How to Choose a Gardening Plan

A plan is a useful tool that turns a three-dimensional garden into a two-dimensional representation. Depending on the needs of your garden you might choose a simple sketch or a more detailed plan, as with the gorgeous garden above, which was designed using both overhead and planting plans.

Working Plans

Working plans are good for experimenting with ideas, especially the relationship of horizontal surfaces (built and planted) with the locations of walls, screens, trees and other main and connecting features, such as paths and views. Importantly, these sketches don’t need to be accurate or drawn to scale.

Bubble Diagram

A basic bubble diagram helps you explore relationships between areas within the garden. It is an ideal way to experiment quickly before drawing a more detailed plan.

Garden Plan Symbols

Using common symbols in plans enables builders and other professionals working in your yard to read the plan quickly and understand what is being proposed. The symbols presented here are frequently used and widely understood. They can be reproduced in black and white or color.