🌱 Permaculture Assistant Blog

Permaculture looks simple in books. In real life, it’s uneven soil, surprise pests, shifting weather, and a lot of “okay… that didn’t work the way I expected.” This blog is where all of that gets unpacked.

The Permaculture Assistant Blog brings together field-tested ideas on composting, water management, companion planting, tools, and resilient garden design. It’s a running log of what actually works in backyard food forests, small homesteads, and everyday gardens—not just what sounds good in theory. 

Whether you’re just starting to move beyond conventional gardening or you’re deep into regenerative design, this is the place to dig into detailed, no-nonsense guidance.

🌱 Soil & Compost That Actually Works

You’ll find articles that break down:

• How to build and maintain hot compost piles
  
  

• Why temperature matters and how to use heavy-duty compost thermometers for reliable readings
  
  

• Ways to keep microbes active so your compost finishes faster and produces richer, darker humus
  
  

Instead of generic “add compost” advice, the blog walks through how to read your pile and adjust moisture, ingredients, and aeration so it does what it’s supposed to do.

💧 Water, Swales, and Resilient Drainage

Water is one of the biggest leverage points in permaculture. You’ll see posts comparing and explaining:

• Swales vs. French drains and when each one makes sense in a real garden
  
  

• How to slow, spread, and sink rainwater so your soil holds moisture instead of shedding it
  
  

• Ways to protect beds from erosion while still draining excess water during heavy storms
  
  

Other articles explore greywater systems and simple setups you can use to reuse household water safely, especially in dry climates or regions with water restrictions.

🐝 Companion Planting, Pest Control, and Plant Partnerships

Instead of reaching for a spray bottle every time something chews your leaves, the blog shows how to:

• Use companion plants to distract or repel problem insects
  
  

• Design beds where plants support each other’s growth and resilience
  
  

• Balance pests and predators so you’re not constantly fighting nature
  
  

You’ll see practical examples of plant pairings, not just lists of “good companions,” plus explanations of why certain combinations work better than others.

🌾 Climate Resilience and Extreme-Weather Planting

The posts don’t ignore reality: floods, heat waves, and unpredictable seasons are increasing. That’s why you’ll find guides on:

• Flood-resistant garden plants that tolerate wet soil and bouncing water tables
  
  

• Ways to use raised beds, hugelkultur, and contour design to protect your crops
  
  

• How to match plant choices to your microclimates instead of fighting your site
  
  

The goal is not a fragile “perfect” garden, but one that can take a punch and keep producing.

🛠️ Tools, Greenhouses, and Infrastructure

Some posts zoom in on gear and structures that make your system more efficient:

• Compost tools and thermometers that earn their keep
  
  

• Energy-aware greenhouse practices and ways to avoid turning them into money pits
  
  

• Simple infrastructure upgrades that help your garden perform better with less ongoing effort
  
  

These aren’t sales pitches; they’re evaluations rooted in real use and honest outcomes.

👥 Who This Blog Is For

This blog is meant for people who are done with shallow tips and want systems that last:

• Home gardeners who want to move beyond chemical fixes and random planting
  
  

• Homesteaders building long-term food security and soil health
  
  

• Urban growers squeezing resilience out of tiny balconies, patios, and side yards
  
  

• Curious learners who want to understand why a design works, not just copy a template
  
  

If you care more about function, resilience, and long-term payoff than one pretty photo, you’ll feel at home here.

📚 How to Get Real Value From the Blog

There’s a lot of information here. To keep it from becoming noise, use it like a training log:

1. Pick one focus for this season
   Maybe it’s compost, water, or companion planting. Start there.
   
   

2. Read a cluster of posts on that topic
   Look for recurring patterns—what practices show up again and again across different articles?
   
   

3. Apply one or two changes in your own space
   Build a swale, shift your drainage, adjust your compost recipe, or redesign one guild. Don’t rebuild everything at once.
   
   

4. Observe, adjust, and then go back for the next layer
   The blog is there to support gradual, cumulative improvement, not one giant overhaul.
   
   

🧭 How This Blog Connects With Permaculture Assistant

The blog is part of the larger Permaculture Assistant ecosystem:

• The main site helps you plan and design systems.
  
  

• The blog shows you what happens when those designs meet real soil, real weather, and real limits.
  
  

• Other tools, glossaries, and resources deepen your understanding as you go.
  
  

You can move back and forth between the blog and the tools as you test ideas on your own land.