Worker build plan

The farm map workers follow

One acre, one map. The dotted fence marks the secure living cluster, centred between the walkways — house, farm-to-table garden beside it, and hot tub and gazebo pad — then five coconuts west, five mangoes east, the guild circles, walkways and bee flowers, with the bee hive sitting above the central nursery, separate from it. The 1.2 m main spine is a walking and wheelbarrow route only; the main water line runs separately along the house frontage and feeds the four taps. The close-up build sheet follows for each part. Print it or open it on a phone in the field.

1 acre master map
Circles and ovals
Walkway widths
Shade crops
Bee flowers
Tao Hall
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Master plan · free, one click

The full one-acre build plan as a PDF

Scaled drawings, planting schedules, materials and the order of work — hand it straight to whoever is building.

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1 · Whole farm

One acre, everything on one map

House, the farm-to-table garden right beside it and the hot tub and gazebo pad are enclosed in one dotted fence line, centred between the walkways and not overlapping them, with five coconuts west, five mangoes east, about thirty circular guild plots, the bee hive above the nursery at the centre, a 5 m × 5 m Tao Hall centred in the open grass along the bottom of the lot as a quiet area for inner sciences, rest, tea and teaching, and the walkway network. The 1.2 m main spine is a walkway only — the main water line is separate, running along the walkway in front of the garden, house and hot-tub pad with four taps spaced along it — plus bee flowers all the way round.

The layout is a working landscape and a training ground in one: garden, kitchen, craft and exchange on a single walkable acre — the path from self-cultivation to artisan to farmer to merchant made physical.

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C1–C5 coconuts (west) · M1–M5 mangoes (east)W = water point (tap and hose reel)Blue dashed line = main water lineYellow = bee flowersBrown = mulched walking paths only, no pipework · the 1.2 m spine is a walkway · wide diagonal = 3 m service roadDotted line = fenced garden / house / hot tub clusterPale green = mown grass, open walking spaceTao Hall = 5 m × 5 m quiet hall for inner sciences in the open south grassDrag to move, pinch or scroll to zoom, or open full view

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.

Zone	Size	How many	Why it sits there
Whole lot	64 m × 63 m	4,047 sqm	One acre, drawn as a rectangle with the road on the north side.
Fenced living cluster	34 m × 11 m	1	Dotted fence around the farm-to-table garden, house and hot tub/gazebo pad, centred between the walkways — the daily living and working heart of the farm, kept secure from animals.
Farm-to-table garden	10 m × 10 m	1	Left pad in the building row, right beside the house — six beds of daily kitchen vegetables.
House	10 m × 10 m	1	Middle of the farm, directly below the bee hive and nursery — the heart of the working cluster.
Hot tub & gazebo	10 m × 10 m	1	Right-hand pad in the building row, quiet in the centre of the lot.
Tao Hall	5 m × 5 m	1	Centred in the open grass along the bottom of the lot, on the same axis as the house and nursery — a quiet hall for inner sciences, rest, tea, meditation, study and small gatherings, set apart from the working cluster.
Coconut trees	8 m shade circle each	5	Evenly spaced down the west boundary, matching the mangoes on the east, so their tall shade falls off the lot.
Mango trees	8 m shade circle each	5	Evenly spaced down the east boundary, matching the coconuts on the west; 2 m clear around each trunk.
Guild circles	5 m across	about 35	Wrapped around the building row and filling the north strip between the flowering hedge and the main spine, in staggered rows about 1 m apart.
Diagonal service road	3 m wide	1	Runs from the top-left corner of the lot straight down to the house for deliveries, a cart or a tricycle.
Bee hive	5 m × 5 m	1	Centre of the lot, directly above the nursery — hive stand, water dish and dense bloom so pollinators drift across the farm.
Nursery	5 m × 5 m	1	Centre of the lot, directly below the bee hive — seedlings, compost, tools and a rinsing basin in the working cluster.
Main spine walkway	1.2 m wide	1	Walking and wheelbarrow route only — it carries no water pipe.
Main water line	runs the 34 m house frontage	1	Laid along the walkway in front of the farm-to-table garden, house and hot-tub pad, feeding the four taps — the shortest hose runs to where watering happens every day.
Water points	tap and hose reel	4	Spread evenly along the main water line in front of the garden, house and hot-tub pad.

Placement rules

Kitchen garden, house and the hot tub pad sit in one row directly below the bee hive and the nursery — seedlings, tools, kitchen, garden and pollinators in one working cluster at the heart of the farm.
The fenced cluster is centred between the 0.8 m walkways and sits clear of them, with equal grass shoulders on all four sides.
The farm-to-table garden touches the house on its left — a cook should be able to step out and pick without crossing a path.
Two guild circles sit on the left of the garden, between the building row and the west path — handy for heavy feeders that want daily attention.
The 1.2 m main spine is a walkway only — it runs in off the road and past the bee hive and nursery to the building row, and every other measurement is taken off it. No pipe is laid in it.
The main water line is separate from the spine: it runs along the walkway in front of the garden, house and hot-tub pad, with the four taps spaced evenly along it so the highest-use zones have the shortest hose runs.
A 3 m diagonal service road runs from the top-left corner of the lot to the house, so a tricycle or cart can reach the kitchen without touching a guild. Keep a 1 m grass shoulder either side of it.
The strip between the flowering hedge on the road side and the main spine is filled with guild circles rather than left as open grass.
Five coconuts down the west boundary and five mangoes down the east boundary — equal numbers on both sides, so shade falls outward off the lot instead of onto the guild circles.
Guild circles wrap around the building row in staggered lines so each one keeps its access wedge facing a path.
The bee hive sits directly above the nursery at the centre of the lot, with the buildings just below them, never more than about 25 m from any circle.
The Tao Hall, 5 m × 5 m, sits centred in the open grass along the bottom of the lot on the same axis as the house and nursery — clear of the guild rows, the big-tree shade circles and the south flower band, so it stays a quiet place for inner sciences, rest, tea and small gatherings.
Slope the spine and keep the south edge lowest so heavy rain drains off the beds.

