Jill Emerson

Ditto on the under-counter refrigerator and cabinets above all counters.  Making the end wall where the TV is now indicated a full-height glass window or door will indeed not only make the place feel more spacious, but could facilitate future add-ons or a porch.

Make the closet doors full height.  A high deep shelf can be used for luggage, backpack, or a cooler - bulky items not used every day.  The flow of the whole space does feel nice to me.

I'd like to weigh in on the edibility issue.  After a quick review of the seemingly contradictory list of alkaloid studies, we can see that few are complete with information on roots vs. leaves, officinale vs. uplandica, fresh vs.dried vs. cooked leaves.  Some studies simply say "plant contains alkoloids", without reference to which part, and those that specifically tested the leaves tested only dried material.  I'm going to include the full article by Susun Weed, who claims not only to have had uplandica leaves laboratory tested (fresh leaves?  Dried?) with no harmful substances found, but has also eaten the cooked leaves for 20 years with no adverse effects.  Although Ms. Weed has not shared the laboratory test results with anyone, even when requested to do so, in her own herbal work she is very clear about differenciating between uses for leaves and uses for roots - the latter for external use only.  Certainly her article cannot be regarded as definite proof, but my trust in her extends to adding this pot herb to my diet.

Consideration of cooked uplandica leaves as a nutritious pot herb can only enhance the awe with which we regard this plant ally.

http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/June08/wisewoman.htm

I read somewhere that sweet potatoes can provide the most food per square foot of soil, as you can eat what is below the ground as well as what grows above.  I don't have any information on which varieties have the most edible leaves, however.  Does anyone know?

I believe leaf wilt and curl are the same thing.  The  shape of the leaf becomes distorted and puckered, it hangs skewed on the twig, and may develop red warty patches.  And  yes, it can take down a whole tree, or at the very least curtail fruiting.  

I studied Nutirent Dense Crop Production with a second or third generation organic farmer from Massachusetts (Dan Kittredge, bionutrient.org), and his whole approach is that any growing thing in the right environment, which includes sun exposure, heat, wind, water and healthy soils can overcome most pathogens without having to resort to such things as fungicides (standard treatment for wilt/curl).  Healthy soil is key here, meaning not  only having the full compliment of nutrients (at minimum 36, as opposed to the three in commercial NPK fertilizers)  but also various factors like ph and robust microbial and mycelial communities.  I've seen this in action many times, not only with the two peach trees mentioned previously, but in annuals and perennials as well. With a tree the results will become evident in next year's foliage.  Soil tests can give you hints,  but think of sowing lightly acidifying materials under peaches - peat moss, pine needles, or blood meal.  Most peach trees prefer a ph of 6.5 - 7.0.

Adding something like sea solids, which have vast numbers of  minerals, to the orchard or garden environments can not only ward off plant diseases, but also diseases in humans that very often have nutrient deficiencies at their core.  A woman here on Permies talked about having a constant yearning for snacks for years, which went away when she started drinking some kind of seaweed extract, never to return after she regularly added the extract to the water for her garden.  Making a nutrient dense garden/orchard, saving seeds to be planted in next year's rich environment, can create vibrant, healthy plants and people.

What a great forum!  I've been tending a peach orchard in upper New York State, 5b, in the foothills of the Catskills for about 5 years.  I'v e learned a lot about peaches since then.

Unfortunately, all the trees were planted years prior to my coming on the scene, and there are no records of varieties, so I can only speak in generalities.  Of the 12 trees present, two are off by themselves in their own plot, and had traditionally developed wilt.  Mountain soils tend to be alkaline, and I got an intuitive hit that the ph was outside of their range. After applying peat moss for a couple of years wilt never happened again.  Ed Hoffman said in an above post that he knew a woman with a peach planted under a fir tree that produced well, and I'm thinking the acidic soil beneath that tree may have been a factor.  

