As of 13 August 2026, AI can create a planting plan for your garden.

What to actually do

1. Hand it to a person

   The route this page recommends

   A person who owns the outcome does this end to end, worth it when the failure is dear.

2. Do it yourself

   Second choice

   A chat interface, no skill needed, and roughly 30 minutes until you can act on the result.

   How to actually do it

   1. Open a notes app or spreadsheet and record the garden's location, each bed's length and width, north direction, existing plants, and the light and drainage in each area.
   2. Take clear photos of the garden and each planting area from several angles, including nearby walls, trees and fences that affect light or shelter.
   3. Paste the measurements, observations, preferences and photos into a chatbot, then paste the planting-plan prompt.
   4. Answer the chatbot's follow-up questions using your notes, or mark the information as unknown instead of guessing.
   5. Paste the resulting plant table into a spreadsheet and check that each plant's mature height, spread, light needs, soil needs and hardiness match the plant label or a reliable UK gardening source.
   6. Draw the proposed positions on squared paper or over the garden photo, then check that quantities, spacing and mature sizes fit each measured bed.
   7. Remove any plant you cannot verify as suitable or safe for your household, revise the layout with the chatbot if needed, and use the checked table as your planting and shopping list.

   Prompt

   Create a practical planting plan for my UK garden using the information below. Do not invent facts, plant availability or measurements. If anything important is missing, ask up to five questions before making the plan.
   
   Garden location or UK climate area: [for example, North Yorkshire]
   Space dimensions and shape: [measurements in metres]
   Areas to plant and their dimensions: [beds, borders, containers or raised beds]
   Light by area: [full sun, partial shade or shade, and the hours if known]
   Soil: [clay, sandy, chalky, loamy or unknown; include drainage and whether it has been tested]
   Exposure: [sheltered, windy, coastal or other]
   Existing plants to keep: [names and positions]
   Plants or colours I like: [list]
   Plants I do not want: [list]
   Purpose: [for example, low maintenance, wildlife, cut flowers, screening or year-round interest]
   Time available for maintenance: [low, moderate or high]
   Budget and whether I want plants from seed, plugs or established plants: [details]
   Pets or children who may use the garden: [details]
   
   Give me:
   1. A simple text layout showing each planting area and its position.
   2. A table with each plant, quantity, spacing, mature height and spread, preferred conditions, flowering or interest period, and which area it belongs in.
   3. A planting order and seasonal maintenance list for a UK garden.
   4. A shopping list grouped by plant type.
   5. A list of assumptions and uncertainties.
   6. A verification checklist telling me exactly what to confirm on the plant label or a reliable UK gardening source before buying.
   
   Prefer robust plants suitable for the stated conditions. Flag any plant that may be invasive, toxic to people or pets, unsuitable for the site, or likely to outgrow the space. Do not present guesses as facts, and do not claim that a plant is suitable unless you explain why.

   Open it prefilled in ChatGPT or Claude, or copy it into Gemini, which takes no prefill link.

3. Use a tool built for this

   The distant third