I forgot to list the title of the database. It is called My Edible Landscape.
-Mark

Here is a link that might be useful: My Edible Landscape

Warning: Whining ahead:

Why are few people interested in the elements of design of edible landscapes?

There doesn't seem to be an 'edible landscaping' forum, here. Garden Web is a great forum, but I can't quite find a good 'home' on this forum. There's "edible", there's "design", and there's a regional forum that is of interest to me...but they don't 'get it' - not really.

In the design forum, they're talking about beautiful curves and wire 'sculpture' fish, but they don't talk about edible landscaping designs.

The edible forum - here - they're not talking about design.

The regional forum for my region seems to be dominated by a few 'experts' who focus on vegetables...with a few non-edible plant ideas tossed in - once in a great while - but they don't talk about design. In fact, the 'experts' there spent more time telling me what I can and can't do with plants in my region. Don't get me wrong, they're quite an experienced group...if you're interested in a traditional vegetable garden. (When you pursue their doubts and warnings about trying new things? Because it didn't work for them? No, they didn't water properly. No, they didn't amend the soil. No, they didn't fertilize properly, or adjust the pH of the soil, or mulch, or...)

Do you include actual designs? Discussions about the elements of design?

Designs like the one in the pic linked below? That's a pic of what I'm working on, now. An edible landscape with a pleasing design for the front garden.

It'll be at least another year before I'm finished with this stage of the project, but I think I have a pretty good start on it.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Sounds like you need to create a new forum called Elements of Design Applied to Edible Landscaping in my Region.

Humor...

I feel your pain. You have inspired me wbonesteel to share my journey. I usually just peruse the various forums, but I should share my ideas and design, too. I'll take some pics this weekend. I really love your design. Very aethestically pleasing. What trees/shrubs are you planning to use?

Allowing for differences in texture of leaves, fruits and structure, including seasonal color...I've included eighteen permanent plantings, with about sixty-eight trees, shrubs and bushes. At maturity, even if judiciously pruned to maintain natural shapes, it'll be dense.

Saskatoon 2 ea.
Hansens' bush cherry 2 ea.
Josta berry 2 ea.
York Elderberry 2 ea.
Huckleberry 2 ea.
Blueberry 2 ea.

The bushes and shrubs establish the corners and the entryways.

Tree beds, double planted.
Paw-paw 2 ea.
Montmorency cherry 1 ea.
Bing cherry 1 ea.
Meader persimmon 1 ea. in central walkway bed.
Tam-o-pan persimmon 1 ea. central walkway bed.
(Persimmon as 'food of the gods' - see solar cross/celtic cross in design)
Granny Smith apple 1 ea.
Red Delicious apple 1 ea.

Persimmons are to be pruned in a semi-vase shape while other fruit trees are to be pruned in a vase shape. Helps to give sculptural definition to the partitioned rooms of the modified 'step garden' and controls the mature height of the tree. There are multiple purposes for this pruning style.

Defining the sides of the garden...

In one bed, on one side of an entryway, are two varieties of black raspberry: Cumberland (6 ea.) and Triple Crown (7 ea.) with thirteen canes to planted in each bed on both sides of the garden.

Other canes include...

Blackberries, red raspberries and hybrids, such a Tay and Logan. with thirteen canes in each bed. (The number itself has multiple reasons for being included in this particular design.)

In time, current grasses will be replaced with edible ground covers, perhaps Corsican Mint, creeping thyme and creeping savory. I have yet to make a final decision on groundcovers, though.

Seven of the (bare root) trees and six of the black raspberries were planted two days ago. The rest will be planted next fall with the permanent plantings to be completed before the spring of 2013.

There are just under five hundred square feet of raised beds for veggies.

The long bed, at the northe side of the garden is three feet wide and extends for one hundred and ten feet. Seventy fet of that space will include honey berries and goji berries. Eventually, I'll place rhurbab and horseradish among the honey and goji berries.

A long bed on the south side of the property, will have two fig trees with kiwis an grapes growing along the fence.

In time, smaller herbs and plants will be intermixed withthe permanent platings where space and esthetics permit....rosemary, oregano, dill... (Richters, Horizon Herbs...)

This is a list of the major plants. There were many other design elements to consider, including - but not limited to - the maximum use of space.

More on that in another post, perhaps...

Check out Rosalind Creasy's website and book for edible landscape design ideas. You'll be amazed at what you find there.

It looks like this thread has long since died, but for anyone that comes across this belatedly (like me), I second the recommendation of Rosalind Creasy's book, Edible Landscaping, for information and ideas regarding the aesthetic "landscaping" part of edible landscaping.

And her book is full of pretty pictures that can show how beautiful edible gardens can be--I have to admit to drooling over the pictures every winter when the seed catalogs start coming in the mail.

wbonesteel: Waht some cheeze to go with your whine? LoL.

wbonesteel: You design sounds cool. Recommend you attach some pictures.

wbonesteel - What do mean by the term "Tree beds, double planted"?