PatternBaseFood Forest Design
A food forest mimics natural woodland ecosystems with edible plants at every layer, from canopy trees to root crops. These guides cover the 7-layer system, how to match plants to your climate, and how to plan a food forest that produces for decades.
Articles
The Caloric Map of Earth That Nobody Owns
Every piece of land on earth has a caloric potential: how much food it can produce per square meter per year. Nobody is measuring it. PatternBase is building the open dataset to change that.
What Is a Food Forest? (And How to Start One in Any Climate Zone)
A practical introduction to food forests: what they are, how they work, and how to design one for your specific climate. Covers temperate, subtropical, arid, and cold-climate food forests with real plant suggestions.
The 7-Layer Food Forest: Plant Lists, Design Tips, and What to Expect in Year One
A practical guide to designing a 7-layer food forest for temperate climates. Includes recommended plants for each layer, spacing guidance, and realistic first-year expectations.
Companion Planting: What Actually Works (And What's Just Folklore)
A practical guide to companion planting based on documented evidence, not garden mythology. Covers the science behind plant interactions, reliable combinations, and common myths.
How to Design a Fruit Tree Guild: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to build a productive fruit tree guild with the right companion plants for each functional role. Includes plant lists for apple, pear, cherry, and stone fruit guilds.
Why I'm Building PatternBase: A Permaculture Tool for Gardeners Who Actually Track What Works
We plant guilds based on theory, lose the details by next season, and keep guessing. PatternBase is the observation-first permaculture tool I wish existed, launching this spring.
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Plan your food forest with climate-matched plant data and visual zone mapping.
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