Fenceline Edge

I know that using edges is an important principle in permaculture. A challenge I face in my 3/4 acre permaculture playground is that I've enveloped my backyard in 4-foot tall garden fencing. They angle from SE to NW, with the two sides of 160 foot sections. I'd like to create edges here. Reason number 1 is because I want to be lazy about keeping grass from growing up into the fence, and reason number 2 because, well... edges.

I'm currently looking at planting in drifts but I don't want it to extend into my neighbors' yards. Anyone have experience for zone 6a on what the best tall perennials closest to the fence, and what I might use for mid-height and ground cover? The NW side will butt up against my fruit tree guild containing 2 apple trees, a peach, pear, and cherry tree in a line about 20' in from the fence.

Thanks for any suggestions.

j

How tall do you want these perennials to be?

Rosemary would be a good choice though it is only about 4ft tall.

Rhubarb might be another good choice.

Maybe this one will get tall enough: Amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus)

3 to 5 feet, probably. not much higher than the fence. I was also thinking of climbers, too. But I don't think I want that. It's just garden fencing and might make a mess of it over time.

After reading some more Hemenway, I think I may also create a zig/zag pattern all the way around, possibly with different companions in different areas. I put the fence in straight, but I could easily bump triangles out from the fence in a simple pattern and achieve the same result.

j

Anne Miller wrote:How tall do you want these perennials to be?

Rosemary would be a good choice though it is only about 4ft tall.

Rhubarb might be another good choice.

Maybe this one will get tall enough: Amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus)

I like your zigzag idea.

I like to recommend planting different plants so that the row of perennials is not monotonous.

The outer zag could be shorter plants.

This thread might offer some more suggestions:

https://permies.com/t/215700/Edible-Evergreen-Landcsaping

maybe some maximillian sunflowers?

I've thought about sunflowers. That might be a great choice there.

j

Mick Fisch wrote:maybe some maximillian sunflowers?

We have planted elderberries all along our fences. Elders are most excellent food and medicine. And they are a very good crop to sell. You can never have too many.

I was going to mention elderberries, but unless you can find a dwarf, they will probably grow taller than 5 feet.  Maybe 12 feet is a reasonable estimate.

About the Maximilian sunflowers, they aren’t the “regular “ sunflower.  They die to the ground in winter (in my climate).  Their flowers are 1.5 to 2 inches diameter, and cover the long stems in the late fall.  You can divide the root clump for new plants.  I love them and think they might be good in some of your zig zags.

How about blackberries and raspberries?    There are thornless varieties, if you don’t like the thorns.

You might want passionflower, the species called maypops (Passiflora incarnata i think) can tolerate a real winter, though they die to the ground.  The flowers flavor water.  In a wine glass it’s spectacular.  The leaves are medicinal.  (Pain relief, relaxation, maybe break a fever.  If I were going to use some, I would look it up just to be sure.

You could espalier a few fruit trees along your fence lines.

Hops are another die to the ground each winter perennial.  Brewing, making (bitter) tea, make hops pillow for sleep enhancing.  Grow a named variety and you might be able to sell or donate.

Hollyhocks are 5-6 feet tall, they would be pretty.

Grape vines?

Witch hazel?

Vitex. about 5 feet tall.  Leaf out so late you wonder if they died!  Small blue flowers, bees love it.  Medicinal uses  ?hormone regulator?

Mulberry (pruned as a shrub). Leaves are high protein- it’s what silkworms eat- but I never have😉.  Probably want to eat when they’re young and tender, maybe just a good thing to have around in case starvation times arrive.

You could consider some of the biennials in the parsley-celery- carrot family.  Green filler the first year, then flowers and seeds the next.  The flowers are favorites of the tiny parasitic wasps… and other small insects.  I like to get these going so that they flower every year.  I use them as an understory under woody perennials.

Look into the viburnums.  Some are edible, some probably stay small enough, beautiful flowers in spring.

Im posting a photo of the Maximilian sunflower

Are you opposed to some wild roses? Some varieties climb but most that are native to me (5a in the midwest) are more shrub-ish around 3'. I have llearned that a dried rose hip is as yummy to me as a piece of chocolate used to be!

