B-12 by Sustainable Suburban Design Competitions

Keene Sustainable Suburban Design Competition Entry # B-12

Index of Sheets Project Introduction 1 Zoning, Access, and Views 2 Soil & Drainage 3 Vegetation 4 Sun & Shade 5 Summary & Concept Plan 6 What and How Much to Produce? 7 Homestead Design: Closeup 8 Homestead Design: Whole Yard 9 Planting and Phasing Plan 10

Project Introduction

Page 1 Entry # B-12

The house is close to the street and very exposed, with no clear definition between private and public space.

An asphalt path runs from the back door, down a few steps, past the bulkhead which is the only access to the basement, and to the driveway, which is hidden behind the garage in the right of the photo.

Location

Who are the clients?

Keene is located in the southwestern part of New Hampshire. It is half an hour from Brattleboro, Vermont; around an hour from Concord, Manchester, and Nashua, New Hampshire; and around two hours from Boston, Massachusetts. Keene's population is around 24,000. The city is home to two colleges, Keene State University and Antioch University of New England.

Amy, John, and their teenage children Jen and Oliver love living in Keene. Amy and John work in town at Cheshire Medical Center and Keene State College and are committed to living sustainably, reducing their carbon footprint, and eating a healthy, local diet. They bicycle to work every day in the summer (in fact, they met on a cross-country bicycle trip) and love to garden. They want to host dinner parties for groups of ten to twenty people where they can share their passion for local food along with the bounty they hope to harvest.

28 Stanhope Ave

Downtown Keene

Jen and Oliver walk half a mile to the local high school. Jen likes to play volleyball with her friends and eat local fruits and vegetables. Oliver runs cross-country and reminds the rest of the family that he needs his protein! Client Goals: • • • •

Grow at least 50% of the food they will eat in an omnivorous diet. Include outdoor spaces for relaxing, entertaining, and play. Design for organic, sustainable practices. Create a pleasant aesthetic that blends reasonably well with the surrounding neighborhood. Use a whole-systems, sustainability-oriented approach to design. Design to capture on-site renewable resources and minimize the ecological impact of living on the site. Include a phasing plan in order to implement the design over time.

The project site is at 28 Stanhope Ave, which is in a residential neighborhood approximately two miles from the center of Keene. The area is reported to have been an apple orchard before development.

• •

The large back yard is covered with lawn and is open to the street and neighbors' properties. Trees along the southern fenceline (to the left) cast shade in the afternoon. Apple trees (center left of the house) currently provide some food.

The current garage is functioning as a shed rather than a garage, as it is small and it would be difficult to fit a car through the current door. A young black cherry and a Juglans, either a butternut or black walnut, are growing beside the garage.

•

Zoning, Access, and Views

Page 2 Entry # B-12 N 1 inch= 30 feet

Setbacks

18'

' 28

Utility

line

Key

Av Ut ilit yl ine s

an ho pe

Shrub black cherry Black walnut or butternut

Neighbor’s shed

ine

Maple

Clear views into property

Views into property through a fence.

ilit

Black cherry

Existing parking space

Utility line

Neighbor’s garage

Places to sit and rest

Lawn Winged Euonymus

Lilac

Apple Honeysuckle and bittersweet

Apple

lin

*note: due to some inaccuracies in the base map provided, I have redrawn the base map.

Yucca

Apple Oak

Red maple

White pines

Red maple Black cherries Lilac

Alpine strawberries under white pines Black cherries

White meadowsweet Black cherry

Views

Maple

Wooden fence

Observations • The northern property line is completely open. • A chain-link fence and a line of trees provides some visual separation on the southern property line but the yard is still visible from the neighbors'. • White pines screen the rear neighbor’s house from view and hide the rear part of the yard. • A wooden fence blocks views to and from the property on the southern corner of the yard. Implications • The clients are in view everywhere on their property. They have no privacy!

