Noi Szefler

Thanks, Kyle!

I'm really excited about this!
Need to look for some inspirational pictures, and figure out how I want to do it (i.e. raised beds in arcs? 2 big beds forming a half circle with a path down the middle and a border around?
Then there is the choice of plants, etc.
This will be a fun project, for sure!

So, what are y'all's favorite shady-ish herbs to grow? I'm used to growing things in warm, sunny Israel LOL need some ideas!

Hi there!
Has anyone ever done a formal-styled, permie herb garden?  Are those things mutually exclusive?

My husband has always wanted a formal garden (I think he lived in Colonial Virginia in a past life or something...).
I want a wild, edible food forest.  
So I thought I'd compromise, sort of -
I'll still make my food forest in another part of the garden, but right next to the house I want to make him a small, formal-looking-ish herb garden.  (Not so much the neatly trimmed hedge border but the overall style of borders, symmetry, etc.)
And of course, as permie/sustainable as possible.

Oh, and it will have to make do with partial sun, it's getting about 4-5 hours of direct sun in the morning into 2-3pm, when the huge oaks start shading the area.

We live in zone 7a, Central Virginia, the house and yard are not new (house built in 1992), there's some azaleas by the house (a few of which I already pulled out, but would you advise leaving the other ones there for the winter? My chickens like to hide in them when they free range, so I don't mind them staying for now) and a couple of hostas but that's it.

I've started putting down a thick layer of mulch where the azaleas used to be, so that by spring the spot will have nice compost underneath (it's clay soil).
I'm also covering an adjacent area of grass with said mulch, so hopefully it will kill and grass, turn it into compost, and I'll be able to use that whole area for planting the formal garden come spring.
Do I need to do more than that to kill the grass?  I can put down cardboard if it's necessary... But I'd rather not, and this grass isn't like those shiny, thick turfs, anyway.  It's struggled in the shade of the other oaks so I'm pretty sure the thick mulch will be enough to kill it...
Your thoughts?

What else should I consider in planning this garden?  Of course, choosing shade/partial shade plants... etc...  And I am thinking of using the down spout (which comes down in the middle of this area) to help water it, either by directly flooding it, or collecting water in a barrel at the bottom of the spout.

I'm totally new to permaculture (and the state of VA) so I'm sure there's other things I'm missing...
Would appreciate any tips, input, etc.

TIA!

A couple of follow up comments/Qs, if you please.

I'm new to the area as well as the house :-)  Spent the last 11 years in Israel (where it's rare for anything to freeze!) and before that lived in NY but didn't garden much at our rental homes.

Would a screened deck (floor to ceiling scree, solid roof and floor, off the ground - 2nd story level) that is on the west side of the house provide any advantage over leaving the potted plants in the garden?  Right now they're along the eastern side of the house, where they get some direct sun for a few hours (4ish), until the trees hide it.

Should I stick the pots in a very thick layer of mulch for the winter? Would that keep the soil in the pots from freezing?  I have a huge pile of woodchips and can easily get more, so I can practically bury them in chips if I want to.
Is there anothe/better way to protect the plants in the winter?  I'm afraid I don't have much sun around here, as we have lots of tall oaks and only one area that is clear and gets direct sun (and that is where they will eventually get planted, but it's not ready yet).
Either way, I'll be sure to give them water as needed. Thanks for that tip!

You guys are the best.

I now understand the benefits of planting now vs. the spring (thank you), however, I don't have a fence yet to protect the little bushes and (not bought yet) fruit trees from deer! So far the dear deer have not ventured so close to our front door as to destroy the plants there. But I'm afraid that if I plant them without fencing them or the area they are going to be in (which is farther from the house, and in clear Deer Territory, as far as the deer are concerned) I will have nothing left of them by spring. Heck, these hungry deer will probably make them disappear in days... if not hours.

Thanks for clarifying regarding buying potted trees vs. bare root. I feel more comfortable now with both options, so I'll place that variable lower on the priority list when shopping for plants, though I still prefer bare root.
Y'all have a good evening and I will look forward to your responses tomorrow.
Noi

Thank you all very much for the welcome and replies!
I don't yet know where I want the berries to go... maybe I'll start a new thread and y'all can help me plan it  😊

I'll check out that orchard video, thanks.  

And I will see if I can make good progress on planning so that I can get these plants in the ground soon...

Thanks!

Hi!
We bought some blueberry plants in the spring, when we were still living at our rental home.  
Now we live in our own home, and I've started to change the existing yard/garden into a more sustainable, edible version.  Still in the planning stages, though I've started to put down a thick layer of wood chips, to restore/improve the soil where I intend to plant.
Eventually, the will be fruit tree guilds and vegis and flowers and such :)

To get to the point: should I wait for spring to plant the blueberries in the ground? I live in central VA, zone 7a, I believe, and our house is at the top of a small hill, surrounded by woods.
Honestly, if they can wait for spring, I'd prefer having the extra time to plan, observe, e.t.c before putting stuff in the ground.  

Also: bare root trees or potted?? I don't the trees to die in a few years because the roots grew in a circle in the pot...
There's a cool place not too far from here called Edible Landscaping that I thought I'd order from, but they only sell potted trees, I believe.  

And when do you buy and plant your trees, if you're in my area or similar weather?


Thanks in advance!  So happy I found this forum; I much appreciate this format for learning than Facebook groups  ;-)