Jim Garlits wrote:I know that using edges is an important principle in permaculture. A challenge I face in my 3/4 acre permaculture playground is that I've enveloped my backyard in 4-foot tall garden fencing. They angle from SE to NW, with the two sides of 160 foot sections. I'd like to create edges here. Reason number 1 is because I want to be lazy about keeping grass from growing up into the fence, and reason number 2 because, well... edges.

I'm currently looking at planting in drifts but I don't want it to extend into my neighbors' yards. Anyone have experience for zone 6a on what the best tall perennials closest to the fence, and what I might use for mid-height and ground cover? The NW side will butt up against my fruit tree guild containing 2 apple trees, a peach, pear, and cherry tree in a line about 20' in from the fence.

Thanks for any suggestions.

j

American meadows has wild flower mixes that could solve your problems. I am planting hibiscus and tree collards along part of our fence, also currant bushes,  and I used their alternative lawn mix (had no grasses in it) in between around them, so the soil will be covered.
I like them because you can pick where you live, and they will show you a selection of native plants native to the area.
It’s a good question though. It will also depend on what type of fruit/vegetables you want to grow in the area.
We decided to plan our 1/2 acre (minus the house) in two different gardens.
My back yard had raised beds, we filled similar to what you do when you make a hugel. Here I mostly grow annuals and I am slowly moving the perennials to the front yard forest garden.
My forest garden is 33k square feet with 15 fruit trees, plus shrubs, vines etc. the last 20 berry bushes plus some herbs are going in this month and I will be finished with the planting. So, going with the principle of no bare soil, and to create insect habitats, I spread out wildflowers anywhere I can find a free spot. Before I did it though, I spread of a 6 inch layer of partly composted mulch. My hope is that it will help keep the annoying Californian grasses away and give the flowers time to get established. So far things are looking good, but I started it 7 years ago, so it should LOL.
Anyway as for suggestions for shrubs in your grow zone, elderberry, lingonberry, goose berries, lavender and currants will thrive in your zone and they are nice shrubs.

Cheryl Loomans wrote:Are you opposed to some wild roses? Some varieties climb but most that are native to me (5a in the midwest) are more shrub-ish around 3'. I have llearned that a dried rose hip is as yummy to me as a piece of chocolate used to be!

I agree, I have planted those as shrubs too. Rose hips are very high in vitamins to they are good for you too. You can make a great jam with them too.

I've got Chichiquell huckleberry seeds ready to plant, but no elderberries at present. I had some Maximillian come up in a "meadow" I planted a couple of years ago, so I may be able to save some seeds this year if a few were to show their heads. I have a black raspberry tangle on the corner of my lot that I've taken cuttings from and moved, so that's a possibility.Passionflower sounds promising! And hops would be a hit because I homebrew full mash beer occasionally.  I've got river grapevines in the back of the yard, too, that I could train. Mulberries are coming, but not in that location. Understory for my food forest.

These were some great suggestions, thanks for putting in the time and thought to answer.

j

Thekla McDaniels wrote:I was going to mention elderberries, but unless you can find a dwarf, they will probably grow taller than 5 feet.  Maybe 12 feet is a reasonable estimate.

About the Maximilian sunflowers, they aren’t the “regular “ sunflower.  They die to the ground in winter (in my climate).  Their flowers are 1.5 to 2 inches diameter, and cover the long stems in the late fall.  You can divide the root clump for new plants.  I love them and think they might be good in some of your zig zags.

How about blackberries and raspberries?    There are thornless varieties, if you don’t like the thorns.

You might want passionflower, the species called maypops (Passiflora incarnata i think) can tolerate a real winter, though they die to the ground.  The flowers flavor water.  In a wine glass it’s spectacular.  The leaves are medicinal.  (Pain relief, relaxation, maybe break a fever.  If I were going to use some, I would look it up just to be sure.

You could espalier a few fruit trees along your fence lines.

Hops are another die to the ground each winter perennial.  Brewing, making (bitter) tea, make hops pillow for sleep enhancing.  Grow a named variety and you might be able to sell or donate.

