Next, get the big stuff in the ground -- the trees. Move on to the middle layer with shrubs and then taller herbs and plants. Finally, do the bottom layer. Same principle applies if you do two layers or 4 -- big stuff first.

For ideas, I would drive around and look at people's yards and overgrown fence lines and wooded edges. I see a lot of non-edible forest gardens in peoples' yards -- they just don't know that's what they did!

My key concern with your list of edibles is that they are almost all exclusively full sun plants. The brambles will manage in part shade as will many of the herbs. For the vegetables, perhaps you should give them a sunny eastern exposure so they can get some direct morning sun. Depending on the variety, many will appreciate a break from the hot afternoon sun.

Alternately, you may want to do one area in a layered garden and have another area with raised beds or edible landscaping that gets all that sun. Given the size of the space you have, if you have many fruit trees you will need to espalier train them. Without seeing the place, that sized area with that kind of list of desired plants seems to lend itself more to a potager garden. You might consider it if you aren't already familiar with it. You can easily incorporate layered areas in a potager garden -- in fact, you should!

Either way, starting with bare soil is a luxury and I am envious. Enjoy! The FIRST thing I would do is to cover (solarize) any parts that you don't want to be covered with weeds by the end of two weeks. Otherwise your plan to proceed slowly is going to add a lot of work digging out a layer of weed sod when you get to that part.

It's an expensive book (around $120 for both) but I got it through inter-library loan first before I got hooked and took the monetary plunge. :)

Anyway, good luck!