2 · Close-up

One corner of the farm, up close

The same layout zoomed in: how the rings inside a guild circle, the access wedges, the oval plot for a narrow strip and the vegetable square actually look on the ground.

Drag to move · pinch or scroll to zoom · 100%

Guild plots are circles or ovals — squares also workW = water pointBrown = mulched walkwayPale green = mown grass, open walking spaceDrag to move, pinch or scroll to zoom, or open full view

Circle · 5 m across

The standard plot. About 19.6 sqm planted inside a 25 sqm footprint, and one string marks every ring.

Oval · 6 m × 4 m

For narrow strips, fence lines and hedge rows. Two stakes 2 m apart with one loop of string draws it.

3 · Shape & flow

Why the plots are round, and how a body moves through them

The shapes come from Japanese garden thinking: spaces tailored to human scale and to the senses, so the way you walk, reach and pause is designed as carefully as the planting.

Circles and ovals first — squares are fine too

Every worked example here is a circle or an oval. A square guild grows the same food; the round shape is chosen for how a body moves around it, not for geometry. If square beds are easier for you to lay out, build squares and soften the corners.

Curves and asymmetry, not a grid

Japanese garden design rejects rigid geometry in favour of organic curves and asymmetry. Stagger the circles, let the grass paths bend, and never line everything up in one straight run — the eye and the feet both keep flowing instead of stopping at corners.

Stepping stones (tobi-ishi)

Set three or four flat stones, 40–50 cm apart, in the access wedge of each circle. They force a slower, deliberate step, keep boots off the bed, and put your attention on the plants right in front of you.

A low water basin (tsukubai)

Put a simple basin — half a drum, a hollowed stone, a clay pot — about 50–60 cm high at the nursery and at the garden entrance. Being low, it asks you to bow slightly to rinse your hands, which quietly sets a calm working pace at the start and end of every job.

Negative space (ma)

The grass gaps are not wasted land. Empty, open ground gives the eye somewhere to rest, keeps the farm from feeling cluttered, and is where people actually stand, talk and work.

Borrowed scenery (shakkei)

Keep the long views open — the coconuts, the mangoes, the hills, the sea beyond the fence. Nothing tall goes in the middle of an open sight line, so the farm always feels bigger than its boundary.

Built to human scale

Every measurement comes off the body: 1.2 m spine so two people pass, 0.8 m paths for one person with a bucket, 2.5 m reach from rim to trunk so no bed is ever out of arm's reach, and a basin at hip height.

4 · Landscaping

From weedy land to a working guild farm

A low-machinery, human-labor sequence for a rural Philippines one-acre lot that is already covered in invasive weeds and scattered trees.

1
Protect what is already there
Week 1
- Walk the lot and flag every coconut, mango, banana, papaya or other useful tree with bright tape.
- Clear only what is confirmed unwanted; wait on borderline trees until after the first rains show vigor.
- String the property boundary and the future main spine so the team can see the working grid before any cutting.
- Set the 10 m × 10 m house, garden and hot-tub pads with stakes, keeping them clear of the 1.2 m spine.
2
Knock down the weeds
Weeks 2–3
- Cut with weed eater or scythe before the weeds flower and set seed.
- Pile the heavy biomass in a corner for hot compost; do not leave thick mats on the ground.
- Avoid deep tilling — it wakes buried weed seed and exposes the soil to monsoon rain.
- Start with the house cluster first; it becomes the staging yard for the rest of the farm.
3
Smother with grass
Week 4
- Broadcast fast-cover grass seed right after cutting — carabao grass, creeping signal or native stubbles.
- Keep the grass cut low so weeds are starved of light; the cuttings become mulch.
- Mow every 2–3 weeks through the first rainy season until the grass dominates bare soil.
- The mown grass floor becomes the future open walking space between guilds.
4
Water from the well to the living cluster
Weeks 5–6
- Run buried PVC from the well at the road side to the house frontage; trench by hand or with a narrow mattock.
- Install four taps spread along the walkway in front of the garden, house and hot-tub/gazebo pad.
- Use gravity flow where the site allows; add a small pump and tank only if the well is lower than the pads.
- Pressure-test the line and bury it before path mulch goes down.
5
Electric from the road to the house
Weeks 5–6
- Plan the load for the house, water pump, small power tools and a nursery fan.
- Run the service line from the road pole to the house/hot-tub area — buried conduit if budget allows, pole-mounted if not.
- Install a breaker panel, ground rod and an outdoor outlet near the tool corner.
- Keep the trench for water and electric separate; mark both lines with buried tape or stakes.
6
Walkways and first beds
Weeks 7–8
- Mulch the 1.2 m main spine and 0.8 m secondary paths with coconut husk, rice hull or wood chip.
- Peg the first five to ten guild circles and the 10 × 10 vegetable garden only after the paths are set.
- Sheet-mulch or raise the beds with compost on top, not dug into the ground.
- Start planting the biggest trees first, then the rings, then the flower bands last.