Hollyhocks are 5-6 feet tall, they would be pretty.

Grape vines?

Witch hazel?

Vitex. about 5 feet tall.  Leaf out so late you wonder if they died!  Small blue flowers, bees love it.  Medicinal uses  ?hormone regulator?

Mulberry (pruned as a shrub). Leaves are high protein- it’s what silkworms eat- but I never have😉.  Probably want to eat when they’re young and tender, maybe just a good thing to have around in case starvation times arrive.

You could consider some of the biennials in the parsley-celery- carrot family.  Green filler the first year, then flowers and seeds the next.  The flowers are favorites of the tiny parasitic wasps… and other small insects.  I like to get these going so that they flower every year.  I use them as an understory under woody perennials.

Look into the viburnums.  Some are edible, some probably stay small enough, beautiful flowers in spring.

Im posting a photo of the Maximilian sunflower

Just a few thoughts....
Although elderberry does get taller it takes cutting back well, which encourages denser flowers and could be a good source of biomass.
I'm trying to think of how to use the fence as an interface. It acts as a barrier to vision and wind....
If your fence is NW-SE then it faces SW, which may be an opportunity to push zones slightly as it will catch the evening sun in the Northern hemisphere. What plants would you like to grow that need a bit of babying? This might be an opportunity to try them there, maybe some stones to capture the heat and buffer a frost? It doesn't have to be as impressive as this - even a few stones will act as a heat reservoir.

microclimate creation

source

I love my hedge of Regent serviceberries.  They are beautiful at all times of year and they stay at 4-6 feet. They do sucker a little; you could either leave them in place or be able to multiply them by division and have many plants fairly rapidly. I also love asparagus; while they wouldn't hide the fence at all times of the year, they certainly would work for a good part of the year and provide you (and your neighbor) with delicious eats early in the season. Gooseberries and currant bushes are another possibility.  They are attractive and productive, but do require a little afternoon shade. There are many varieties of gooseberry that are nearly thornless, and as long as you wait until the fruit is ripe, they are sweet and delicious like a good grape.  There are bush cherries that are in the 4-6' range.  You could get some dwarf Gerardi Mulberries that stay relatively small. Many sites claim that they might reach 6' after ten years.  They are very tolerant of pruning.  I grow Chicago Hardy figs in the ground and I'm in zone 5.  If there is winter kill or not, they can be pruned back to the size you desire and they are very easy to propagate.

You'll also want some flowers as an attractor to pollinators and there are lots in the height range you're looking for.  Herbs like chamomile or borage that really attract pollinators, are good too.  Rhubarb is a wonderful plant that can cover some ground.  Most of what is on this list is easily divided or propagated, too.  I use strawberries as a ground cover with wonderful success.  Mint is another great ground cover if you have lots of ground to cover.  Honeyberries are in the height range you're looking at, too.  As long as it's not the entire length, some taller things will add interest.  Intersperse with some hazelnuts or elderberries, pawpaws or whatever, and it will make it more interesting to look at.  Some spring bulbs like daffodils and alliums will help deter moles and voles.  The other day I was sitting outside on the porch; it was in the 60's--crazy weather for Vermont, but I won't lie; it felt good.  The snowdrops had been up for a while, (they are my first flower--always up in February, even through snow and ice.)  but on that day, they were covered with bees.  Thousands of them!  I'm sure it was the only food for miles.  It's a good idea to plant early things for the pollinators--snowdrops, glory of the snow and crocus are usually covered early on...and they get you through the end of winter!

Nancy's post begs the question, What kind of fencing?  I was assuming it was the metal grid type with metal posts, but it could be a picket fence, stone fence or stockade...That might affect how you would place things because of light penetration, etc.

Here in Northern Michigan we have extreme deer browse pressure. We successfully planted a fence row of Hazelnuts as the base and as they grew added additional perennials for pollinators.

