Roots to Resiliance: Plant For Longevity with Permaculture

October is when the fall garden begins to take shape. This class focuses on planting cool-season crops, improving soil fertility, and keeping young plants healthy as they establish.

Participants will learn the basics of hot composting, including how to balance greens and browns, manage moisture, build heat, and turn organic material into rich compost for the garden. This month connects planting with active soil-building so participants understand that successful fall gardening depends on feeding the soil.

Hands-on activities:
Participants will plant fall crops, transplant seedlings, practice succession planting, learn pest prevention strategies, build or study a hot compost pile, turn compost, and feed young garden beds.

Permaculture Principle:
Obtain a Yield — Participants learn how thoughtful planting, composting, and garden care create real harvests for people, families, and communities.

About our Permaculture Presenter:
Patrick “Shui” Guillory is a former Division I swimmer who found balance through yoga, meditation, and Qigong during his years as an elite athlete. He later became a certified yoga and Qigong instructor, studying under Taoist master Mantak Chia, and apprenticed in regenerative gardening for seven years with master gardener Terry Garner. Shui holds a Permaculture Design Certification and graduated from the Urban Harvest Permaculture Teacher Training in 2025, deepening his ability to educate and guide others in regenerative practices.

Inspired by his grandfather’s legacy as a gardener, Shui designs edible landscapes, composting systems, and food forests that help families and communities create abundant, self-sustaining gardens. His work integrates practical permaculture strategies with a spiritual connection to nature, guided by the core ethics of Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share, fostering both ecological restoration and personal connection to the land.