Red maples

Blackberry, honeysuckle, asters, glossy false buckthorn, ferns

Black cherry

Keene Low Density Zoning Regulations • • •

All structures except fences must be 15' from the front property line, 10' from the side property lines, and 20' from the back property line. The driveway must be at least 12’ wide and 3’ from the side property line. Two parking spaces of at least 8' by 18'are required per dwelling unit. These must be located to the rear of the front setback.

Observations: • Four parking spaces fit behind the front setback plus a 12' driveway. • The garage is not used for parking but at least one space could fit on the current footprint. • Utility lines extend from both north and south sides of the house to the front property line. The neighbor’s white garage and shed are in clear view of most of the backyard.

Access & Circulation

Observations • The back steps are the only place in the yard to sit and rest. • There are no destinations, clear paths, or activity spaces to draw residents into the yard. Implications • Residents are unlikely to spend much time in the yard. • Pathways with interesting destinations and activity spaces will help make the yard a more pleasant place to spend time.

Implications: • Current driveway is more than sufficient for a household with 2-3 cars and can be narrowed at least eight feet. • Utility lines limit vegetation height in front of property.

Three rows of cars have ample room in the current driveway.

Soil & Drainage

Page 3 Entry # B-12

rippowam-saco complex

mucky peat 28 Stanhope Ave.

water

loamy sand and fine loamy sand

fine sandy loam Most of the neighborhood surrounding the clients' house is built on loamy sand or fine loamy sand.

Soil: Caesar Loamy Sand

“This soil is excessively drained, with very rapid permeability. Available water capacity is very low. This soil is poorly suited to cultivated crops, hay, and pasture. The main limitations are droughtiness and low natural fertility. Irrigation and improvements to soil fertility are needed to improve crop yields. The soil warms up and dries out early in the spring and can be cultivated and planted early” (Soil Survey of Cheshire County New Hampshire, page 77-79). A soil test should be done in order to determine specific nutrient excesses or deficiencies, although it can be assumed that the soil generally has low nutrient and organic matter levels. A test for lead and arsenic should be done, as the house may have been painted with lead paint and arsenic may have been sprayed on the apple orchard.

Design Directives • Prioritize species that are deep-rooted, drought-tolerant, thrive in sandy soils, and will fix nitrogen and accumulate soil nutrients. • Add organic matter to the soil (mulch, compost, compost tea, cover crops, and green and brown manures) in order to build soil fertility and retain moisture. Amend soil before planting begins and continue amending it afterwards. • Because water will not linger in the soil, efficient water collection, distribution and storage is crucial. Water Resources: • In an average month in the summer, approximately 2,000 gallons of water run off the house roof. • During a growing season with average rainfall, approximately 15,500 gallons of water run off the house roof. Implications: • Lack of water in the soil and low soil fertility will be limiting factors in food production, especially before soil is improved. • There are opportunities to collect water from the house roof during rain events, store it, and use it to irrigate crops. • Zones of water use should be considered when creating gardens. Plants that use the most water should be sited close to the house to minimize pumping distances and length of irrigation lines. • Food plants should not be planted close to the house if lead contamination is found to exist or should be in raised beds. • If low levels of arsenic are present, produce can still be consumed with little risk. Gardeners should rinse off produce before bringing it inside and wash with detergent and a scrub brush. Root vegetables should be peeled and the peels composted1.

Bare areas and patches of brown grass in the yard may be a result of droughty soil.

Zone Planning for Water Use

Traditional zone planning is a way of placing elements on a landscape according to how much they are used or how often they are visited. Areas that must be visited often are located closest to the house, while areas that are visited less often are located further away.

Blue: Zone 1 Elements frequently visited and requiring additional water (vegetable gardens, small livestock, greenhouse).

Green: Zone 2/3 Elements frequently visited but requiring no additional water (shed, compost, drought-tolerant vegetables/herbs).

