Project Dossier
Private Dossier · Permaculture Design

The Riverbend
Estate

Five acres woven into self-sufficient guilds of berries, fruit trees, and culinary herbs, with raised beds the kids can harvest themselves.

5.00 acresZone 7aCfa humid subtropical39.74 in / yr
~120,300 gal / yr
Estimated rainwater capturable across main house and pool-house roofs, based on ~5,400 sq ft combined catchment at 90% capture.
7 guilds
Self-seeding, pollinator-friendly, deer-excluded plant communities.
5 acres
Of naturalized, low-maintenance food production.
A note from Eden and Dane

Land that rewards you.

Eden and Dane is not your run-of-the-mill landscaping company. We look at systems and properties at every level, so we can work from the ground up to build a strong, strategic, and personalized plan of action.

This study is a look at the design we created, alongside the data and assessments that make a property both more self-reliant and more enjoyable. We believe that what is beautiful, productive, and passive brings unrivaled peace and satisfaction.

What is beautiful, productive, and passive brings peace.
Dane Hoover · Eden and Dane LLC

Site Profile

The land, at a glance.

Acreage
5.00 acres
Hardiness
Zone 7a
Climate
Cfa humid subtropical
Rainfall
39.74 in / yr
Plans and Goals

What the design achieves.

01
Design naturalized, self-sufficient guilds with an emphasis on berries and culinary herbs.
02
Keep everything accessible, pollinator-friendly, and deer-excluded.
03
Add annual raised beds for the kids, with hoops to extend the growing season.
04
Plant a willow tree by the lake and fruit trees in the basin and fence dip.
05
Incorporate a vermiculture compost setup.
06
Grow wine cap mushrooms in the mulch beds to build soil and add food.
The Guilds

Self-supporting plant communities.

Each guild is tuned to its spot on the property and its role in the whole system.

Sloped basin
Water capture on the slope
Paw PawPearPlumBerriesStrawberryWine CapsVioletClover
Mulched area by pool
Contained pollinator herbs
Bee BalmChamomileEgyptian Walking OnionsGojiLemon BalmMilkweedMuscadine Grape
Mulched area by guest house
Easy-harvest edibles
FigGlobal ArtichokeGojiDaikon RadishPerennial KaleSorrelStrawberry
Woods by basin
Shade-tolerant food
Black ChokeberryBlackberryPlumPecanCloverWine CapsSorrel
Terraces by kitchen
Kitchen snacking garden
RaspberriesBlackberriesRosemarySageLeeksGlobal ArtichokePotatoes
Dip by the fence
Sun-exposed fruit & nut
PeachPecanHazelnutServiceberryRaspberriesLovageMuscadine Grape
Willow tree
Oak willow anchor
Oak WillowPaw PawRaspberriesLeeksWine CapsWood Sorrel
Plant Palette

Species going in.

Paw Paw · guild anchorCurrants & Gooseberries · berry rowsGlobal Artichoke · perennialMuscadine Grape · trellisedWine Caps · mushroom bedsServiceberry · native tree
The Problem We Solved

Constraints turned into design decisions.

Deer treat the yard like a buffet
Guilds are deer-excluded by design, with temporary fencing to establish young plants and deer-resistant species at the edges.
The kids want to grow their own food
Accessible raised beds with season-extending hoops for peppers and cucumbers they can plant and pick themselves.
The land should feed the family, not just look good
Every guild is built to be self-sufficient and food-bearing, layering trees, berries, herbs, and soil-building mushrooms.
Growth Stages

From install to mature system.

  • 1–3 yrs
    Pioneer
    Everything is planted and begins to fill empty space while we rebuild soil health. The most intense and important stage: get the install right and the system can run on autopilot. Irrigation, mulch, and routine care go in now.
  • 2–8 yrs
    Early growth
    Plants and trees integrate into the ecosystem and near production of fruits and nuts. Maintenance matters most here, monitoring growth for the good signs and the bad.
  • 5–15 yrs
    Adolescent forest
    Everything grows into its final form, filling remaining space and beginning to reach full production.
  • 8–20+ yrs
    Mature forest
    Fully grown in, occupying all planned space. Harvesting becomes the primary function and maintenance is light.
Investment and Returns

What the design gives back.

$3,000
Planting budget for the first round of guilds and trees.
$125–$1,000
Per fruit tree, scaling with caliper from whip to 20 ft specimen.
$150+
Mushroom inoculation, base plus materials by species count.

Guild-based design front-loads the planting and lets the system compound. Once established, the guilds are largely self-sustaining, with maintenance concentrated on the fruit and nut trees near the fence.

Next step

Ready to move forward?

Schedule a 15-minute call to discuss phasing, timing, and what comes next for the property.

Book a discovery call →
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