Tools for human labor

Weed eater or scythe
Machete and sharpening file
Wheelbarrow and spade
Garden fork and hoe
Rake and measuring tape
Stakes and string line
Mattock or digging bar for trenches
PVC pipe cutter and pipe wrench
Hammer, level and hose reel

Rules

Never clear deeply under mature trees; most feeder roots live in the top 30 cm.
Mow before weeds flower — one missed seeding can undo months of work.
Keep grass short until guild circles are ready; long grass hides pests and holds humidity.
Mulch paths the same day they are cut; bare soil turns to mud and weeds overnight.
Mark water and electric lines before digging anywhere else on the lot.
Work in small sections; do not clear more than you can mulch and plant in one week.

Philippines notes

Cut and cover before the habagat/typhoon season so grass roots hold the soil through heavy rain.
Use coconut husks and rice hulls as local mulch; they are cheap, antifungal and drain well.
Avoid burning cleared vegetation — the ash is a quick flush of nutrients but it also destroys organic matter and soil life.
If cogon grass (Imperata) is present, cut it repeatedly and shade it out with fast cover; never rototill it.
A small paid crew for the first two weeks of cutting and trenching is usually worth more than renting heavy machines.

Build set · for hired help

The buildable set for hired help

This is the buildable version of the master map. It fixes every permanent thing — boundary, paths, water, power, fence, structures — before a single plant goes in, and it gives quantities so a contractor can price the work himself. Nothing here is a suggestion: every line has a dimension, a material or a count.

The one rule

Permanent first, flexible last: water, boundary and hard surfaces, then trees, then guild rings, then annual crops.

Drawing sheets

Sheet 1

1:500 on A4

Overall setting out

Boundary 64 m × 63 m, the 1.2 m main spine walkway, 0.8 m secondary paths, the 3 m diagonal service road from the top-left corner to the house, and the grid reference used to find every guild centre.

Sheet 2

1:200 on A4

Living cluster and services

Garden 10 × 10 m, house 10 × 10 m, hot tub and gazebo pad 10 × 10 m in one row, the dotted 34 × 11 m fence line, the frontage walkway, the main water line along that frontage and the four tap positions with offsets from the house corners.

Sheet 3

1:500 on A4

Trees and small structures

Five coconut positions down the west boundary and five mango positions down the east boundary with their 8 m shade circles, plus the nursery 5 × 5 m, bee hive area 5 × 5 m and Tao Hall 5 × 5 m, each dimensioned off two boundary edges.

Sheet 4

1:50 on A4

Guild setting-out detail (typical)

One 5 m guild circle drawn in full: 2.5 m string radius, the five planting rings, the 0.6 m access wedge, the trunk clear zone, the basin and the mulch ring. This one detail is repeated for every guild on the farm — about 35 of them.

Setting out — stake it from two edges

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.

Item	Dimension	Set out from
Whole lot	64 m × 63 m (4,047 sqm)	Road boundary on the north; peg all four corners first.
Main spine walkway	1.2 m wide	Runs in off the road past the bee hive and nursery to the building row. Every other measurement is taken off this line.
Secondary paths	0.8 m wide	Set parallel and square to the spine.
Diagonal service road	3 m wide, 1 m grass shoulder each side	Top-left lot corner, straight to the house pad.
Fenced living cluster	34 m × 11 m	Centred between the 0.8 m walkways with equal grass shoulders on all four sides.
Garden pad	10 m × 10 m	Left-hand pad of the building row, touching the house.
House pad	10 m × 10 m	Centre of the building row, on the lot's centre axis.
Hot tub and gazebo pad	10 m × 10 m	Right-hand pad of the building row.
Main water line	34 m along the cluster frontage	In the frontage walkway, not in the spine.
Water taps	4 taps, evenly spread on the 34 m frontage	Set at the garden, both house corners and the hot-tub pad.
Nursery	5 m × 5 m	Lot centre, directly above the building row.
Bee hive area	5 m × 5 m	Directly above the nursery, kept separate from it.
Tao Hall	5 m × 5 m	Centred in the open grass along the bottom of the lot, on the house and nursery axis.
Coconut positions	5 trees, 8 m shade circle each	Evenly spaced down the west boundary.
Mango positions	5 trees, 8 m shade circle each	Evenly spaced down the east boundary, 2 m clear around each trunk.
Guild circles	5 m across, about 1 m between circles	Staggered rows wrapping the building row and filling the north strip; each access wedge faces a path.