Planning for water use is particularly important on this site because the clients aim to produce 50 percent of their own food. Many food crops require ample water and do not withstand droughts well, making a water storage and distribution system essential, particularly until the soil is improved enough to retain water itself. Water distribution will likely require pumping even if it is collected from the roof and stored aboveground. It will save energy to site elements that need the most water closest to the house. For these reasons, it makes sense to combine traditional zone planning with zone planning for water use. The diagram of zones of water use to the right is an ideal concept. In reality, site conditions mean that the design, while based on the ideal, will remain neither perfectly circular nor a perfect gradient from zone 1 to zone 4.

1: The Apple Bites Back: Claiming Old Orchards for Residential Development. Hood, Ernie. Environmental Health Perspectives, August 2006. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1551991/>

Or elements infrequently visited and requiring additional water (trees/ shrubs not drought- tolerant)

House

Brown: Zone 4 Elements infrequently visited and requiring no additional water (drought-tolerant trees and shrubs)

Vegetation

Page 4 Entry # B-12

1 inch= 30 feet

Key

Utility

line

Deciduous Tree

Coniferous Tree

Neighbor’s garage

Ut ilit yl ine s

an ho pe St Maple

Black cherry

Black walnut or butternut

Lawn Neighbor’s shed

ine

ilit

Shrub

Shrub black cherry

Lilac

Lawn composed of grasses, strawberry, dandelion, yarrow, mosses, cinquefoil, and clover.

Apple

Honeysuckle and bittersweet

Apple

lin

Winged Euonymus

Yucca

Apple Oak

Red maple

White pines

Red maple Black cherries Lilac

Alpine strawberries under white pines Black cherries

1 White meadowsweet Black cherry

Maple

Wooden fence

2 Red maples

The three apple trees are in the foreground left to center, white pines are in the background, and the leaves of a red maple or oak line the right-hand side of the photo. The yard is very open with few shrubs.

Blackberry, honeysuckle, asters, glossy false buckthorn, ferns

Existing Vegetation

USDA Hardiness Zone 5b: Average annual extreme temperature of -15 to -10° F. Observations • Most of the yard consists of lawn. • There are very few shrubs on the property. • Three apple trees and a small patch of blackberries are the only food sources for humans. • Native trees either thrive in well-drained sandy soils (white pine) or tolerate a wide range of soil types (oak, red maple, black cherry). • Low winter temperatures of -15 to -10° F will reduce the number of species that can be planted.

Black cherry

Implications • The lot provides little cover for birds and other wildlife. Black cherries and blackberries provide some food for birds. • The lot currently provides relatively little food for humans. It is likely that the old apple trees have not been pruned recently and will need a few years of pruning to produce well again. • Running a lawnmower built before 2012 for an hour produces as many volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxide emissions as eight new cars being driven for the same hour1. New regulations passed in 2012 reduce emissions by 35%, but mowing still has a negative environmental impact2.

1: People Powered Machines: Gas Mower Pollution Facts <http://www.peoplepoweredmachines.com/faq-environment.htm> 2: EPA Tightens lawn mower, motorboat rules <http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/09/05/us-epa-emissions-rules-idUSN0547157820080905>

Ferns and shrubs including blackberries, honeysuckle, and buckthorn populate one of the few unmowed patches on the property.

Sun & Shade March 20 and Sept 22 The spring and fall equinox.

May 1st and August 11 Average conditions during growing season.

Page 5 Entry # B-12 June 21st The summer solstice, longest day of the year.

1"= 100'

Key

6+ hours sunlight/day. The darker the shadow, the less sun an area receives.

Sun from May 1- August 11, or average conditions during the growing season.

Driveway

White Pines

Apples Apples White Pines Deciduous trees

White Pines

Shady Yard, Exposed House Observations • During the growing season, the house receives very little shade. • A narrow strip north of the driveway receives full sun throughout the growing season. • The area behind the house that receives more than six hours of sun a day measures around 1,600 sq. ft. on the spring and fall equinox, 3,500 sq. ft. on May 1 and August 11, and around 4,800 sq. ft. on the summer solstice. • Most of the yard is in part to full shade during most of the growing season. Implications • Shade trees should be planted immediately southwest of the house where they will provide relief from summer heat. This may be a good location for large fruit or nut trees, although they drop fruits and nuts near the house. • Sun-and-heat-loving plants could be planted in the strip to the north of the driveway. • There are few food crops that do well in part or full shade. Most fruits, nuts, and vegetables require full sun. In order for the clients to produce half of their own food, it will be necessary to remove trees.

