• Analyze a property's sun, soil, and water factors to select perennial plants that do not require re-planting each year
• Plant locally-adapted, food-producing trees and shrubs as part of green infrastructure installations
• Guide clients through long-term management options that maximize benefits and minimize cost and effort
Success can be measured through: tracking the total number and species planted over time; estimating production of food for humans (and wildlife);
tracking clients' landscaping labor and costs before/after intervention; estimating cost savings from home-grown food.
A Closer Look...
While clients will certainly have their own priorities for plant selection, NBHS has particular passion and expertise
in food-producing trees and shrubs as part of green infrastructure installations. Growing your own food optimizes freshness,
saves money, improves nutrition, fosters a sense of place, builds community, and is simply a lot of fun. Clients can choose
typical fruit trees (cherries, apples, peaches, etc.) or experiment with native edibles as part
of a truly local cuisine inspired by indigenous practices and a spirit of experimentation. Your plants will also likely feed
wildlife, which can be viewed as a co-benefit, though the animals will typically leave you ample food as well. NBHS analyzes
sun, soil, and water factors to select well-adapted perennial plants that do not require re-planting each
year (though some benefit from pruning). Carefully chosen perennials out-compete grass and once established can be "weeded"
simply by mowing
or string-trimming around them. Our experts can even help clients identify and utilize edible plants that already exist on their
property (i.e. foraging). Human and wildlife food can thereby be grown with minimal labor and in a way that integrates
seamlessly with a client's existing landscaping practices. Fruit tree success starts with genetics and planting location,
and NBHS makes sure that the right tree goes in the right place. Homeowners can take a hands-off
approach, or they can choose to improve production through more intensive management, which many may find to be a
gratifying and health-promoting hobby. There are also exciting models in which
fruit tree maintenance (e.g. pruning, harvest) builds community, generates jobs, and is at least in part financed by
the fruit harvest itself.
6,7,8
6Portland Fruit Tree Project, “Tree Care Services,” accessed April 16, 2026,
https://www.portlandfruit.org/fruittreecare
7Vancouver Fruit Tree Project, “Home,” accessed April 16, 2026, https://www.vancouverfruittree.com/
8City Fruit, “About City Fruit,” accessed April 16, 2026, https://www.cityfruit.org/who-we-are/
