Planting idea- help!

I wasn't sure which to forum to put this in but decided to put it here. Ok so as I've said before, making a permie U-pick food forest on land that is 95% flat with a slope that ends outside of my property. I've done a few swales and a few retention ponds in spots that we have water issues. My swales are pretty far apart. I could do 1-2 swales in between my current swales. However, I've been playing with the idea of leaving the large open spaces so I can eventually do a nice picnic pergola for people and a bit of a duck pond and some benches. I'd still like to utilize the space for tree planting though. All my other trees are planted in the berm on my swales. So what would you think of reducing my swale/berm plans and using the large open areas in between still for trees. I think I'm over complicating this......

I think I'll swale more. /sigh It's so hard to swale with a bucket of a personal tractor. Owell. Will work for great land!

Danielle, not sure if you have seen this video but I was thinking of your situation when I saw it.

https://permies.com/t/41046/geoff-lawton/Geoff-Lawton-Permaculture-Profit-video

It looks like relatively flat ground and has been swaled and "ponded", check it out.

Miles Flansburg wrote:Danielle, not sure if you have seen this video but I was thinking of your situation when I saw it.

https://permies.com/t/41046/geoff-lawton/Geoff-Lawton-Permaculture-Profit-video

It looks like relatively flat ground and has been swaled and "ponded", check it out.

I couldn't thank you enough for pointing me in that direction! Oddly enough I've had Mark Shepard's video on pause right at the start because I got busy. Now to watch and learn.