1"= 40'

Deciduous trees

Apples White Pines

Deciduous Trees

Removing some fenceline trees creates a large sunny area but few activities can occur under the white pines unless they are limbed up.

Which trees should be removed? • Apple trees provide clients with apples and do not cast much shade. They should be kept. • Trees along southwestern fenceline provide a sense of separation from adjoining properties and cast afternoon shade. • The five white pines cast shade on a significant portion of the property year-round but screen the rear neighbor's house from view. • In order for plants to thrive or for other activities to occur underneath the white pines, they would have to be limbed up. • White pines cast shade in the winter while the other trees do not. Removing the five white pines will create a large sunny area, maximize winter and early-season sun, and retain the usable space in the afternoon shade of the southwestern fenceline trees.

Apples Deciduous Trees

Deciduous Trees

Removing all white pines creates a large sunny area. The shady area under the deciduous trees is still usable for functions that do not require sun.

Summary & Concept Plan The site's excessively-well-drained soil and shady character place the greatest limitation on the clients' ability to reach their goal of producing half of their own food. Because the soil is uniform throughout the site, available sunlight and proximity to irrigation are the most important factors in locating elements on the site.

Page 6 Entry # B-12 N 1 inch= 30 feet

Key Line

Utility

e Av ine s

an ho pe

Unobstructed views into property

Views into property through a fence or partial visual barrier. Places to sit and rest Existing parking space

Ut ilit yL

Neighbor’s shed

ine

t tili

Neighbor’s garage

Lilac Apple Maple

Apple

C fe hain nc -l e in

Lilac

Apple

Red maple Oak

Red maple Black cherries

Where should elements be located? Close to the house, more than six hours of sunlight throughout the growing season (once pines are removed) • Greenhouse (needs more than six hours of sunlight year-round, shown by the brown dotted line. Must be outside of the zoning setbacks, in black) • Outdoor relaxing areas for early and late in the season • Vegetable garden • Herb garden • Drought-intolerant fruits and nuts

Far from the house, more than six hours of sunlight throughout the growing season. • Drought-tolerant small and large fruits • Drought-tolerant small and large nuts • Beehives (late afternoon shade okay)

Close to the house, less than six hours of sun. • Summer outdoor relaxing areas • Compost • Garden storage for tools and supplies • Animals • Laundry line (some prefer full sun) • Trees to shade house in summer

Far from the house, less than six hours of sun. • Fruit and nut trees tolerant of partial shade. • Medicinals and edible understory plants tolerant of partial shade.

Black cherries

White meadowsweet Black cherry Maple Wooden fence

Red maples

Blackberry, honeysuckle, asters, glossy false buckthorn, ferns

Black cherry

Summary

Soil amendment and water collection and distribution are a priority on this site. Drought-tolerant plants should be prioritized in the planting plan, particularly for locations far from the house where watering will be difficult. There are opportunities to collect rainwater from the roof of the house and store it in a tank or cistern, either above or below ground. The property has no outdoor private spaces, which should be created in order to encourage clients to feel at home in their backyard. The back steps, which are the only place to sit outside, are exposed to the sun for most of the day in the summer. Providing shady places to relax will likely increase the amount of time the clients spend outdoors. Paths and destinations should draw clients into the rear of their yard. The house and surrounding areas receive more than six hours of sun year-round, which is optimal for growing vegetables but means that the house itself is exposed to the summer heat. To reduce the summer cooling load and increase livability, the house should be shaded in the summer. The driveway is unnecessarily wide and mostly receives more than six hours of sun a day. Its size can be reduced to make room for plants near the house. While the white pines block the rear neighbor's house from view, there is little reason to walk to them and even less reason to walk beyond them. The pines cast a significant amount of shade throughout the growing season and in the winter, limiting the area available to grow fruits, nuts, and vegetables. For these reasons, the white pines should be removed and privacy concerns dealt with in another way. The graphic above shows sun and shade patterns after the pines are removed.

