A New Way to Design Garden Planting Schemes

by GardenAdvice · Published 01/01/2026 · Updated 02/01/2026

Click here to see a recent planting plan project

Click here to see a recent planting plan project

Faster, Clearer, and More Collaborative

At GardenAdvice, we’re always looking for better ways to help our members and clients with developing their gardens. That’s why we’ve developed a new AI driven planting design software that transforms how planting ideas are created, presented, and refined. Available with the GardenAdvice Gardening courses, MyGardenTeam and Garden Border design service.

Instead of relying solely on traditional planting plans and long lists of Latin names, our new system allows GardenAdvice to quickly show our members and clients an illustration of a proposed garden border — clearly, visually, and almost instantly.

From Photos or Descriptions to Visual Designs

The process starts simply. Members can:

Take photographs of the area to be planted, or
Describe the space using measurements, layout details, and basic site information

From this, the software creates a clear, easy-to-understand illustration of the garden area. This forms the base design, which can then be developed step by step.

Once the illustration is in place, GardenAdvice suggested plants can be added, removed, or adjusted — and the illustration updates automatically to reflect those changes.

Designing by Season

One of the biggest challenges with traditional planting plans is that clients struggle to imagine how a garden will look throughout the year.

Our new software solves this by allowing planting designs to be viewed:

Month by month
Season by season

As plants are added or removed as our members and clients work with the GardenAdvice Team, the illustration changes to show how the garden evolves over time — helping clients clearly see when colour appears, how structure develops, and how interest is maintained across the year.

This makes conversations about balance, colour, and seasonal interest far more productive.

Real-Time Feedback and Rapid Changes

Once a client or GardenAdvice member sees the illustration, they can comment directly on the design.

For example:

“There’s too much yellow in May”
“I’d prefer more height along this border”
“Can we make this area look calmer in summer?”

Instead of starting again or revising a complex planting plan, the member can simply instruct the software to adjust the planting. The system will remove or replace plants and generate a new updated illustration within seconds.

This turns planting design into a collaborative, interactive process — not a one-way presentation.

Clear Designs Without the Confusion

Traditional planting plans can feel overwhelming to clients, especially those unfamiliar with plant names or symbols. Our approach focuses on clarity rather than complexity.

By presenting visual illustrations instead of dense technical drawings, clients gain:

A better understanding of the design intention
More confidence in decision-making
A clearer picture of what they’re investing in

This leads to better engagement, fewer misunderstandings, and smoother project progression.

Designed for Real Gardens and Real Conditions

The software also allows designs to be tailored to practical realities, including:

Aspect and location
Soil type and soil pH
Existing garden constraints

This ensures planting suggestions are not just attractive, but appropriate and achievable.

Powered by AI, Guided by Experience

Behind the scenes, the system uses a combination of:

Standard image and voice input
AI technologies from OpenAI and Anthropic
GardenAdvice’s own AI tools and horticultural knowledge

The result is technology that supports professional judgement rather than replacing it — helping members work more efficiently while retaining control over the final design.