Order of work — permanent things first

Phase 0
Mark and protect what stays
2 workers2 working days
- Walk the lot with the owner and tie flagging tape on every tree that stays. Every existing tree stays unless the owner says otherwise in person.
- Ring each kept tree with a 2 m no-machine circle marked on the ground.
- Photograph the lot from all four corners before any clearing starts.
Tools: Tape measure (takos) · Paint or flagging tape · Bolo (sundang)
Phase is finished when: Every kept tree is flagged and ringed, and photos are taken.
Phase 1
Weaken the weeds
3–4 workers8–10 working days, then repeat cuts every 3 weeks
- Cut all weeds and junk growth low, working in strips. Do not pull roots — repeat cutting is what starves them.
- Leave every cutting on the ground as mulch (tabon). Nothing is burned and nothing is hauled off.
- Keep the cutter head 2 m clear of any flagged tree; hand-cut inside that circle.
- Re-cut anything that reaches knee height, every three weeks, for the first three months.
Tools: Brush cutter / weed eater · Bolo (sundang) · Rake · Sharpening stone · Boots, gloves, eye and ear protection
Phase is finished when: The whole lot has been cut twice, and no weed on site is above knee height.
Phase 2
Set out boundary, paths and pads
3 workers4 working days
- Peg the four lot corners, then set the 1.2 m main spine and lock it with string.
- Set the 0.8 m secondary paths square off the spine, then the 3 m diagonal service road to the house pad.
- Peg the three 10 × 10 m pads and the 34 × 11 m fence line, centred between the walkways with equal shoulders.
- Peg the nursery, bee hive and Tao Hall squares.
- Slope the spine and keep the south edge lowest so heavy rain drains off the beds.
Tools: 50 m tape · String line (pisi) · Stakes (palpal) · Line level · Spade
Phase is finished when: All paths, pads and squares are staked and strung, and the owner has walked and approved the lines.
Phase 3
Water from the well to the cluster
2 workers plus 1 plumber5 working days
- Trench 450 mm deep from the well to the frontage walkway; the trench follows the walkway, never a guild.
- Lay the main line along the 34 m cluster frontage and stub up four tap positions.
- Set each tap on a short concrete standpipe with a splash apron and a hose reel bracket.
- Pressure-test, then backfill in layers and tamp.
Tools: Pick and spade · Pipe cutter · Pipe wrench · Teflon tape · Trowel and small mixing board
Phase is finished when: All four taps run at once without pressure loss and no joint weeps after an hour under pressure.
Phase 4
Electric service from the road to the house
1 licensed electrician plus 1 helper3 working days
- Set the service posts from the road boundary along the diagonal road line to the house pad.
- Run the service cable, then fit the meter base, main breaker and earth rod at the house.
- Bring one weatherproof outdoor outlet to the nursery for tools and lighting.
Tools: Post-hole digger · Ladder · Electrician's hand tools · Tester
Phase is finished when: The service is energised, earthed and tested, and the nursery outlet works.
Phase 5
Fence the living cluster
3 workers5 working days
- Set corner and gate posts in concrete, then line posts every 2.5 m around the 34 × 11 m line.
- Run stock wire or mesh to 1.2 m, with a taut bottom wire tight to the ground so poultry cannot slip under.
- Hang one wide gate on the walkway side and one small gate at the garden end.
Tools: Post-hole digger · Wire strainer · Staple hammer · Level
Phase is finished when: The fence line is continuous, both gates latch, and nothing can be pushed under the bottom wire.
Phase 6
Paths and hard surfaces
3 workers6 working days
- Scrape each path to its full width, edge it with split bamboo or timber, and fill with 100 mm of coarse mulch.
- Base the 3 m service road with 100 mm compacted gravel so a tricycle can use it in the wet season.
- Top up path mulch to 100 mm every six months — this is a standing job, not a one-off.
Tools: Wheelbarrow · Rake · Spade · Tamper
Phase is finished when: Every path is edged and at full mulch depth, and a loaded wheelbarrow runs the whole spine without sinking.
Phase 7
Grass the open areas
2 workers3 working days plus watering
- Rake the cut open areas lightly, then broadcast grass seed heavily — heavier than the bag says, because bare ground is what weeds come back into.
- Firm the seed in with a plank or roller and water daily for the first three weeks.
- Mow low as soon as it reaches 150 mm to thicken the sward.
Tools: Broadcast by hand · Rake · Roller or plank · Hose
Phase is finished when: Open areas are green with no bare patches bigger than a hand span.
Phase 8
Plant the big trees
3 workers4 working days
- Dig 600 × 600 × 600 mm pits at the staked coconut and mango positions.
- Backfill with the mound mix, plant, stake against wind, and mulch to 100 mm but keep mulch off the trunk.
- Build a watering basin around each tree and water in heavily.
Tools: Spade · Crowbar · Wheelbarrow · Watering cans
Phase is finished when: All ten trees are planted, staked, basined and watered, and each stands plumb.
Phase 9
Build the guild rings
4 workers20–25 working days for about 35 circles
- Peg the centre, swing the 2.5 m string and mark the circle. Cut the 0.6 m access wedge facing a path.
- Build the planting mound to the mound-mix spec, then mulch the whole circle to 100 mm.
- Plant the canopy tree first, then the four layers working outward, following the planting schedule for that guild type.
- Water in, then check every circle daily for the first two weeks.
Tools: 2.5 m string and centre peg · Spade · Fork · Wheelbarrow · Watering cans
Phase is finished when: Every circle is marked, mounded, mulched, planted to its schedule and watered in.
Phase 10
Annual crops and the vegetable garden
2 workers6 working days
- Build the six 1.2 × 8 m beds in the garden pad with 0.6 m paths between them.
- Sow the daily kitchen vegetables and the bee flower band on the sunny side of the square.
- Only now plant the short-lived crops in the guild rings — they come last on purpose.
Tools: Spade · Rake · String line · Watering cans
Phase is finished when: All six beds are built, sown and watered, and the flower band is in.

Material specifications

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.

