Guilds for New Forest Garden

Hi All!

This year my family and I are getting serious about designing and implementing a full forest garden. We have had success with hugelkulturs and other permaculture projects, but have moved and are now ready to invest a lot of time and energy. I have been really into permaculture for the last eight years.

The site is about a 1/4 acre and mostly shady. There are sunny spots that are almost full sun, and plenty of partial sun. Zone 5b/6a in Massachusetts. I am talking with a non-profit organization that partially funds local food forests to be made publicly accessible.

I am going to make a species matrix on chart paper that includes sun and water needs. I will attach that when I finish it. It should be much easier to read than this picture... sorry about that.

I am looking for all the help in the world :) Mainly, what guilds do you guys see here? What plants should definitely be planted together?

Thank you!
Warmly,
Warren

Are you talking with BFFC non-profit by any chance?

I like the idea of planting trees say every 25ft in a grid following a 1-2-3 pattern.

1=Nitrogen Fixer
2=Common Prunus/Apple-Pear sub family fruit tree
3='Exotic/Natives/Nut' like filberts, persimmon, mulberry, chestnut

I would just plant dutch clover, onions/garlic, and mint/thyme family everywhere vs the orchard grass that a regular orchard would have.
And finally between the plants I would just randomly plant other plant families like currants/blueberry/etc. And lets not forget blackberry and raspberry they are in the rose family just like apple-pear and prunus, but they are super hardy even with lots of shade, so in a hard area don't be afraid to drop them where nothing else will thrive.

Nice, thank you for your advice! I just started talking to Help Yourself, really good people. Link here: http://commongreen.weebly.com/ I will check out Boston Food Forest Coalition too, thanks!