What and How Much to Produce?

Page 7 Entry # B-12

Now that it's clear what's on site, how can the clients meet their goal of producing 50% of their own food? What types and quantities of food do they need and how can they get it in the middle of the winter? Setting goals for food production depends on the clients' dietary needs and patterns. According to Brandeis professor Brian Donahueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s draft New England Food Vision, the average New Englander performing moderate physical activity needs 2,300 calories a day. This number is based on New England population distribution by age, gender, and weight and is slightly more than the USDA recommendation of 2,000 calories a day. Donahue created two healthy New England diets based on USDA nutritional recommendations and tailored to the crops that New England is best able to produce. About half of the food in the dietary pattern he advocates could be supplied from New England. Donahue calculates that, on a regional scale, imported food would include tropical fruits, half of the dry beans, most grains for human consumption, vegetable oils, peanut butter and other nuts, avocados, coffee, tea, chocolate, spices, and most wine, beer, and spirits. While many of these items cannot grow in New Hampshire or would take up significant amounts of land, nuts and alcoholic beverages could be produced on a homestead.

Food Categories, Amount Consumed, and Preservation Methods:

Homegrown Year-Round Because New Hampshire has a short growing season and long winters, it is important to extend the season both early and late with a greenhouse or hoophouse and judicious use of floating row cover on sensitive crops. Protected greens planted in the fall can be picked through the middle of winter. Preserving food is crucial in order to eat homegrown. Root cellaring, freezing, canning, and drying are the most common methods of food preservation. Except the root cellar, these do not require much space outside of an adequate kitchen, a large pantry, room for a chest freezer, and the appropriate equipment.

Floating row cover protects early brassicas A chest freezer is very useful for storing from frost. food for the winter.

Donahue's recommended daily consumption for an individual eating 2,300 calories a day.

Recommended yearly consumption for a family of four. (bu= bushels)

Preservation methods

Vegetables

2.72 cups/day

3973 cups (26.7 bu)

freezing, canning, root cellar, drying

Beans and peas

.3 oz/day

584 cups (3.9 bu)

dry storage

Fruit

Grain wheat, rice, corn, oats, barley) Nuts

Dairy: Milk, cheese, butter, yogurt Eggs

Red meat: beef, lamb, pork, venison Poultry: chicken and turkey Seafood: fish, shellfish

2.0 cups/day

2920 cups (19.6 bu)

7.5 oz/day

684.4 lb

.7 oz/day (USDA recommendation) 63.9 lb 1.5 cups/day

2190 cups (137 gallons)

1.3 oz/day

118.6 lb

0.5 oz/day (about 1/4 of an egg) 2.5 oz/day

0.57 oz/day

What does it make sense to produce on an acre?

While it does make sense to produce some items on an individual homestead, some foods are better produced on a scale larger than an acre. A self-reliant community may be a better goal than a self-sufficient homestead because complete self-sufficiency is impossible on a one-acre lot and because a community can pool resources and provide essential support in tough times. Vegetables: Around 200 sq. ft. of land can provide vegetables for one person for the growing season1. Based on this number, it will likely take around 1,600 sq. ft. of growing space for a family of four to eat vegetables year-round. More or less space can be cultivated as the family discovers its needs, which depend on the vegetables they prefer to eat. Fruits: Fruits (except for citrus and tropical fruits), can be produced on-site. The amount of space required depends on the variety of fruit. Because there are three mature apple trees on site, which could produce up to 15-24 bushels of fruit if pruned, the clients' main fruit needs are variety and season-long production. Beans, Peas, and Grain: It is unlikely that the family will supply itself with these items, as they are relatively cheap, ship and store well, and do not yield much for the amount of garden space they occupy. Nuts: Nuts can be produced on-site. The best candidates for hardy nut trees with tasty nuts in zone 5b are Chinese and hybrid chestnuts, walnuts, butternuts, hickories, hazelnuts, and related hybrids. Sugar: An average hive of honeybees produces 20-30 pounds of surplus honey every year in addition to pollinating fruits and vegetables. The family will likely need to supplement this sugar source.