Item	Specification	Unit	Quantity	Where to get it
Planting mound mix	50% site soil (duta), 20% compost (abuno), 20% coarse organic matter (rice hull, chopped banana trunk, coir), 10% wood ash or crushed charcoal. Mixed on a board, never layered.	cubic metre	about 0.35 m³ per guild circle · about 12 m³ for 35 circles · 0.2 m³ per big tree pit	Site soil on the lot; compost built on site; rice hull from any local rice mill; coir from copra traders.
Path and guild mulch	Coarse organic mulch, 100 mm settled depth. Cut weeds, banana trash, coconut husk and rice hull. No sawdust from treated timber.	cubic metre	about 45 m³ for the path network at 100 mm · about 8 m³ for the guild circles · top up twice a year	Cut on site from Phase 1 onward; husk from local copra processing.
Path edging	Split bamboo or 25 × 150 mm rough timber, pegged every 1 m.	linear metre	both sides of every path — measure off Sheet 1	Local bamboo stand or a Guimaras sawmill.
Service road base	Crushed gravel (graba), 20–40 mm, laid 100 mm and compacted over the full 3 m width.	cubic metre	about 0.3 m³ per linear metre of road	Iloilo or Guimaras aggregate supplier, delivered by truck to the road boundary.
Fence posts	Treated hardwood or concrete posts 2.1 m long. Corners and gate posts set 600 mm into concrete; line posts 500 mm tamped.	each	corners and gates plus line posts at 2.5 m centres around a 34 × 11 m line — about 40 posts	Local hardware or sawmill; concrete posts cast on site if cheaper.
Fence wire / mesh	Galvanised stock mesh or hog wire to 1.2 m high, plus one taut bottom wire pinned to the ground.	linear metre	about 90 m around the living cluster, plus two gate openings	Hardware store, Jordan or San Miguel.
Water main	PVC pressure pipe, 25 mm minimum, laid 450 mm deep in the frontage walkway. Solvent-welded joints, one isolating valve at the well end.	linear metre	well run plus 34 m along the cluster frontage	Hardware store; well pump matched by the plumber to the run length.
Taps and standpipes	Brass bib tap on a 900 mm concrete standpipe, with a 600 × 600 mm splash apron and hose reel bracket.	each	4	Hardware store; standpipes cast on site.
Electric service	Weatherproof service cable on posts from the road boundary to the house, with meter base, main breaker, earth rod and one outdoor outlet at the nursery. Licensed electrician only.	linear metre plus fittings	road boundary to the house pad along the diagonal road line	Local electric cooperative connection plus a licensed electrician.
Grass seed	Local hardy pasture or lawn mix suited to Guimaras, broadcast heavily and rolled in.	kilogram	for the open grass areas — order 20% over the bag rate; thin seeding lets weeds back in	Agricultural supply, Iloilo City.
Sand and cement	Washed river sand (balas) and Portland cement for post footings, standpipes and aprons.	bag / cubic metre	footings and standpipes only — no slab work in this set	Local hardware; delivered to the road boundary.
Planting material	See the planting schedules. Grafted or proven-variety trees only; suckers, cuttings and crowns taken from the site once the nursery is running.	each	per the schedule totals	Provincial nursery, Bureau of Plant Industry stock, and neighbours for suckers and cuttings.

Planting schedules, by guild type

Mango guild

6 circles — one per existing mango tree

Layer	Species	Per circle	Planting size	Where in the circle
1 Canopy	Mango (mangga) — existing tree	1	existing, mature	Centre, 2 m clear of the trunk
2 Understory	Calamansi	2	grafted, 60 cm	Drip line, sunny side
2 Understory	Papaya	1	seedling (punla), 30 cm	Drip line, sunny side
3 Shrub & vine	Bignay	1	seedling, 40 cm	Outer ring, sunny edge
3 Shrub & vine	Aratiles	1	seedling, 40 cm	Outer ring, sunny edge
3 Shrub & vine	Pigeon pea (kadyos)	4	direct seed	Nitrogen ring, evenly spaced
3 Shrub & vine	Ampalaya	2	direct seed	Low trellis on the rim
4 Ground cover	Sweet potato (kamote)	10	cuttings	Inner floor, all round
4 Ground cover	Pineapple (pinya)	8	crowns / suckers	Sunniest arc
5 Herb, spice & root	Ginger, turmeric, taro	6 total	rhizomes / corms	Dry shade under the canopy
5 Herb, spice & root	Lemongrass (tanglad)	3	divisions	Drip line
5 Herb, spice & root	Marigold, cosmos	6	direct seed	Rim, sunny side

Avocado guild

12 circles — one per avocado tree

Layer	Species	Per circle	Planting size	Where in the circle
1 Canopy	Avocado (abukado)	1	grafted, 60–80 cm	Centre
2 Understory	Banana (saging)	1	sucker	Windward side, while the tree is young
2 Understory	Coffee (kape)	2	seedling, 40 cm	Mid ring, shifting shade
3 Shrub & vine	Tagpo	1	seedling, 40 cm	Outer ring, shaded side
3 Shrub & vine	Bignay	1	seedling, 40 cm	Outer ring, sunnier side
3 Shrub & vine	Pigeon pea (kadyos)	4	direct seed	Nitrogen ring, remove as the tree fills
3 Shrub & vine	Black pepper (paminta)	1	cutting	Trained up a kakawate stake
4 Ground cover	Gotu kola, mint, oregano	12 total	divisions	Inner floor
5 Herb, spice & root	Ginger, turmeric, galangal, taro	8 total	rhizomes / corms	Deeper shade
5 Herb, spice & root	Siling labuyo (shade-tolerant)	3	seedling	Drip line
5 Herb, spice & root	Basil	3	seedling	Sunny rim

