Fruit tree for 2ft wide raised bed

So I created a 30 ft long 18 inches tall and 2 feet wide wood raised bed for blackberries, before I came across all the permaculture ideas. I would love to add in a fruit tree(s) to this area interspersed with the blackberries. But most places suggest a 4 foot wide area for their roots. On one side of the raised bed is a rock retaining wall and on the other side is play area with a thick molded plastic border and pea gravel. I am in the suburbs, zone 7, lots of wind with a .25 acre lot. Any trees I would keep under 8 feet, probably 6-7 ft through twice a year pruning. This area is on the north side of my property with full sun.

What tree or other companion plants would you suggest for this area?

(I was thinking a dwarf or patio fruit tree? But we also have very little rain water 6-8 inches a year, but I do have access to a cheaper irrigation water to water my property and lots of wind.)

I'm slowly trying to transform my backyard from just weeds to a food forest.
Thanks!

How deep does the plastic border go and where does the moisture drain to that lands on the pea gravel?

If there's weed barrier under the pea gravel, that won't stop tree roots from growing underneath the weed barrier fabric and benefitting from the moisture.  Dwarf fruit trees do tend to have to be babied with regular watering, but I got an espalier pear  for a spot I needed it not to block light, and I buried chunks of dead tree up slope from it to help hold water. It means that even in our droughty weather, I only water it with a slow drip for 12 hours or so once every 2 to 4 weeks. I got to their gradually over 3-4 years though. Step 1 was to water it a foot past it's drip line to encourage it to stretch out its roots to reach the water. Really slow watering so the water seeped in slowly.

Dwarf trees can be pricey - so you have to decide whether you've got the money to gamble!  I bought the pear tree as a treat to me for my B-day - better investment than any dust collector! That tree has lived, but I lost the gamble on a Seaberry I bought. Not sure why it didn't make it?

Papaya? It’s dwarf in the sense it’s one of the skinner trees that exists. It entirely grows upwards instead of out.

Jeff Steez wrote:Papaya? It’s dwarf in the sense it’s one of the skinner trees that exists. It entirely grows upwards instead of out.

I don't think I can grow papaya in zone 7. But I am planning on planting paw paw, in another spot)

Lila Nield wrote:

Jeff Steez wrote:Papaya? It’s dwarf in the sense it’s one of the skinner trees that exists. It entirely grows upwards instead of out.

I don't think I can grow papaya in zone 7. But I am planning on planting paw paw, in another spot)

Sorry... I had missed your zone.

My sister (in zone 7- had a fig right up against a foundation and garage wall- she didn't have the space limitation on the other side, but I have seen figs in little urban backyards here near me (Zone 6b) and in pots. I also see grapevines here in similar settings. Not a fruit tree, but a tight space, higher level fruiting plant that could run along the fence.

I was visiting a friend in coastal northern Massachusetts and their neighbor had a fig up against the south facing front of their home. i asked what kind of fig it was and the guy said "hopeful."

I would put in a plum or two. They don't get too big and they're pretty drought tolerant.

Lila Nield wrote: Yes there is weed cloth below the gravel. Our yard has a slope south to north. So it would drain towards the blackberries, in general.

So if it were me, I'd actually intentionally drip irrigate through the gravel so the water would soak through the weed cloth and the roots of the fruit tree could happily live under there. Putting some punky wood in the bed part and inoculating with some microorganisms (via worms if you don't have easy access) should give the tree a good place to start from. Watering well away from the trunk slowly where you'd like the roots to go has worked for me in several spots.

And wrote:

Yes it probably would be a gamble. I just have a small yard and would love to pack in the fruit.

Mother Nature gambles all the time. If you're willing to wait, many permies start trees by planting the seed and being patient! Personally, I'd rather receive a tree for my birthday, than many of the more conventional gifts.

Story time: I lived in Ottawa, Ontario when my kids were small. At that time, the law said that children must wear bike helmets, but said nothing about adults. I saw Dad leading a pack of 3 kids, and he was the only one without a helmet. I called out to the children that they should buy their Dad a helmet for Father's Day. He turned and stared at me, to which I calmly said, "who will take care of your children if you have a serious head injury?" He got the point - sort of that "wow - how right you are" look. We are convinced by advertising as to what are "acceptable" gifts. I think a tree is a wonderful gift, and I'm often given seeds as gifts. However, sometimes we need to educate people to think outside the box and let them know that we are delighted with gifts from and for out gardens!