AI landscape design ideas: Tips and prompts to use AI for landscaping

Get to know your climate

Before you start perusing perennials, you’ll need to know the hardiness zone you live in. That‘ll tell you which plants can survive and thrive in your specific climate. Try prompts like these for AI landscaping inspiration based on your climate and location:

• I live in [location]. What hardiness zone am I in? Please make a list of various plants that are common in landscaping that do best in this zone.
• I’m landscaping my yard in [location]. What do I need to know about landscaping here? Include any guidance on hardiness zone, plants that do well, and plants that are likely to need more or less water based on average rainfall. Organize the plant list by how much sunlight they need daily.
• What is the hardiness zone for [location]. What should I know about this zone before I start making a landscaping plan?

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Learn about native plants

Native plants make a thoughtful cornerstone to any AI landscape design since they’re already ideally suited to the climate and often support local critters and the environment. Explore the variety of plants that are native to your area and discover how they might fit into your landscaping plans with prompts like these:

• What plants are native to [location]?
• My yard is shady and in [location]. Which native plants do you recommend for my landscape design. I plan to mix native plants with more exotic flowers, so please suggest plants that play well with others.
• I want my yard to be as eco-friendly as possible. What native plants are most needed in [location], and which ones are best for local wildlife?

Cherry-pick plants and decorations you love

In addition to native plants, dig into the world of flowers, shrubs, and all your landscaping options with AI. Whether you know your peonies from your petunias or not, hunt for the perfect plants and decorations for your outdoor space with AI prompts like these:

• I’m going for a vibrant color scheme in my front-yard garden design. Give me several groupings of plants that go well together, and make sure all of them are well-suited to [hardiness zone].
• I want my backyard to feel like a fairy village on human scale. Provide several ideas for décor that will fit well into my landscape design, and tell me which plants are must-haves that will also do well in [hardiness zone].
• I need landscaping inspiration. I don’t know plants, but I know I have a minimalist style and live in [hardiness zone]. What plants do you recommend?

Visualize the space and cultivate a plan

When you’re ready to figure out what might go where, generative AI is your go-to for visualizing landscaping ideas all without putting on gardening gloves. Also, AI draws up a detailed plan for your space and gives you a shopping list to take to the garden center. To see your space take shape, try prompts like these:

• My yard is [dimensions] and I want to landscape it using these grasses, plants, and trees: [list]. Give me four layout ideas and create images to show me how they would look.
• My yard is [dimensions]. Sunlight falls on the top 2/3 all day and for two hours a day on the rest. I want to include these plants: [plant list]. Make an image of what I should plant where and label each plant.
• I’m landscaping a large rectangular yard with a koi pond in one corner. The entire space is shady. Create an image showing how my yard will look with these plants arranged around the edges and a text document that lays out what should be planted where. Finally, make a shopping list of everything I’ll need to complete this plan.

With AI landscaping ideas and guidance, your space can be just how you want it in much less time. Now that you know how to use AI for landscape design, see how many other ways AI might improve your every day.