PatternBaseGuild Design
Guilds are intentional groupings of plants that support each other: nitrogen fixers feeding fruit trees, ground covers suppressing weeds, pest confusers protecting the whole system. These guides walk through the science, the practice, and the specific plant combinations that actually work.
Articles
PatternBase Is Live: Design in Guilds, Learn from Your Bioregion
PatternBase is live. Visual guild designer, climate-matched community, multi-year perennial planning, and an evidence commons for regenerative growers.
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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