pcplantdb

[Stephanie Gerson <sgerson@stanfordalumni.org>]

So I am helping some friends start somewhat of a guilded food forest in a 
community garden in San Francisco, and realizing firsthand how 
unbelievably useful hg would be for our purposes.  Some of the elements 
of the guilds-to-be are already known – as they consist of what’s already

growing on the landscape, and others must be filled in – what hg would be 
ideal for).  I have assumed the exciting task of figuring out which 
plants to add to the landscape, but before sending an email to the entire 
permaculture list (which I might do as well), I thought I’d consult my hg 
confidantes.  

Plus, I figured this would be a wonderful exercise for us hg designers.  
Wander through a user script ourselves, and learn how to design hg most 
effectively…

So here’s the story.

=>Landscape
Northwest-facing
Pretty extreme slope, with danger of erosion (friends tried mulching it 
last year, and mulch basically slid down the slope)
Strong winds from the west
Considerable fog (thus moisture)
Very sandy soil (but on-site composting and vermicompost provides healthy 
amendments)
Irrigation line crossing area (installing drip would be feasible)
Swale along irrigation line already in place

=>Plants already living here (apologies if I’m inconsistent with 
nomenclature, but this is something hg will obviously have to account for 
– as we’ve discussed)
Mullein 
Tagasaste (Australian, major nitrogen-fixer)
Blackberry (but not to the point of uncontrollable invasiveness, which 
definitely happens in this region)
Feverfew
4 kinds of Salvia (including leucantha, probably native)
evening primrose (native, getting weedy)
California poppy (native)
Lions tail (Leonotis)
Monkeyflower (native)
Arugula
Lavetera – tree mallow (native)
Cala lily 
Cottonwood?  (looks like one but I’m not sure)
Comfrey
Chives
Echium – Pride of Madeira 
Calendula officinalis (native)
Rose geranium
Some kind of Ribes (native)
Coastal strawberry (native – good for erosion)
Some kind of bunchgrass (native but thirsty)
Raspberry
Douglas iris (native)

=>trees already living here that could serve as core elements of guilds
Lemon trees (don’t know what variety)
Apple trees (don’t know what variety)
Pear trees (don’t know what variety)
Plum trees (don’t know what variety)

=>Characteristics/functions to be satisfied (additional suggestions 
welcome) – characteristics/functions are named along with potential 
contenders for satisfying them
Erosion-suppressors
Weed suppressors (i.e. bulbs, comfrey)
 Attract beneficial insects (natives)
Nitrogen-fixers, both perennials and annuals (i.e. ceanothus, native 
lupine)
Tap root, nutrient accumulator (i.e. native mallow)
Plants with mycorrhizal associations
Wildlife habitat 
Drought-tolerant
Fast-growing
Succession/life cycles in different seasons

Knowing this, are there any individual plants you would recommend, or 
more specifically, do you know of any appropriate guilds with lemon, 
apple, pear, and plum trees as their central elements?  

And knowing this (which is the kind of information hg users will enter?), 
how could we most effectively design hg?  Something to chew on…

Would Love to hear from you – any feedback, including references to 
books, websites, or other resources, would be much appreciated.

gracias
*Stephanie

p.s. The community garden program is called getup.  And hg would be super 
helpful.  So I say, get on up hg!  


+++++++++++++++
Stephanie Gerson
sgerson@stanfordalumni.org
(c) 415.871.5683


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