I’m in 6b. Depending on the soil characteristics, some of these plants (all supposedly under 5-6 ft tall) are on my list:

Golden currant
Red currant
Gooseberry
(No black currants allowed in VA, not sure about Indiana)

Creeping blueberry
Lowbush blueberry

Black huckleberry
Box huckleberry

Bearberry

Asparagus (likes to grow on roadside fence edges here in the Shenandoah Valley)

New Jersey Tea
Wild lupine
Blue wild indigo
Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens, native honeysuckle in VA, not sure about IN)
Wild bergamot
Fennel
Tickseed/coreopsis
Chicory
Anise hyssop
Culinary sage
Echinacea/purple coneflower
French tarragon
Rosemary

In reading Edible Forest Gardens and making my plant species lists, I found that a good culinary herb garden with bunches of species provides excellent pollinator/beneficial insect habitat and blooms throughout the year. Maybe a section of herb garden along the fence?

I'm in a much colder location, so don't have direct recommendations that will grow well for you, but have a couple observations from the development of the thread.

First, you tend not to find straight lines in nature so rather than triangular or sawtooth beds, I'd think a meandering curving edge would be ideal.  That would also allow you to make some portions broader if so desired - at least it would add some variability.

I'd like to think of these bed areas like shrub guilds, unless there are trees that will stay small for you (not sure if a dwarfing rootstock would keep a fruit tree small enough unless going with espalier or similar management).  Each "bulb" out from the fence could be it's own guild / region / zone planted in a particular fashion, depending on your design aesthetic (e.g. colours or textures or something else).

What is native to your region that might fit well?  Native plants are the best for wildlife support.  That said, wildlife pressure could be a negative for your food production.

What are your primary goals?  You mentioned not wanting to have to deal with grasses along the fence, but are you simply attempting to hide the visual of the fence or looking at it as additional productive area?  If the latter, then I'd work toward what grows well in your area that fits a niche that you want - such as food production (many of the berries etc. suggested), medicinal, pollinator / wildlife support, etc.  Would additional support species help in the surrounding area?  Perhaps something like sea buckthorn (aka seaberry) could work - fruit production, nitrogen fixer, and leaves can be used for teas.

Another place to look could be PFAF - Plants for a Future - you can search by growing zone as well as additional features to narrow down some ideas.

I hope this has been helpful.

I vote for plants with big leaves, that suppress weedy grasses, so another vote for Rhubarb, and I think Hostas could do it too. (and they're good edible flowers) Daylilies (more edible flowers) Are you too cold there for Artichokes?(they do have a limited life span, but they're good pioneers) Yucca do some of them American standards. Iris, incl, Spurias, (I have a Ukrainian one that's a deep brown, 4ft, tall, the Hummers like it) Thimble Berry is a good shrubbery if it's hardy for ya, and there's other big leaf Rubus that aren't nasty spiny and would really like any partial shade from a tree if there is such handy. Hydrangea would grow there, but  it's not of much use beyond floral arrangements.

Yes, I use hosta everywhere to delineate the line between lawn and garden.  They are not native, but I have enough other stuff that is!  They make a beautiful barrier because, at least here, the root gets solid and is pretty impenetrable, yet they are very easy to dig up and divide (with a hacksaw!)  I love them because they look neat and they are easy to mow next to without requiring weed whacking. Day lilies are a great idea. They would look great with some yarrow, some anise hyssop and catmint.

Rick Valley wrote:I vote for plants with big leaves, that suppress weedy grasses, so another vote for Rhubarb, and I think Hostas could do it too. (and they're good edible flowers) Daylilies (more edible flowers) Are you too cold there for Artichokes?(they do have a limited life span, but they're good pioneers) Yucca do some of them American standards. Iris, incl, Spurias, (I have a Ukrainian one that's a deep brown, 4ft, tall, the Hummers like it) Thimble Berry is a good shrubbery if it's hardy for ya, and there's other big leaf Rubus that aren't nasty spiny and would really like any partial shade from a tree if there is such handy. Hydrangea would grow there, but  it's not of much use beyond floral arrangements.

4-foot coated garden fencing held in place with t-posts.

j

Barbara Simoes wrote:Nancy's post begs the question, What kind of fencing?  I was assuming it was the metal grid type with metal posts, but it could be a picket fence, stone fence or stockade...That might affect how you would place things because of light penetration, etc.