Even after getting a certificate in Nutrient Dense Crop Production, I'd thought of ph as less important that nutrients in the soil, but am coming around to being more fastidious about it the more I work with mountain soils.  Peaches are reported to find a slightly - 6.5 to 7.0 - acidic soil optimal, and those struggling with poor production might want to consider this a factor.

Where exactly in NYS are you, Gabe?  

Blueberries and huckleberries (Gaylussacia baccata) can grow fine in part sun, with huckleberries in particular naturally occurring on sloped forest land in the northeast.  I have a wonderful family memory of exploring an old wooded logging road years ago while driving Grandma back from the optometrist.  The berry bushes were so thick on both sides of the trail we were soon all out amongst them and filling any handy receptacle with fruit - hats, hoods, shirt tails, you name it.  

I've had good luck with raspberries in zone 5b - Woodstock, NY - but only in full sun.  Currents work fairly well (never heard of restrictive laws in NY) though they do tend to spread after time.  Good catch with the wintergreen, D Tucholske, they grow wild here.  There is a town in the lower peninsula of Michigan called PawPaw, so I assume their natural range is north of Ohio, although I haven't  had success with them here, but was working with bad seed, as they never germinated.  Strawberries work well between low bushes that allow part sun.

Try to remember to let us know how you do, Gabe, in years to come.  I'm always looking for new ideas that work well in sloping land in 5b.  

Congratulations on deciding to go in this direction!

The Global Ecovillage Network is a good source for information on intentional communities and their structures, and here's a link to a free copy of Eco Village at Ithaca, which describes the genesis and reality of ecovillage living:  http://library.uniteddiversity.coop/Ecovillages_and_Low_Impact_Development/EcoVillage_at_Ithaca-Pioneering_a_Sustainable_Culture.pdf

I read the above some time ago, but remember that the process of making the village work was addressed on all levels, physical/emotional/mental/spiritual, each with their own processes.

Good luck!

Anise hyssop, Agastache foeniculum, is very beloved by pollinators, and the leaves taste sweet to me, in a licorice kind of way.  Great with fruit.  It's a member of the mint family, without the conquer-the-world tendencies.

Adam:

I loved reading your post and find your vision utterly compelling.  I, too, want and need the land, plants and all life around me as balanced and supportive as possible.  This is my vision for any land, and for the Earth herself.

I'm currently based in the NE, and have settled on Woodstock, NY, and environs as the focus of my efforts.  I don't have land yet either, but work in the gardens of friends and clients.  I work consciously with the nature spirits, which enable me to design, amend, plant and nurture growing things in a way that is in keeping with the universal Spirit, and in alignment with what the land, elementals and plants themselves need. I am wanting to do this as my livelihood,  although progress in this area has been slow.  

It is possible to lay out, install and select materials for gardens and landscaping that are in total harmony with the natural energies of the site.  It's also possible to choose between potential sites to find the lot with the highest natural vibration, and to increase that vibration through conscious planning and planting.  I have the ability to do all of these things, and to help others achieve them.  I can quiz the nature spirits about all of the above and receive replies through intuition or dowsing via muscle testing.  I work in the tradition of Findhorn.

I would love to work with you, Adam, or anyone else who seeks to live and grow in the highest harmony with Nature, and to be an asset to any land we touch.  


jill.a.emerson@gmail.com

Bees do really love comfrey, so I would by all means include it. Bees love, love, love anise hyssop as well, and it's easy to grow, so add that to the mix too - the leaves are edible.

The only other comment I have on your list of possibles is the mint. It spreads very aggressively via rhizomes. Think about substituting something bees can feast on in the fall, as you have mostly summertime blossoms listed. Bees need blossoming plants to start early in spring and bloom as late as possible in fall. I would suggest goldenrod, but it can be aggressive and spread via root. I've read elsewhere that borage can seed itself and young plants will bloom into the fall, or perhaps Caryopteris x clandonensis cultivars, such as ‘Dark Knight', a spirea that has been known to blossom in late summer, with dark blue blooms. Asters are native fall bloomers. I've not known them to develop powdery mildew, but perhaps that is true of some hybrids. Look for heritage seeds.