Pineapple guild

20 circles — one per coconut palm

Layer	Species	Per circle	Planting size	Where in the circle
1 Canopy	Coconut (niyog)	1	seed nut / 1 m seedling	Centre, 1.5 m clear of the trunk
2 Understory	Cacao	1	seedling, 40 cm	Mid ring, shaded side
2 Understory	Coffee (kape)	1	seedling, 40 cm	Mid ring
2 Understory	Banana (saging)	1	sucker	Outer edge, windward
3 Shrub & vine	Aratiles	1	seedling, 40 cm	Outer ring — early shade while the palm is short
3 Shrub & vine	Bignay	1	seedling, 40 cm	Outer ring, sunny edge
3 Shrub & vine	Black pepper (paminta)	1	cutting	Trained up the palm trunk
3 Shrub & vine	Vanilla	1	cutting	Kakawate ring, once shade is up
4 Ground cover	Pineapple (pinya) — main crop	20	crowns / suckers	All sunlit arcs, 40 cm apart
5 Herb, spice & root	Taro, ginger, turmeric, galangal	10 total	rhizomes / corms	Shaded floor
5 Herb, spice & root	Lemongrass (tanglad)	3	divisions	Drip line
5 Herb, spice & root	Siling labuyo and calamansi	3 chili, 1 calamansi	seedling	Brightest arc

Hybrid guild — the kitchen base

About half of all circles — plant the most of these

Layer	Species	Per circle	Planting size	Where in the circle
1 Canopy	Banana (saging) clump, or an existing tree	3 suckers as one clump	sucker	Centre
2 Understory	Calamansi	2	grafted, 60 cm	Sunny arc
2 Understory	Moringa (malunggay), coppiced	1	cutting or seedling	Mid ring
3 Shrub & vine	Bignay, tagpo	2	seedling, 40 cm	Berry hedge, sunny edge
3 Shrub & vine	Gumamela (hibiscus)	2	cutting	Beside the berry hedge, for bees
3 Shrub & vine	Pigeon pea (kadyos)	4	direct seed	Nitrogen ring
3 Shrub & vine	Ampalaya, winged bean (sigarilyas)	4	direct seed	Rim trellis
4 Ground cover	Sweet potato (kamote), squash (kalabasa)	10 cuttings, 2 seed	cuttings / seed	Inner floor
5 Herb, spice & root	Siling labuyo — the key crop	6	seedling	Inner ring, full sun
5 Herb, spice & root	Garlic, onion, shallot	20 sets	sets / cloves	Herb border
5 Herb, spice & root	Ginger, turmeric, galangal	9 total	rhizomes	Behind the banana clump
5 Herb, spice & root	Lemongrass (tanglad), basil	6 total	divisions / seedling	Rim

Whole-farm planting material — one order

Species	Total for the acre	Note
Coconut (niyog)	20	Canopy of every pineapple guild; 5 of these are the west boundary line.
Avocado (abukado)	12	Grafted only — seedling stock takes far longer to bear.
Mango (mangga)	existing 6	No purchase; prune and keep.
Banana (saging) suckers	50+	Existing clumps split for the hybrid and avocado guilds.
Pineapple (pinya) crowns	about 500	20 per pineapple guild plus the sunny arcs of the mango guilds; crowns replant themselves after the first crop.
Siling labuyo	about 200 seedlings	Every guild type carries chili — this is the single biggest raise in the nursery.
Calamansi	about 60 grafted	Sunny arc of nearly every circle.
Pigeon pea (kadyos)	seed, about 150 plants	Nitrogen ring in every circle; cut for mulch.
Bignay, tagpo, aratiles	about 70 seedlings	Berry hedge across the guilds and windbreaks.
Ginger, turmeric, galangal, taro	about 250 kg planting stock	Bulk rhizome order; multiply from the first harvest onward.
Cacao and coffee	about 40 seedlings	Mid layer of the pineapple and avocado guilds.
Gumamela, marigold, cosmos, sunflower	seed and cuttings	Bee bands, path corners and the guild rims.

Safety and site rules

No brush cutter, machine or heavy load within 2 m of any flagged tree trunk. Hand tools only inside that circle.
Boots, long trousers, gloves, eye protection and ear protection on any brush-cutter operator, always.
Nobody works within 15 m of a running brush cutter.
A bolo (sundang) is carried sheathed and sharpened daily — a blunt blade is what slips.
No cutting of any standing tree without the owner present and agreeing on the day.
Electric work is done by a licensed electrician only; nobody else opens the meter or the breaker box.
Trenches deeper than 600 mm are never left open overnight without covers or barriers.
Drinking water and shade are on site before work starts, and work stops in the midday heat.
No spraying of anything, even organic, on an open flower or in the middle of the day.

Pricing and sign-off

Every schedule in the printed set carries blank Unit price, Total and Notes columns — the contractor fills them in and signs the last page.
No prices are printed anywhere in this set on purpose. Quantities are given so the pricing is the contractor's own and can be compared between bidders.
Quantities are measured off the sheets; where a run depends on the well or the road connection, the contractor measures it on site and writes the length in.
The final page carries subtotals per phase, a contingency line and spaces for name, date and signature.

Words for the crew · Hiligaynon

Dig / dig a hole: kutkot
Mulch / cover the soil: tabon
Soil: duta
Water: tubig
Tree: kahoy
Plant (verb): itanom
Seedling: punla
Path / walkway: agianan
Fence: kudal
Post: haligi
Grass: hilamon
Weeds / to clear weeds: hilamon, panghilamon
Bolo / brush knife: sundang
Measure / tape: takos
String line: pisi
Stake / peg: palpal
Compost: abuno
Sand: balas
Gravel: graba
Work day: adlaw nga obra

5 · Access

Walkways through the farm

Cut and mulch every path before planting. Paths are what keep soil uncompacted and harvest fast. The pale green on both maps is mown grass. Only the 1.2 m spine walkway and the 0.8 m connecting paths are mulched — everywhere else between the circles stays in cut grass so there is no bare soil anywhere on the lot.

