Landscape Design Planner
Sketch your yard from above, to scale. Draw lawn, beds, a patio or deck, paths and fences, drop in trees and shrubs at their mature spread, and see how many square feet of each you are planning before you buy materials.
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Selected element
Click an element on the plan to edit its size, label and position.
Area totals
| Element | Count | Area |
|---|
How to use the Landscape Design Planner
- Enter your yard size in feet or meters, or start from the sample yard.
- Draw areas: pick Lawn, Patio, Garden bed and so on, then drag on the plan. Click once for a default size.
- Add paths and fences by clicking points; double-click or press Finish line to end.
- Place plants with a click; each circle shows the plant's mature spread, which you can edit.
- Fine-tune with Select: drag to move, use the handles to resize or rotate, or type exact sizes in the Selected element panel.
- Check the totals and download the PNG, or save a plan file to keep working later.
Typical sizes to plan around
These rough figures help you rough out a layout before you measure products and plants in detail. Always check local codes, utility lines and your plant tags.
| Element | Typical size | Planning tip |
|---|---|---|
| Main garden path | 3–4 ft (0.9–1.2 m) wide | 4 ft lets two people walk side by side; 2 ft is enough for a side path. |
| Patio for a dining table | 12 × 12 ft (3.7 × 3.7 m) or more | Allow about 3 ft around a table so chairs can slide back. |
| Garden bed depth | 3–4 ft (0.9–1.2 m) if reached from one side | You can reach about 2 ft into a bed, so beds reached from both sides can be 4–5 ft deep. |
| Shade tree | 30–50 ft spread when mature | Plant large trees well away from the house, drains and overhead lines. |
| Shrubs | 3–8 ft spread | Space shrubs at about their mature spread so they just touch when grown. |
| Perennials | 1–3 ft spread | Plant in groups of 3, 5 or 7 for a fuller look. |
A simple order for designing a yard
- Draw what is fixed: the house, driveway, shed, fences and any trees you are keeping.
- Place the living spaces: patio or deck near the door you use most, then the lawn for play.
- Connect them with paths along the routes people already walk.
- Frame the spaces with beds along fences, the house and the patio edge.
- Add trees first, then shrubs, then smaller plants, checking each mature spread on the plan.
From plan to shopping list
The totals table gives the square footage of each surface. Turn it into materials with the Sod Calculator for lawn, the Mulch Calculator for beds, the Paver Calculator for patios and paths, and the Plant Spacing Calculator to check how many plants fill a bed.
Frequently asked questions
How do I draw my yard to scale?
Measure the width and depth of the area you want to plan and type them into Yard size. The grid lines are 1 foot apart with a darker line every 10 feet (1 m and 5 m in metric). Snap to grid keeps shapes on half-foot or 10 cm steps; untick it for free placement, or type exact sizes and positions in the Selected element panel.
Why are trees drawn so large?
Plants are drawn at their mature spread, the width they reach when fully grown, so you can see whether they will crowd the house, each other or a path in ten or twenty years. The defaults, such as 30 feet for a shade tree and 5 feet for a shrub, are typical values; replace them with the spread on your plant tag or nursery listing.
How are the area totals calculated?
Rectangles use width × depth and ovals use π × width × depth ÷ 4. Paths and hedges are counted as length × width. Each shape is counted in full, so if a bed sits on top of the lawn the lawn total is not reduced; draw the lawn around the beds or subtract the bed area if you are ordering sod or seed.
How do I use the totals to buy materials?
Use the patio or paver total with the Paver Calculator, the lawn total with the Sod Calculator and bed areas with the Mulch Calculator, which converts square feet and depth into cubic yards or bags. Adding 5 to 10 percent extra for cuts and waste is a common rule of thumb for hardscape materials.
Can I rotate shapes?
Yes. Select an area and drag the round handle above it, or type an angle in Rotation. With Snap to grid on, rotation snaps to 15 degree steps. Ovals and circles are made by choosing the Oval / circle shape for any area.
Is my plan saved?
The plan is saved automatically in this browser's local storage, so it is still there when you come back on the same device. Nothing is uploaded. Use Save plan file to download a copy you can open later or on another computer with Open plan file.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.