What scale should I use for a garden plan?

The RHS recommends 1:50 or 1:100 for an average garden — 1:50 (2cm on paper = 1m) suits small courtyard and town gardens, and 1:100 (1cm = 1m) suits most medium plots. Use 1:200 or 1:500 for large gardens and estates, and 1:20 or 1:10 for detail areas such as a patio or planting bed. Pick the scale by your longest measurement: choose the largest ratio that still fits the whole garden on your sheet.

How do I draw a garden plan?

Measure your boundaries first, recording the longest run, then pick a scale that fits that run on your paper. Convert each real measurement to its drawing size with this calculator, and plot onto graph paper or design software. At 1:50 each 10mm grid square is 0.5m of real garden; at 1:100 each square is 1m — count squares to position features quickly.

What does 1:50 scale mean?

At 1:50, 1mm on the drawing represents 50mm (5cm) in real life, so 1cm on paper equals 0.5m in the garden and 2cm equals 1m. A 6m wall is drawn 120mm (12cm) long. The drawing size is always the real size divided by the scale denominator.

Can I use these measurements with design software?

Yes. Most garden design software accepts dimensions in millimetres or works at full real-world size with the scale applied at print time. Enter the real measurements, set the same scale (e.g. 1:100) within the software, and check a known dimension against this calculator before printing.

How does the grid square size help me?

On graph paper a fixed grid (commonly 10mm or 5mm squares) maps to a real garden distance once you fix the scale. This calculator shows that real size: at 1:50 a 10mm square is 0.5m, at 1:100 it is 1.0m, at 1:200 it is 2.0m. Counting squares then lets you place beds, paths and trees without re-measuring each one.

GardenCalcs

Garden Scale Drawing Calculator — Real to Plan Dimensions

Convert real garden measurements to scale drawing dimensions.

Conversion DirectionReal → drawing sizes your plan from on-the-ground metres; drawing → real reads a real distance off an existing plan.

ScaleLarger ratio = smaller drawing. RHS: 1:50 (2cm=1m) for small gardens, 1:100 (1cm=1m) for medium, 1:200/1:500 for large plots, 1:20 for detail.

Real Measurement

The actual on-the-ground length or width in metres — usually your longest boundary run.

How We Calculate This

Real to Drawing: Drawing mm = (Real m × 1000) ÷ Scale Factor. For example at 1:50, 10m = 200mm on paper.

Drawing to Real: Real m = (Drawing mm × Scale Factor) ÷ 1000. For example at 1:100, a 150mm line = 15m.

Grid square (real size) = Grid Spacing mm × Scale Factor ÷ 1000. At a 10mm grid this is 0.5m at 1:50, 1.0m at 1:100 — so you can plot by counting graph-paper squares.

The suggested paper size is a one-axis hint: it sizes the largest single drawing dimension plus margins against the short edge of each A-series sheet (A4 210×297, A3 297×420, A2 420×594, A1 594×841mm). A long, thin plot may need the next size up to fit both axes.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: February 2026

All calculations are estimates based on standard gardening guidelines. Results may vary with soil conditions, climate, and plant varieties.