A complete planting plan, from first conversation to plants delivered to your door.
Your garden, properly planted
Know what to plant, where to plant it, and how many plants you need with a complete planting plan created for your own garden.
With Planting by Numbers, I choose the plants, work out the quantities, and source everything for you, so your garden moves from guesswork to a clear, practical plan.
Planting by Numbers is the planting plan itself, part of my planting-led garden design service. If your garden is in Cork I can visit and design it on site. Everywhere else in Ireland it is worked remotely.
What You Get
Detailed Planting Plan - Showing You What To Plant Where,
Concept Plant Images
Full List of Plants
Your illustrated planting plan
Photographs of every plant in your plan
Plants delivered labelled and ready to plant
Why it is called Planting by Numbers
Most planting advice ends with a list of plants. You are handed twenty names, you order them, and then you are standing in the garden with a trolley of pots and no idea which one goes where, how far apart they should sit, or which of them will be twice the size of its neighbour in three years.
A plan solves the part the list leaves out. Every plant is drawn in position, counted, and named on the page in front of you. You work through it the way you would work through anything numbered: this one here, three of those along the back, that one where the ground stays wet.
It is designed to be followed by whoever does the work. That might be you on a Saturday morning. It might be a gardener who has never spoken to me. Either way the plan should not need explaining.
What you receive
- A scaled illustrated layout with every plant drawn in its position, so you can see the shape of the planting rather than imagine it
- A full plant list with botanical and common names, quantities and suggested planting sizes
- A photograph of every plant in the plan, so you know exactly what is arriving before anything is ordered
- Spacing and positioning guidance, including how much room each plant needs as it matures
- Notes on sequence, so you know what to plant first and what can wait
Every plant in the plan is chosen for your soil, your aspect, your exposure and the amount of maintenance you actually want to do. Not a palette that looks good on paper and struggles in the ground.
Plans usually take three to four weeks from the consultation, depending on the season and the size of the garden.
Why This Works
Most people who want a better garden get stuck at the same point.
- They know it needs doing. They don't know where to start.
- They're worried about spending money on the wrong plants. They can't find everything they need in one place.
- They start, stop, and the garden stays the same for another year.
This service removes every one of those obstacles.
You get a clear planting plan that shows what to plant, where to plant it and how the garden should come together.
You get the judgement of someone who has been designing and planting Irish gardens for over thirty years."
The result is a clear plan, the right plants, and a practical route from idea to planting.
If the garden needs more than planting
Planting by Numbers assumes the structure of the garden is broadly in place. Where the layout itself needs reconsidering, the position of patios, paths, steps, beds and boundaries, that is concept design.
It starts the same way, with a consultation, and the planting plan still comes at the end of it. The only difference is how much of the garden is being decided.
About Peter Dowdall
Peter Dowdall is Ireland's leading planting design expert. Over 30 years working with Irish gardens, Irish soil and Irish growing conditions.
Regular contributor to RTÉ and national garden media. Every recommendation grounded in real plant knowledge and real Irish conditions.
"The right plant in the right place is not a happy accident. It is a decision that requires knowing the soil, the exposure, the aspect and the sequence. That is what planting design is."
Availability
Limited Availability
I take on a limited number of planting projects at a time. If you are hoping to plant this season, it is worth getting in touch early.
Plans start at around €1,750.
Common questions
What size garden is this suitable for?
Anything from a single border to the largest garden. A border resolved properly is legitimate work on its own. Tell me what you are working with and I will advise on the right approach.
Do I need any design experience?
None at all. You need to be able to take photographs, sketch a rough outline with measurements and tell me what you want from the space. I do the rest.
What if I just want a consultation first?
That is where every project starts anyway. An online consultation is €295, and an on-site consultation in Cork and the surrounding area is €480 plus VAT. Either fee is deducted from the design work that follows, so it is a first step rather than an extra cost.
Do I have to buy the plants from you?
No. The plan tells you exactly what to buy and where each plant goes, so you can source them yourself or hand it to a gardener. If you would like me to source them, I buy from Irish trade growers and they arrive at your door labelled to match the plan.
What if my garden needs the layout changed as well?
Then the work is a concept design rather than a planting plan alone, setting out the position of patios, paths, steps, beds and boundaries before the planting is resolved. The plan is still the end point. Tell me about the garden and I will say which it needs.
When will I receive my plan?
Usually within three to four weeks of the consultation, depending on the season and the size and complexity of the garden.
Is this available throughout Ireland?
Yes. The plan is normally worked entirely online, from your photographs and measurements, and plant delivery is available nationwide. If your garden is in Cork or the surrounding area I can visit it instead and gather the information myself.
What does it cost?
Plans start at around €1,750. Where a project sits above that depends on the size of the garden and the level of detail required. I set out the scope and the fee after the consultation, before any design work begins. See planting plan cost in Ireland for what moves the figure.