Start with the season

Companion planting system chooser

Choose the right plant guild before you dig.

Compare practical vegetable, herb, and food-forest guilds by anchor crop, space, season, skill level, and job. Then open a planting recipe with the order, spacing, failure points, and plant links.

companion planting guilds tomato guild three sisters guild vegetable guilds permaculture guilds

6

planting systems

4

beginner friendly

recipe

spacing + order

Corn, beans, and squash companion planting system

Field recipe preview

Anchor crop → support plants → living mulch → harvest rhythm

Beginner raised bed

Start with fast feedback, familiar crops, and simple maintenance.

Open match

Tomato support bed

Build around tomatoes with herbs, flowers, and pest-confusing edges.

Open match

Perennial food forest

Layer tree, shrub, herb, and groundcover jobs for a longer-term system.

Open match

Find your fit

Pick by space, season, and garden job

SpringSummerCool seasonPerennial
Yellow partridge pea flowers growing in a sunny Virginia woodland edge sacrificial deer barrier
beginner Zones 5-9 7 plants one season

Deer Sacrificial Barrier Guild

A Virginia woodland-edge strategy that gives deer an attractive outer buffet of native forage, self-seeding brassicas, and soil-building cover so protected beds take less pressure.

Anchor

Partridge Pea

Layout

Best as a 15-30 foot wide strip along woodlines, fences, drive edges, or the deer-facing side of a garden

Best for

raised beds

sacrificial planting for deernatural deer deterrent plantsVirginia deer forage gardendeer barrier guild
Watercolor field illustration of corn growing with pole beans and winter squash in a Three Sisters garden
beginner Zones 3-9 3 plants one season

Three Sisters Guild

An ancient Native American companion planting system combining corn, beans, and squash for mutual benefit and maximum yield.

Anchor

Corn

Layout

Minimum 4x4 feet per mound

Best for

raised beds

three sisters guildcorn beans squash companion plantingvegetable guilds
Cluster of ripe tomatoes ripening on the vine
beginner Zones 3-10 6 plants one season

Mediterranean Tomato Guild

A classic companion planting combination that enhances flavor, repels pests, and creates a productive mini-ecosystem.

Anchor

Tomatoes

Layout

4x8 foot bed accommodates 6-8 tomato plants with companions

Best for

raised beds

tomato guildtomato companion planting guildtomato basil guild
Perennial Food Forest Guild planting system
advanced Zones 4-8 6 plants multi-year

Perennial Food Forest Guild

A diverse, self-sustaining ecosystem that mimics natural forest layers to produce food with minimal maintenance.

Anchor

Fruit Tree (Apple/Pear)

Layout

Minimum 15x15 feet for small tree guild

Best for

perennial layers

permaculture guildsfood forest guildfruit tree guild
Rows of vibrant green lettuce growing in a raised bed
beginner Zones 2-9 6 plants 30-60 days

Salad Garden Guild

A cool-season guild designed for continuous salad harvests with complementary plants that deter pests and improve flavor.

Anchor

Lettuce

Layout

4x4 foot bed provides salads for 2-4 people

Best for

quick harvests

vegetable guildssalad garden guildcool season companion planting
Herb Spiral Guild planting system
intermediate Zones 3-10 8 plants one season

Herb Spiral Guild

A permaculture design that creates multiple microclimates in a small space, perfect for growing diverse herbs with different needs.

Anchor

Rosemary

Layout

6x6 foot area including path access

Best for

small-space herbs

herb spiral guildherb companion plantingsmall garden guild

How to use the directory

Do not copy a guild blindly.

Choose a guild for your sun, space, water, and maintenance style. Each recipe page explains what to plant first, what can go wrong, and which plant guides to read before buying seed.

Personalize it

Turn a recipe into your property plan.

Gaia can translate these planting systems into a garden plan based on your yard, slope, sun, and goals.

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