Main spine

1.2 m

A walkway only — no pipework runs in it. Runs the length of the farm, wide enough for a wheelbarrow, harvest crates and two people passing.

Secondary paths

0.8 m

Loop between the guild circles so every plot can be reached from two sides.

Access wedge

0.6 m

One pie-slice cut into each circle, running from the rim to the trunk.

Keyhole notch

0.5 m

A small round pocket at the end of the wedge, so every ring is within arm's reach.

Never step on a bed. If you cannot reach it from a path, the path is in the wrong place.
Mulch every path deep — coconut husk, rice hull or wood chip. Bare paths turn to mud and weeds.
Leave about 1 m between circles so their secondary paths connect into a loop.
Give the spine a slight slope so rain drains along it instead of puddling.
Re-mulch paths once a month; the broken-down mulch gets raked onto the beds.
Everything between the guilds is mown grass, not bare soil — it holds the ground in heavy rain, stays cool underfoot and is comfortable to walk and stand on.
Keep that grass cut low, about ankle height, and rake the clippings straight onto the nearest guild as mulch.
Mulched paths are the working lanes; the grass is the open moving-around space, so keep at least one grass gap wide enough to turn with a wheelbarrow.

6 · Build a circle

One stake, one string, five steps

Every guild plot is set out from a single centre stake. A 5 m circle needs a 2.5 m string.

1
Peg the centre
Drive one stake where the tree will stand. Everything on this plot is measured from that stake.
2
Swing the rings
Tie a string to the stake and walk it round, marking with lime or sand at 1.5 m, 2.0 m and 2.5 m. A 5 m circle means a 2.5 m string.
3
Mark the wedge
Cut a 0.6 m wide slice from the rim to the trunk on the path side, ending in a 0.5 m keyhole notch. Do this before planting, not after.
4
Plant the rings
0.3 m: climbers on the trunk. 1.5 m: coppiced leaf shrub ring. 2.0 m: nitrogen fixers. 2.5 m: shade floor of ginger, turmeric and galangal. Rim: herb and lemongrass border.
5
Mulch and water in
Mulch the whole circle to a hand's depth, keeping mulch a fist's width off young stems, then water the trunk ring only.

7 · Shade

What to plant under a coconut or mango

A big tree shades out a normal guild, so the understory changes: leaf and rhizome crops instead of fruiting vegetables.

Under a coconut

High, thin, moving shade — light reaches the ground for part of the day.

Keep clear: 1.5 m from the trunk kept clear for husk fall and harvest access.

Cacao
Coffee
Banana
Pineapple
Taro (gabi)
Ginger
Turmeric
Galangal
Black pepper trained up the trunk
Sweet potato on the sunnier arc
Lemongrass at the drip line

Under a mango

Dense, low, dry shade and the tree dislikes wet feet near the trunk.

Keep clear: 2 m from the trunk kept clear and dry, especially while the tree is flowering.

Gotu kola
Ginger
Turmeric
Galangal
Taro (gabi)
Arrowroot
Sweet potato
Pandan
Herb and lemongrass border out at the drip line

Leaf and rhizome crops go in the shade. Fruiting vegetables only where full sun reaches.
The drip line is the light boundary — plant the hungrier, sunnier crops just outside it.
Mulch heavily. A big tree takes most of the water and nutrients, so the understory must be fed.
Never dig deep under a mature tree; you cut the feeder roots. Plant into added compost on top instead.

8 · Pollinators

A flower band for the bees

Keep a 0.5 m flowering strip along the sunny edge of the farm and in the corners the walkways create. Aim for at least three species in bloom at any time — stagger sowing so the band never goes fully green.

Where the bee flowers go on the acre

South flower band

0.5–1 m × full width

Sunflower, marigold, cosmos and zinnia along the sunniest edge. The main nectar road.

Path corners

1.5 m triangles

Every junction where the spine meets a secondary path gets a flower triangle, so no guild is more than about 15 m from open bloom.

Garden edge band

0.5 m strip

On the sunny side of the 10 × 10 vegetable square — this is what sets fruit on tomato, squash, ampalaya and beans.

Bee hive

5 m × 5 m

Dense mixed bloom with roselle and blue ternate on a trellis, a shallow water dish, and a shaded stand for stingless-bee (kiwot) or honeybee boxes. Placed directly above the nursery at the centre of the lot so scent and pollinators drift across the farm; the nursery stays separate below it.

Boundary hedge

along the road

Gumamela and santan: permanent flower, screening and butterflies with no seasonal replanting.

Inside every guild

already planted

Pigeon pea and moringa bloom in each circle, and one basil or oregano in three is left to flower instead of being picked.

At least three species in bloom at all times — stagger sowing so no band ever goes fully green.
Never spray anything, even organic, on an open flower or in the middle of the day.
Keep a shallow water dish with stones in the bee hive and top it up daily.
Cut flowers for the house from the middle of a band, never from the ends, so the strip stays continuous.

