Seems one of our main challenges on selecting trees will be the high alkalinity of the soil (although perhaps not - as per Deborah's email with soil reports - be good to collate more info about the successes (or any failures you've had) of your existing fruit trees and raised bed too) Some trees/ fruit that are alkaline tolerant: Apricot Walnuts Blackberry - good at filling out both top and bottom of windbreaks Fig Siberian Pea - windbreak Redbuds Cornelian Cherry Hazel - doesn't need as much protection as insect-pollinated trees Hawthorns - windbreak/ good dense hedge when clipped, and leafs early Beech - native windbreak, keeps leaves through winter if hedge clipped to 2m or less Junipers Holm Oak Black Locust Elders - windbreak (but can take over a hedge if allowed to grow unchecked) Rowan - tough native windbreak Whitebeams Service Trees Yews There are also specific varieties of apple more tolerant of alkaline soils: Barnack Beauty, Barnack Beauty Sport, Barnack Orange, Charles Ross, Crawley Beauty, Gascoyne's Scarlet, Hyslop (crab), Miller's Seedling, Red Charles Ross, Red Miller's Seedling, Saint Everard (from Martin Crawford's Directory of Apple Cultivars) Both Charles Ross and Crawley Beauty also appear on Martin Crawford's list of recommended apple cultivars in Creating a Forest Garden. As noted, some of the above plants are also suitable for windbreaks or hedges (which I think we probably want more of to protect from the winds coming up the valley, and which, if we get the money that commits as to doing some planting this winter we'd probably want to plant first); Other (not listed on high-alkaline tolerant lists) edible fruiting trees/ shrubs suitable for windbreaks or thickening out bottoms of hedges include: Worcesterberry Ramanas rose Gooseberry (where only moderate winds are expected) Elaeagnus (various kinds, Autumn Olive sounds great) Damson (apparently Myrobalan (vigorous) is indeed alkaline tolerant, 6-7m high and wide) Crab apple Mulberry (marginally more wind tolerant, like Hazel, due to being wind- and not insect-pollinated) Things we can do to improve alkaline soils include: * apply masses of organic matter, especially shredded conifers, laurel and rhododendron which are all acid (do we have any of these on site? know someone local with a shredder?) but any organic matter will help * lower pH by chemical means by adding flowers of sulphur or sequestrine