PatternBaseAbout PatternBase
PatternBase is built by James, a developer and permaculture practitioner based in British Columbia, Canada.
I got into permaculture the way most people do: I wanted to grow food, and then I fell down the rabbit hole. Guilds, zones, sectors, succession. Suddenly I was thinking in whole systems, not just plants. But when I looked for tools to help me design and track all of this, nothing fit. Plant trackers were too simple. GIS software was too complex. Nothing was built for how permaculture practitioners actually think.
So I started building PatternBase, the observation-first garden design tool I wish existed. A place to document what's actually happening in your garden, design systems based on time-tested patterns, and learn from what's working in gardens like yours.
How it's built
PatternBase is an independent, self-funded project. No venture capital, no corporate roadmap. I build what permaculture practitioners actually need, funded by the people who use it. The free tier is real, not a teaser. The lifetime plan means lifetime. Your data is always exportable.
25% of net revenue goes to the Earth Care Fund , supporting community permaculture projects, open research, and local food resilience. Paying subscribers help decide where that money goes.
Knowledge and honesty
Permaculture sits at the intersection of traditional knowledge, ecology, and agriculture. I use research where it exists, honour practitioner experience where it doesn't, and try to be honest about which is which. If something in PatternBase is based on evidence, I'll say so. If it's based on gardener wisdom, I'll say that too. Read more about how I handle knowledge.
Get in touch
I genuinely want to hear what would make PatternBase useful for your garden. Whether it's a feature request, a bug report, or just to say hello: