Plot My Garden is a free planning tool for gardens and allotments in the UK. Set your bed dimensions, drag crops onto the grid, and it works out spacing, sowing and harvest windows, companion planting and what should follow what next season. Nothing is sent anywhere: your plan is saved in your own browser.
The problem it solves is a simple one. Crop rotation only works if you can remember what was in each bed last year and the year before, and paper plans get lost. Brassicas, potatoes and onions all benefit from a three or four year gap in the same ground, which is hard to keep track of without writing it down somewhere you will not lose it.
The Joy of Growing Your Own
There is something deeply satisfying about eating food you have grown yourself. A tomato from the garden tastes different from one in a supermarket packet, and not just because of freshness. There is pride in it. You watched it go from seed to plate. You watered it, fed it, worried about it during that cold snap in May, and celebrated when the first fruits appeared.
Growing your own food connects you to the seasons in a way that nothing else does. You learn to read the weather, understand your soil, and appreciate the patience that nature demands. It is slow, it is sometimes frustrating, and it is always rewarding.
Why Plan It on Screen
Gardening plans on paper get lost. Spreadsheets are fiddly. And trying to remember your crop rotation from two years ago using nothing but memory is a recipe for brassicas in the same spot three years running.
Plot My Garden lets you design your garden or allotment plot on screen using a simple drag-and-drop grid. Place your vegetables, herbs, and flowers where you want them. The tool gives you companion planting tips, so you know which plants help each other and which ones to keep apart. It tracks what you have planted and helps you plan for the next season.
Understanding Sun, Shade, and Soil
One of the biggest mistakes new gardeners make is putting the wrong plants in the wrong spot. Tomatoes need full sun. Lettuce tolerates shade. Blueberries need acidic soil. Knowing your garden, where the sun hits, where the shade falls, what your soil is like, is the foundation of successful growing.
Our planner helps you think about these things before you start digging. Plan your tallest crops on the north side so they do not shade everything else. Group your thirsty plants together so watering is efficient. Put your herbs near the kitchen door so you actually use them.
For Everyone, Not Just Experts
You do not need years of experience to use Plot My Garden. Whether you have a full allotment, a few raised beds, or just some pots on a patio, the planner adapts to your space. Set your grid to whatever size you need and start experimenting.
Everything is saved locally on your device. No account needed, no data sent anywhere. Just a simple, useful tool for people who love growing things.
Made for British Gardens
Plot My Garden is designed for UK growing conditions. The plants in the database are ones that crop reliably in British weather, and the sowing and harvest schedules follow UK seasons. That matters because the growing year is not the same everywhere: the Met Office notes that the average last air frost of spring falls before the end of April in southern and coastal areas, but extends well into May further north and over higher ground, and into June in a few places (Met Office). A tool that tells you to sow tender crops in March is not much use in the Pennines.
If You Are Planning an Allotment
The National Allotment Society puts the traditional full plot at roughly 10 poles, about 250 square metres, with half plots at around 5 poles now widely offered because they are more manageable (National Allotment Society). You apply through your local council, which will either allocate a plot or add you to a waiting list (GOV.UK).
If there is no provision where you live, section 23 of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 requires a council to consider providing allotments once six registered electors or council tax payers in the area put the request in writing (legislation.gov.uk). Scotland works differently: Part 9 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 makes councils keep a waiting list and take reasonable steps to keep anyone from sitting on it for more than five years (legislation.gov.uk).
Set the grid to your plot's real dimensions and the planner will lay out beds and paths to match, whether that is a 250 square metre allotment or two raised beds by a back door.