The essentials for living your best life.
The essentials for living your best life.
Discover 14 powerful chop-and-drop plants that grow your own mulch, protect soil, suppress weeds, and build fertility right in your permaculture yard. From comfrey and clover to bananas and biomass shrubs, find the best choices for creating a healthier, more self-sustaining garden.
Living mulch can transform bare soil into a living layer that suppresses weeds, holds moisture, and supports healthier garden beds—but only when matched to the right crops and timing. Discover where it helps, where it competes, and how to manage it successfully.
Discover how to choose ground covers that do more than fill space. Find the right plants for your climate, soil, and garden goals while reducing weeds, protecting soil, supporting wildlife, and adding edible or ecological benefits.
Discover the best nitrogen-fixing plants for small permaculture gardens—from edible fava beans and goumi to low-growing clover and productive cover crops. These space-saving plants build healthier soil, support pollinators, and help your garden thrive with fewer outside inputs.
Turn one fruit tree into a thriving mini-ecosystem with the right companion plants. Learn how to design a productive, low-maintenance fruit tree guild that supports soil health, pollinators, pest control, and better harvests.
Living mulch can suppress weeds, protect soil, and attract beneficial insects—but in hot, dry weather, it may compete with vegetables for water and reduce yields. Discover the best cover crops and timing strategies for healthier soil without sacrificing your harvest.
Yes—the Three Sisters method is a classic example of companion planting, with corn, beans, and squash working together to save space, boost soil fertility, and help control weeds. With the right timing and a sunny, well-drained bed, it can be a smart, productive choice for home gardens of many sizes.