183 eggs or 15.2 dozen

228 lb or 42 5.5-lb broilers 52 lb

freezing, canning, drying dry storage

storage, freezing, refrigerating milk: make cheese

no long-term method freezing, drying freezing,

freezing, drying, canning

Dairy: Dairy goats and sheep, unlike milk cows, can be raised on less than an acre. Dairy sheep are an option, although their milk is much richer than that of goats or cows and is more often used to make cheese than consumed fresh. Milking breeds may be difficult to find but produce an average of 90 gallons of milk per sheep per year. Three sheep may be a minimum flock size. A quiet breed of goats is another option. Goats prefer a companion, and two goats require a minimum area of 21' by 21', including a covered shelter or barn2. Goats produce an average of around 225 gallons of milk per goat per year. With either species, some feed would have to be imported. The family could split the milk, chores, and expenses with a neighbor and receive enough milk. Eggs: More eggs can easily be produced than are required. The average hen produces 16-20 dozen eggs a year, or 192-240 eggs2. One chicken would be enough to fulfill the family's egg requirement! A small flock of three chickens would need at least a 12 sq. ft. coop and 30 sq. feet of outdoor space. Red Meat: The site is too small for cattle. Pigs are probably not socially acceptable in a suburban setting. Rabbits can be raised in a 9' by 3' space and one buck and two does can produce up to 180 pounds of meat a year, which is more than enough to meet the family's red meat needs. However, it would benefit the female rabbits to rest between raising litters of young and the clients would likely grow tired of eating a single type of red meat. To diversify, the clients could buy other local meat products or hunt deer nearby. Poultry: The clients could fulfill their poultry needs by raising 42 broiler chickens at 5.5 pounds each. This could be done in two batches, each with around 21 birds. A movable 6' by 6' by 2' pen could hold 21 birds and, if moved once a day, would require a grassy space totaling 2,772 sq. ft. Most of this space would be unused at any one time. Seafood: Seafood production is not included in this design. The nearby Ashuelot River is heavily-stocked with three types of trout and contains fifteen resident fish species. The family could take up fishing as a hobby, buy seafood regionally, or could investigate aquaculture systems for their seafood needs. Sounds good... but will it all fit in one acre? Stay tuned!

Chickens such as these meat birds can be raised in portable pens.

Raspberries are delicious and are wellsuited for droughty, sandy soils.

1: Jeavons, John. How to Grow More Vegetables, Ten Speed Press, 2006.

2: Damerow, Gail (editor), Barnyard in Your Backyard, Storey Publishing, 2002.

Homestead Design: Closeup

Page 8 Entry # B-12 N

120

1 inch= 60 feet

Key Mowed/grazed grass lnu

Meadow, mowed 1x/2x per year

Herbs and shrubs

dig o

2 in

Woodchips

Bl ue

rie

Trees

Narrowed driveway

fa lse

Existing Vegetation

New Jersey tea

Bulkhead

Rebuilt garage

Co m le po s

its

Combin ed utility li n es

Pear tree

ial s pe re nn

Greenhouse

American Persimmon

Ra Strawberry patch

t-t

ol er an t

House

Side yard

Sweetfern

ap pa e a tio rbo

ise

Shade house

5 American Persimmon

Sweetfern

Entering the Homestead Along Stanhope Ave, a strip of droughttolerant perennials and four blue false indigo plants provide low-maintenance curb appeal. The side yard is mowed for continuity with the rest of the neighborhood, to provide an area for the movable chicken coop and broiler pen to be rotated through, and to provide space for family activities and games such as volleyball. 1

Upon riding into the narrowed driveway, a hazelnut hedge screens the view of the neighbor's driveway to the left. French sorrel planted on the edge of the driveway fills the bed and provide a tangy addition to salads. To the right, partial-shade-tolerant elderberries and rhubarb form an ornamental foundation planting along the house and relocated bulkhead. Straight ahead, a rebuilt garage houses a car, tools, and a workbench. 2

