farm each side of it.
It’s been said the best time to plant a tree is ten years ago, and the second best time is today. The planting certainly doesn’t look like much today, but I hope I’m still blogging in ten years and can show you what it looks like then.
Curiousfarmer 
Young rowdies, those piglets! What is to keep them from digging up everything you plant?! Here, in the “inner city” of Milwaukee, they’d get a slap upside the head!
I put in Hazelnuts and “Saskatoons” behind the rocks (landscaping) that mark the entry to our property this year.
I want to put in a raspberry patch in that area too but not too close to the other plantings. The raspberries in my garden area are tending to take over so I’m putting them in a wild area that they can spread out in. I’ll probably mow down lanes.
I have a lot of gooseberries in my garden area and would make a couple of variety suggestions.
Red George started producing earlier than any of the others and they are very nice size and tasty.
Poorman took two years and it is looking very nice with lots of early berries this year. I am thinking of putting Poorman in some plantings around our home. I certainly think it looks as nice as some of the other ornamentals.
Jeanne has rave reviews and I’m expecting great berries with my three Jeanne gooseberry plants.
Currants? Ben Sarek is short and shrubby but great producer of nice size black currants. Some think it is a good one for the landscape.
Have you checked out Whitman Farms website. I just love the owners honest assessments of the varieties.
Yes, I’ve often thought I wish people would put in the negative traits of a plant, as often that is our limiting factor.