S Deck
W Terrace
W Boulder Bed
Bed 1
Bed 2
Bed 3
Bed 4
Bed 5
Bed 6
Bed 7
Bed 8
Bed 9
Center Bed
E Boulder Bed
Special Areas and Their Special Plants
N House Yard
N House Swale
N Porch Borders
W Side House
S House (see separate post)
W Side Garage
- blueberries–they like rhododendrons, lilacs, lewisias, heath, and basil; excellent info about planting here
Triangle West of Garage (TriWeGa)
NW side Garage (top)
E side Garage (farm view)
E Porch Borders
Propane Tank
Box Elder Guild
Perennial Vegetables
We are going to try to plant some perennial vegetables this year, in order to get them going.
PV for midwest, zone 4.
Forest Farming
As we try to figure out what to plant near existing trees we find ourselves learning more about forest farming.
Permaculture Ideas
We haven’t tasted Paw Paws yet, but everything we read suggests they taste wonderful. As an added bonus, they don’t mind black walnuts.
Permaculture design with paw paw and apples.
Swales being built, plus a design on swales.
Hugulcultured swales by Midwest Permaculture.
Chickens for the orchard by Midwest Permaculture.
Idea for orchard design–set up rows by harvest date, not variety.
Northern Nut Growers Association with scion wood exchange and good source of info on varieties.
Zone 2 fruit tree guilds with lists of plants and pictures.
Northern Illinois permaculture and B & B with pictures and examples of planting companions.
Cherry tree guild for northern clime.
Permaculture Institute, Santa Fe, NM
Gardening Near Black Walnut
We have several large, beautiful black walnut trees in the area near our house that we will be planting with orchards and gardens. Although these trees are gorgeous, they are toxic to some plants, including apple trees.
More on gardening near black walnut.
Companion plants for black walnut
More companion plants
List of plants that do, and don’t, grow near black walnuts, with measurements.
A video with measurements.
Old General
Aside
Using the estimator provided by the Missouri Department of Conservation, we determined that the sycamore tree fondly known as “old general” is about 275 years old, sprouted c. 1740.
Old General, b. 1740(?)
Working Orchard Tree List
linden
- Redmond Linden, standard, obtain locally (American linden is used for honey bees)
apples (11) in order of ripening, all disease resistant
- William’s Pride, mini-dwarf, early Aug
- Pristine, (yellow), dwarf, Aug
- Greensleeves (yellow), dwarf, Sept
- Dayton, dwarf, late Sept
- 3 X Honeycrisp, one standard, two dwarf, Sept to mid Oct, good down to -40,
- 2 X Liberty, one standard, one dwarf, early Oct, highest in antioxidants
- Gold Star (yellow), dwarf, late Oct, keeper
- Arkansas Black, semi-dwarf, late Oct, keeper (STARK)
apricot (3)
- Harglow, dwarf, early July, late blooming
- Goldcot, dwarf, early July, zone 4 (STARK)
- Moorpark, dwarf, mid July, can be dried (STARK)
plum (6)
- Kuban Comet, dwarf, late-July, zone 4
- 2 X Mount Royal, semi-dwarf, mid Aug, zone 4
- Stanley, semi-dwarf, early Sept, heavy bearer
- Golden Transparent, semi-dwarf, late Sept, zone 4
- Bavay Gage (green), dwarf, Oct, zone 4
cherry (10)
- 2 X Surefire (tart), dwarf, early June, self-fertile, zone 4
- Stella, dwarf, mid-June/July, pollinates Kristin, self-fertile, zone 4
- 2 X Black Gold, dwarf, mid-June, pollinates Kristin, self-fertile, one for S garden, zone 5
- 2 X Kristin (sweet), dwarf, mid July, zone 4
- Hartland (sweet), dwarf, mid season, pollinates Kristin, zone 4
- 2 X Evan’s (tart), dwarf, Aug, zone 3
pear (5)
- Harrow Delight, semi-dwarf, early Sept, disease resistant
- Seckel, semi-dwarf, late Sept, disease resistant
- Warren, semi-dwarf, Oct, good keeper, disease resistant
- 2 X Bosc, semi-dwarf, late Oct, zone 4, good keeper, pollinates HD
paw paw (3, collection from Stark)
- Pennsylvania Golden, standard, late Sept
- Mango, standard, Oct
- Sunflower, standard, late Sept/early Oct
peach (2 Stark)
- Blushing Star (white), dwarf, mid Aug, self-pollinating, zone 4, north of house where it will be sheltered from February sun
- Contender (yellow), dwarf, late Aug, self-pollinating, zone 4
hazelnut (Arbor Day)
- Arbor Day Farm Hazelnut X 3, 15′ with 10′ spread
Helpful Info: Growing Guide for Northern Illinois Whispering Hills, northern Illinois, growing guide Growing Guide for Iowa Growing Peaches in Northern Illinois; they all died in the great winter of 2013. Growing apricots Home Fruit Cultivars for Southern Wisconsin Edible Plants for the Prairies Cold hardy food forest plants, zone 3
First Snow 2015
Image
View of the east terrace at 7am today looking southeast through the kitchen window.
first snow 2015
Solar Noon
Image
At about 11:55, 12/23/14, just a couple of days after the solstice.
solar noon December 2014