Just off the path to the back door, a pear tree occupies the space where a small black cherry and butternut used to stand. The butternut was removed so the sunniest spot on the property could be used for vegetable production, as butternuts produce a substance that is toxic to many plants. 3

Next to the pear tree are two New Jersey tea plants, which fix nitrogen and can be used to make tea. The path curves up three steps and onto a new flagstone patio, which sets off the back of the renovated house. Sweet-smelling thyme sprawls between the stones and sedums spill from the low wall around the patio. The centerpiece, a stone grill, is often in use when the clients entertain. 4

On a terrace below the patio, drought-tolerant herbs and flowers such as lavender, thyme, and chamomile grow, making it easy to snip off a sprig in the middle of cooking dinner. Below the herbs and flowers is a strawberry patch, which is located close enough to the house to be irrigated if necessary. A grape arbor provides shade for the patio until two American persimmons grow large enough to shade the house and provide non-spiky, non-staining fruit in the side yard. A power line on the south side of the house has been relocated to the north in order to provide room for the persimmons. Underneath the persimmons are nitrogen-fixing sweetferns, which are tolerant of partial shade. 5

Down the steps from the patio is a screen house on a concrete pad. It is a pleasant retreat on mosquito-filled summer evenings, in rainstorms, and is a shady relief on hot summer days. 6

Raised beds with woodchipped paths are filled with imported soil that will retain water and provide nutrients to tender vegetables. Building the raised beds will take a significant amount of expense and labor but the clients won't have to spend years spreading compost, mulch, and amendments over the entire vegetable garden. Raised beds also reduce bending and lifting, which may become important as the clients age. A cistern hidden in the basement stores roof runoff for a drip irrigation system, which is pumped to water the raised beds. 7

Behind the garage, a rabbit hutch, compost pile, water spigot and greenhouse are located in a utility zone that is close to the house and regularly-traveled paths yet tucked out of the way. The greenhouse sits on one of the few locations that receives full sun year-round. It can be heated for the winter or left unheated. 8

Homestead Design: Whole Yard

Page 9 Entry # B-12 N 1 inch= 30 feet

Key Mowed/grazed grass Meadow, mowed 1x/2x per year Herbs and shrubs Woodchips

Pear tree

Trees Existing Vegetation

American Persimmon Pear tree

American Persimmon

1 Tilled garden

Chicken coop Blueberries

er ri

sp b

Meadow

as pb

Nanking cherries

er ri

Broiler pen

Goat shed and pasture

Chinese chestnut

Beehives

Chinese chestnut

Wild area

Within the Homestead

Sinuous paths lead through the garden and yard, inviting people to enjoy the whole property. These paths are woodchipped in areas where the grass is cut regularly and kept mowed in areas where the field is allowed to grow.

property. The chestnuts are sited far enough away from the house that their spiky burrs are not a problem underfoot, and they will block the rear house from view when mature. They are surrounded by nitrogen-fixing sweetfern and bayberry.

Highbush blueberries and Nanking cherries border the northern-most path. Nitrogenfixing leadplants are planted around them in order to help increase available nitrogen in the soil and increase fertility. To the north of the path is a tilled garden for large or spreading garden plants such as squash, potatoes, and corn and a large patch of raspberries and black raspberries.

Around the chestnuts is a meadow, which is mowed once or twice a year and contains rustling grasses and drought-tolerant wildflowers. These will provide food and habitat for pollinator and predatory insects, which will pollinate crops and eat pest insects. Mowing this area less frequently will reduce environmental impacts and time spent mowing.

