Garden Tools and Calculators
Planning a garden project is easier when you know what you need before you begin. Our free garden calculators and planning tools help UK gardeners measure spaces, plan planting layouts, calculate materials and prepare shopping lists with confidence.
Choose a tool below to get started. Whether you are mulching a border, planting bulbs, creating a hedge, renovating a lawn or designing a flower border, our tools use metric measurements, work on phones and computers and require no account.
Choose a free garden tool
Garden Materials Calculator
Calculate how much bark mulch, woodchip, compost, topsoil, gravel, slate or sand you need. Enter your measurements, choose bag sizes and prices, and build a materials shopping list.
Best for: Mulching, topdressing, new beds, paths and bulk material orders.
Spring Bulb Planting Planner
Design a spring bulb display for a border, round bed or lawn. Choose daffodils, tulips, crocuses and more, explore overhead layouts and calculate how many bulbs or packets to buy.
Best for: Autumn bulb planting, mixed borders and naturalised displays in grass.
Hedge Planting Planner
Plan a new garden hedge or mixed native hedgerow with our free interactive planner. Enter your measurements, choose plants and spacing, and create a scaled planting layout showing where every plant goes. Calculate quantities, compare planting arrangements and prepare a shopping list.
Best for: Native wildlife hedges, privacy screening, boundary planting and single or staggered double row hedges.
Lawn Renovation Planner
Repair, overseed or replace a tired lawn with our free interactive planner. Measure your grass area, assess bare patches, compaction or moss, and calculate seed, turf and top dressing. Get a practical renovation schedule and a shopping list using your own supplier prices.
Best for: Lawn repairs, overseeding, grass seed quantities, turf replacement and seasonal renovation planning.
Flower Border Planner
Design a flower border that suits your garden with our free interactive planner. Enter your measurements and growing conditions, choose from researched plants, and create an editable planting layout that accounts for mature plant sizes. Check flowering months, spacing and quantities, then print your plan and shopping list.
Best for: Cottage garden borders, perennial planting, dry shade, wildlife friendly displays and planning plant spacing.
How to use our calculators
Start by measuring the area you want to work on, then choose the tool that matches your project. Enter your dimensions, adjust the options to suit your garden and check the results before buying. For materials, confirm bag sizes and coverage with your supplier. For planting plans, check soil, light, drainage, mature plant sizes and the guidance provided for individual plants.
What our garden tools can help you plan
Mulching a border: Calculate the volume of bark or woodchip required for your chosen depth.
Preparing a new bed: Work out compost or topsoil quantities and convert them into bags or bulk orders.
Creating a garden path: Estimate the gravel, slate or sand needed for a measured area.
Planting spring bulbs: Design groups, drifts and lawn displays and prepare a bulb shopping list.
Planting a hedge: Plan single or staggered rows, choose suitable species and calculate hedging plant quantities.
Renovating a lawn: Compare overseeding, patch repairs and turf, then calculate supplies and plan the work.
Designing a flower border: Position shrubs, perennials and grasses to scale, check mature spacing and flowering periods, and produce a planting plan.
Free tools for real UK gardens
Our calculators produce estimates from the measurements and options you enter. Actual quantities can vary with site conditions, planting methods and supplier specifications. Planting diagrams are guides too: check drainage, sunlight, existing roots and mature plant sizes, and follow the supplier’s instructions before planting or applying materials.
More free garden planning tools are coming
We are continuing to develop practical tools for UK gardeners. As new planners are researched, tested and released, we will add them to this page. Explore the five tools above to plan your next project.
Frequently asked questions
Are the GHUK garden calculators free?
Yes. All five of our current garden tools are free to use and do not require an account or subscription.
Can I use the tools on my phone?
Yes. The tools are designed to work on mobile phones, tablets and computers. Larger planting diagrams can be enlarged or zoomed for a closer look where supported.
Will the calculations tell me exactly how much to buy?
They provide estimates based on your dimensions and settings. Check product labels, nursery guidance and supplier pack sizes before ordering. For planting plans, spacing and eventual size will also depend on the plant, cultivar and growing conditions.
Can I save or print a plan?
Our planting planners include options to save plans on your device or export useful diagrams, schedules and shopping lists. Available formats vary by tool. The materials calculator also provides shopping list and export options.
More practical gardening advice
If you are preparing a new border, explore our guide to soil structure and use the Garden Materials Calculator to work out compost or mulch quantities. Planning a spring display? Try our Bulb Planting Planner. You can also check what to do in the garden this month for seasonal jobs and planting advice.