The tomato bed is divided into 14 smaller garden patches in the shape of round ‘lobes’. The lobe pattern in permaculture is used to maximize surface area, based on natural patterns found in things like cumulus clouds, leaves, or the lobes of the brain. The size of the patches maximizes the amount of space within but while ensuring that everything is still reachable from the path around, creating what are known as ‘double-reach’ beds (the radius is no more than an arm’s length). Each patch contains one or two tomato plants surrounded by a collection of companion plants. Notably, asparagus and tomato grow well together because each one deters the other’s insect attacker. These companions create ‘flavour guilds’- groups of plants and herbs that grow well together and also happen to taste good together, such as the classic example of tomato and basil. Connecting these patches is a single continuous path in the permaculture ‘network’ pattern, commonly used in creating connections whether physical or social.