What are permaculture guilds?

Permaculture is a design philosophy that looks to nature for inspiration. A permaculture guild is a group of plant specifically chosen for their benefits to each other. It aims to create a system that works like nature does; each plant has a role, which in turn makes the whole system healthier and more productive. 

Guild design is a highly beneficial tool to use when creating a garden space, and I use this design philosophy in all my professional garden designs in order to cultivate healthy and sustainable gardens. Guild planting offers many benefits to the garden, environment, and ecosystem, including but not limited to:

• Enhanced biodiversity and support for pollinators and wildlife
• Improved soil health and nutrient cycling
• Reduced needs for external inputs like water, fertilizers, and pest control
• Increased yields and a diverse range of products (food, beauty, medicine, etc.)
• Greater resilience and self-sufficiency in the face of environmental challenges

How to design a permaculture guild 

There are some things to consider when you are designing a guild; four key elements to understand are:

1. Niches in time
   • Knowing the seasonality of your plants; some plants will thrive during warm/cool seasons, some plants will thrive in the in-between seasons. Gardens are constantly evolving and changing, and it's important to have plants in your guild throughout all seasons.
2. Niches in space
   • Knowing how to use the horizontal and vertical spacing of your plants to create optimal growth and maximum harvest. When we think of space, we must not only consider the spaces aboveground, but also those belowground. 
3. Niches in function
   • All elements in your guild should provide at least three functions to your system. When choosing plants for your guild, make sure they are multi-faceted in order to create a multi-functional, ecologically sound system. Some functions that are good to have in any guild are:
     1. Nitrogen fixers - Enrich the soil by converting atmospheric nitrogen into a form that is accessible to other plants, essentially acting like a "living fertilizer". Some examples include: Peas, beans, clover, lupines.
     2. Dynamic accumulators - Deep-rooted plants that bring up nutrients from deeper soil layers to the surface, where they become accessible to other plants when they decompose. Some examples include: Comfrey, dandelion, chicory
     3. Pollinator attractors - Plants that attract bees, butterflies, beetles, and other pollinators, ensuring pollination for fruits and seeds. Some examples include: Lavender, borage, calendula
     4. Pest repellents - These plants emit scents or chemicals that repel harmful insects, protecting the guild from pests. Some examples include: Marigolds, garlic, basil
     5. Ground covers - Plants that cover the soil, reducing weed growth, retaining moisture, and preventing erosion. Some examples include: Clover, creeping thyme, sweet alyssum
     6. Wildlife supporters - Plants that provide food and habitat for beneficial wildlife. Some examples include: Elderberry, sunflower, berry bushes
     7. Mulchers - These plants generate a lot of biomass, which can be used as mulch to enrich the soil with organic matter. Some examples include: Comfrey, cardoon, and artichoke leaves
     8. Edible and medicinal - Plants that provide direct benefits to humans, offering food, medicine, and other useful products. Some examples include: Most vegetables and herbs, and many medicinal plants. 
4. Ecosystem diversity
   • The more diverse your garden, the more stable it becomes. Diversity in plants is a staple in a permaculture guild. Not only do diverse plants mean diverse life forms in general, such as pollinators and soil microbes in your garden, but if one plant dies, another can take its place. 

Permaculture guild examples

If you are having trouble visualizing what this design philosophy may look like in application, here are some examples of simple permaculture guilds to fuel inspiration for design:

You can really create a guild with any theme you wish for your garden, whether you want a medicinal herb guild, an edible fruit guild, a pollinator guild, or even a color-themed guild like pink or yellow. 

By using permaculture guilds to design your garden, you can make your land healthier and more productive. It turns from a place that you are constantly trying to maintain into a place that feeds yourself and the planet. Permaculture guild design mixes old Indigenous wisdom with new science, and by using this tool our gardens can turn into spaces that really feel like part of the greater ecosystem.