What Are Master Layout Plans and Planting Plans?

When designing a garden, clarity is everything. Master layout plans and planting plans act as the blueprint for your new outdoor space — ensuring that what is built on site reflects the design exactly as intended.

Master Layout Plans

A master layout plan is a scaled technical drawing used by landscapers to build from. It always includes key details such as orientation (showing north), a scale ruler, and precise measurements.

Every element within the design is clearly positioned and labelled — from patios and paths to walls, pergolas, and planting beds. Dimensions are accurate, materials are specified, and suppliers are often noted.

In essence, it’s a practical handbook for constructing the garden. Without a detailed master layout plan, builds can easily become inconsistent, poorly coordinated, or open to interpretation. With one, there is clarity, structure, and confidence throughout the landscaping process.

Planting Plans

A planting plan works alongside the master layout and focuses specifically on the living elements of the garden.

This plan details the exact plant species and cultivars selected for the space. Each plant is drawn to scale, allowing for its mature height and spread, ensuring it sits comfortably alongside its neighbours and contributes to a balanced composition.

Plants are labelled using their Latin names to avoid confusion during sourcing, particularly where common names vary. The quantity of each plant is also specified, creating a clear plant schedule for ordering from nurseries.

The result is a carefully considered planting scheme that not only looks beautiful at installation but continues to thrive and develop harmoniously over time.

Together, these two plans provide both the structural framework and the botanical detail needed to bring a thoughtfully designed garden to life.

(detail blurred to protect the design)