What to plant in the bands

Sunflower
Tall bee beacon on the sunny edge. Seed heads feed birds after.
Marigold
Path edges. Repels some soil pests and pulls in hoverflies.
Cosmos
Long bloom, self-seeds, feeds tiny wasps that eat caterpillars.
Zinnia
Constant colour, easy cut flower, strong bee draw.
Gumamela (hibiscus)
Coppiced shrub at 2 m. Flowers dry for tea.
Roselle
Bee flowers plus edible calyces for jam and tea.
Blue ternate (butterfly pea)
Climbs the fence and trellis. Flowers for tea.
Basil and oregano left to flower
Let one plant in three bolt — it feeds the bees.
Pigeon pea bloom
Already in the guild ring. Fixes nitrogen and flowers heavily.
Moringa bloom
Flowers most of the year in warm weather.
Santan / ixora
Hedge flower for butterflies at the farm entrance.

9 · Vegetable garden

Farm to table, 10 m × 10 m

A separate square in full sun for the daily kitchen vegetables — six beds, straight paths, and a nursery corner.

Layout

Total: 10 m × 10 m · 100 sqm, full sun, no tree shade
Beds: Six raised beds, 1.2 m × 8 m, running north–south
Paths: 0.6 m between beds, 1.2 m spine along one side
Corner: 2 m × 2 m nursery, compost and tool corner
Flower band: 0.5 m strip along the sunny edge

Beds and rotation

Bed 1 · Leaf
Pechay, kangkong, lettuce, mustard
Bed 2 · Fruiting
Tomato, eggplant, sweet pepper, okra
Bed 3 · Legume trellis
String bean, winged bean, bush beans
Bed 4 · Root
Carrot, radish, onion, garlic
Bed 5 · Vine trellis
Squash, ampalaya, cucumber, upo
Bed 6 · Rest / rotation
Cover crop or compost pile, then rotates into leaf

Rotate in one direction each season: leaf → fruiting → legume → root, then rest.
Sow a short row every two weeks instead of a whole bed at once, so the kitchen gets a steady supply.
Trellis beds go on the north side so they do not shade the shorter beds.
Water at the base in the early morning. Wet leaves at night bring disease.
A bed is never left bare — replant, cover crop or mulch it the same week it is cleared.

10 · Sequence

Build in this order

Paths first, planting last. Working out of order means walking on finished beds.

Step 1
Mark the spine
Set the 1.2 m main spine first with string and stakes. Every other measurement comes off it.
Step 2
Peg the circles
Place each guild centre stake, then swing the 2.5 m string to mark the rim.
Step 3
Cut the paths
Clear and mulch the spine, secondary paths, access wedges and keyholes before any digging.
Step 4
Build the beds
Sheet mulch or raise the guild circles and the six vegetable beds. Add compost on top.
Step 5
Plant the trees
One tree per circle, on a raised mound, watered in and staked.
Step 6
Plant the rings
Work outward from the trunk: climbers, shrub ring, nitrogen fixers, shade floor, herb rim.
Step 7
Plant the vegetable garden
Bed by bed in rotation order, sowing short rows for succession.
Step 8
Sow the flower band
Last job. Edge the sunny side and the path corners so the bees arrive with the first blooms.

11 · Routine

Daily, weekly and monthly jobs

Every day

Walk the spine and check young trees and seedlings for wilting.
Water the nursery and the bee hive and anything planted in the last two weeks.
Harvest what is ready — leaves, beans, herbs — and take it straight to the kitchen.
Pull any weed you see while walking. No tools needed.

Every week

Top up mulch on beds and paths where soil is showing.
Sow the next succession row in the vegetable beds.
Tie up climbing beans, vines and black pepper.
Check for pest damage and pick off by hand before spraying anything.

Every month

Turn the compost and rake broken-down path mulch onto the beds.
Coppice the leaf shrubs back to 2 m and use the cuttings as mulch.
Rotate the emptied vegetable bed to the next crop group.
Re-cut path edges and repair any washouts on the spine.

12 · Cheat sheet

Every measurement on one screen

Take a photo of this section and keep it on the phone.

Whole lot64 m × 63 m · 1 acre
House footprint10 m × 10 m
Farm-to-table garden10 m × 10 m
Hot tub & gazebo pad10 m × 10 m
Big-tree shade circle8 m across
Bee hive5 m × 5 m
Tao Hall5 m × 5 m
Nursery5 m × 5 m
Boundary flower hedge0.8 m wide
Main water line34 m along the house frontage · 4 taps
Guild circle5 m across · 2.5 m string
Oval guild6 m × 4 m
Main spine walkway1.2 m wide
Path between circles0.8 m
Access wedge0.6 m
Keyhole notch0.5 m
Vegetable bed1.2 m × 8 m
Bed path0.6 m
Clear zone, coconut1.5 m from trunk
Clear zone, mango2 m from trunk
Flower band0.5 m wide

13 · Keeping the farm safe

Geese for the alarm, Aspins for the muscle

A low-cost, low-tech watch over an acre: three geese notice everything and are loud about it, while two local Aspin dogs patrol and deter.

Three geese — the alarm

Territorial, awake at night and impossible to sneak past. They graze weeds along the walkways and cost almost nothing to keep.

Two Aspins — the response

Local dogs handle the heat and the terrain. Raised on the farm from puppies, they learn the boundary and the daily routine.

Nightly routine

Birds closed into a secure coop at dusk, dogs loose inside the fence line, feed and water checked morning and evening.

Boundaries

Keep geese out of young seedbeds and the 10 × 10 garden with simple mesh, and supervise both around visitors and children.