Western PA Permaculture Crop List

We’re now officially land owners

We’re now officially land owners so here is our Western PA permaculture crop list. This has not been presented to the township or the neighborhood so it’s subject to change but as soon as the weather breaks we plan to introduce ourselves to the neighbors and give them a copy of both this and a write up about the house and what we hope to do with it.

In addition to producing food for ourselves we look forward to sharing some of the fruits (and nuts and veggies) of our labor with our neighbors and introducing them to the idea of permaculture.

Permaculture crops we intend to grow

The following is a list of the permaculture crops we intend to grow. These all should work well in our area and on our lot in particular. We plan to use permaculture principles to provide for as much of our needs as possible.

• LR – The living roof – sedum, wild strawberries, strawberries, other drought-tolerant perennials

1. Eastern Red Cedar Guild – includes Mugo Pine, Blueberries, Evergreen Huckleberries & Japanese Plum Yew
2. Black Locust Groves – interplanted with annual nitrogen loving vegetables & rhododendron on the slopes.
3. Almond Tree Guild – chicory, dandelion, alfalfa, nasturtiums, chamomile, sage, lemon balm, bergamot, fennel, lavender, lovage, sorrel, tansy, violets, strawberries, shallots, horseradish, & clover
4. Magnolia Tree – hostas & some annual flowers
5. Serviceberry Tree – Japanese barberry, hydrangea, and coral bells
6. Gooseberry Trellis w/ basil 
7. Siberian Peashrub
8. Nannyberry (Viburnum) Shrub 
9. Bioshelter & cold-frames – mix of annuals and perennial veggies
10. Black Plum – comfry, vetch, yarrow, clover, cilantro, thyme, garlic, chives, daffodil, dill, fennel, bee balm, chamomile, sunchoke, parsnip, carrots, dandelion, burdock, strawberries, & lavender
11. Raised Beds 
12. Espaliered mixed fruit trees – comfry, vetch, yarrow, clover, cilantro, thyme, garlic, chives, daffodil, dill, fennel, bee balm, chamomile, sunchoke, parsnip, carrots, dandelion, burdock, strawberries, & lavender
13. Asian Pear Guild – comfry, clover, onion, garlic, leek, chamomile, sunchoke, borage, parsnip, carrots, fennel, dandelion, burdock, strawberries, lavender, vetch, & yarrow
14. Hardy Kiwi 
15. Fig Patch w/ rue, strawberries, & marigolds
16. Rosemary Bush
17. Wild-flower Patch – milkweed, bee-balm, joe-pye weed, yarrow, calendula, echinacea chrysanthemum, sunflowers, buckwheat, anise hyssop, flax, hummingbird sage ,cress, & lots more
18. Hazelnut Trees – coriander, dill, catnip, and garlic
19. Apple Tree Guilds – comfry, vetch, yarrow, clover, cilantro, thyme, garlic, chives, daffodil, dill, fennel, bee balm, chamomile, sunchoke parsnip, carrots, dandelion, burdock, strawberries, & lavender
20. Elderberry Trees 
21. Barberry Bush 
22. Weeping Mulberry 
23. Willow Hedge 
24. Bing Cherry – comfry, clover, onion, garlic, leek, chamomile, sunchoke, borage, parsnip, carrots, fennel, dandelion, burdock, strawberries, lavender, vetch, yarrow, horseradish, cabbage, & calendula
25. Pecan Guild – including Paw-Paw & Weeping Mulberry
26. Osage Orange Hedgerow – honeysuckle, meadowsweet, blackberry, mountain laurel, staghorn sumac,
27. Pond – Sedges, rushes, arrowhead, lesser cattail, Pickerel weed, water primroses, water iris, water lily, hornwort, Great Blue Lobelia, & duckweed
28. Pool Area Plants – hibiscus, Sabal_minor (palm), taro, Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum), blueberries, New England Aster, Purple Bergamot, Bottlebrush Grass, Indiangrass,
29. Grass, and non-pathway areas – Bottlebrush Grass, Indiangrass, switchgrass, chasmanthium (in the shade), mint, wild strawberries, Hierochloe odorata (Buffalo grass), Perennial Ryegrass, creeping red fescue, (in shade), & other turf grass
30. Driveway – permeable surface , most likely bricks, cobblestones, or lattice-worked concrete blocks filled with sandy soil mix and planted with turf grass
31. Other Misc. Plants – sweet sorghum, corn, rye, oats, winter wheat, & spelt

Animals (if permitted)

Bees hives to be placed on the south-west of the garage roof allowing them to fly up and away from the other homes in the area. Bees provide honey, wax, propolis, and fertilize the plants.

Chicken or ducks would have their coop adjacent to the house at the back of the garage and will have a mobile coop during the summer allowing them to help reduce slug populations in the garden. They’ll provide us with eggs and their shells and manure can be used in the garden.

Goats would only be added if they were allowed and we were able to buy the land to the west of the house which is currently privately owned by the folks who live to the south of our property. If we talk to them and they were willing to sell us that land we’d also likely move the pool to be west of the house (and closer) and would use the land where the pool is currently situated for grain production and a larger catchment pond. Any goats that we add would be dairy goats since we’re ovo-lacto vegetarians and goat cheese, yogurt, and milk is especially tasty.

Since we love to bake bread and other baked goods having our own non-GMO grain source would be ideal. We’re not sure if the owners of that land would want to sell it, we’ve not asked, or what they’d want for it but since the pool won’t be something we add for a few years that’s not really an issue. We currently plan to grow a limited amount of rye and winter wheat anyhow but being able to add a larger plot (around 10’x20′) is a long-term goal.

If you have any questions please send them my way and if you’d like to help us build or just help us plant stuff please let us know that too!