3 Four beehives provide a home for the bees, which are necessary to pollinate most of the plants in the garden. They are placed where they will receive late afternoon shade so the bees will not have expend as much energy to cool themselves during summer afternoons. A bench in front of two Chinese chestnuts in the northeast corner of the property provides a place for the clients to sit and look over their 4

Wild areas are managed only to remove species that will become a problem elsewhere if not kept in check. This area provides cover and potential food sources for wild species. 5

A goat shed with a milking stall and a pasture lie south of the bees and Nanking cherries. This pasture can be divided in two or more sections in order to rotate the goats through, although they will still need imported hay. Other areas can also be fenced off, including the wild areas to the south. 6

A movable chicken coop for three layer birds allows the layer chickens to be moved daily to fresh grass. A movable broiler pen functions under the same principle. Both take advantage of the periodically-mowed yard to the south of the house and can be moved underneath the apple and persimmon trees to take advantage of dropped fruit in the fall. 7

By the Numbers: Estimates of Food Produced Vegetables: depends on varieties grown Fruit: 380 pounds Beans and peas: none Grains: none Nuts: 120 pounds Milk: 450 gallons Eggs: 648 (54 dozen) Red meat: up to 180 pounds Poultry: 42 broiler chickens or 231 pounds Seafood: none Honey: 100 pounds

Planting and Phasing Plan

Page 10 Entry # B-12 N 1 inch= 30 feet

Ch Ch Ch

Bs Sc Bs

Ch Rc Ce

Bs Bs Dv Cp

Ps Ce

Dv Cp

Cp Cp

Vc Vc

Vc Vc Vc Vc

Ro Ro Pt Pt

Pt Pt

Cm Cp

Cp Cm Ac

The planting plan is separated into four different phases, which may be implemented at whatever rate the client chooses. In the early phases, focus is divided between planting the trees and shrubs that will take longer to begin producing and building raised beds, which will provide vegetables quickly. As time goes on, the garden will begin to fill out and the focus will begin to shift from installation and planting to weeding and harvesting, although there will always be some annual planting in the raised beds. Only one type of animal is introduced per phase. In the first phase layer chickens are introduced, followed by meat chickens, goats, rabbits, and bees. This will allow the clients to become comfortable with each type of animal before the next needs to be taken care of.

Cp Cp

primary function: *= edible, **= nectary plant, ***= nitrogen fixer Common Name

Scientific Name

Symbol Number

Scientific Name

Symbol Number

Chinese Chestnut*

Castanea mollissima

Yarrow**

Achillea millefolium

Hybrid hazelnut*

Corylus x hybrids

Chives*

Allium schoenoprasum

American Persimmon*

Diospyros virginiana

Chamomile*

Chamaemelum nobile

Garden Strawberry*/** Nanking Cherry*/**

Fragaria x ananassa

Lavender**

Lavandula angustifolia

Prunus tomentosa

Catmint**

Nepeta cataria

Dwarf European Pear*/**

Pyrus spp

2 varieties

Oregano*

Origanum vulgare hirtum

Rhubarb*

Rheum x cultorum

Rosemary*

Rosmarinus officinalis

Black Raspberry*/**

Rubus occidentalis

Sage*

Salvia officinalis

American Red Raspberry*/** Rubus idaeus var. strigosis Ri

Sedum

Sedum spp.

French Sorrel

Rumex scutatus

Thyme*

Thymus vulgaris

Elderberry*/**

Sambucus canadensis

Highbush Blueberry*/**

Vaccinium corymbosum

Flowers for meadow (not

poisonous to livestock)

New England Aster**

Aster novae-angliae

Threadleaf coreopsis**

Coreopsis verticillata

Purple coneflower**

Echinacea purpurea

Edibles

Common Name Around Patio

Concord or Hybrid Grape*/** Vitis hybrid Nitrogen-Fixers Leadplant***

Amorpha canescens

Indian blanket**

Gaillardia pulchella

Blue false indigo***

Baptisia spp.

Sunflower*/**

Helianthus annus

New Jersey Tea***

Ceanothus americanus

Wild bergamot**

Monarda fistulosa

Sweetfern***

Comptonia peregrina

Foxglove beardtongue**

Penstemon digitalis

Northern Bayberry***

Myrica pennsylvanica

Virginia spiderwort**

Tradescantia virginiana