Example shown by Goldifarms, located in a zone 9 in California, on this video from almost three years ago:
"How I designed my permaculture food forest: A step by step guide"
- Grapes climb up Acacia
- Calendulas, poppies for chop and drop
- Apricot and persimmon trees
- Ceanothus riseus for nitrogen and ground cover
- Mexican bird of paradise for chop and drop and nitrogen
- Artichoke for biomass and food
- Strawberry tree to attract pollinators and provide some shade
This is the guild they started with, but they also mention they've been experimenting with consortiums related to syntropic agriculture, which they mention as having a focus on maximizing the area you plant, so you can be harvesting a continuous yield and if your goal is to grow most of your food in a small backyard
What about their water bill? Well, they also designed it with water retention in mind:
By capturing and storing as much water as possible and building soil rich in organic matter, which can hold up to 20 times its weight in water, you ensure that moisture is available right where plants need it. With good design, water is stored within reach of plant roots, so once your trees are established, you won’t need to irrigate