Inspired by Beth Chatto's gardening philosophy

The right plant in the right place — every time

Stop guessing. Map your garden from above, understand its unique conditions, and discover plants that will genuinely thrive. Your personal garden expert, with you through the planting year.

Free garden mapping & sun analysis. AI planting plans from £3.99/mo.

The Philosophy

A timeless principle, now at your fingertips

In the 1960s, legendary gardener Beth Chatto transformed how we think about planting. Her insight was simple but revolutionary: work with your garden's conditions, not against them.

Match a plant to the light, soil, and space it needs, and it will thrive with minimal fuss. Fight those conditions, and you'll be fighting forever.

Right Plant Right Place brings this wisdom into the digital age. We help you truly understand your garden's unique conditions, then guide you to plants that will flourish there — so you can create something beautiful with confidence.

Michael in the garden

About

My journey to this website

After years of living without an outdoor space, I finally moved to a house with not one but two gardens. It felt like being handed a blank canvas—exciting and terrifying in equal measure.

I threw myself into learning everything I could, filling my shelves with encyclopedias and how-to guides. The sheer volume of information was thrilling, but also overwhelming. Which plants would thrive in my soil? What could I grow in that shady corner? How do I even begin?

Growing up, I'd watched my Mum transform bare earth into something beautiful, though I never quite appreciated the knowledge behind it at the time. Now, faced with my own patch of ground, I found myself wishing I could bottle that expertise.

That's where my background in Physics came in. I'm used to breaking down complex systems into something understandable, finding the patterns beneath the chaos. Gardening, it turns out, isn't so different—it's about understanding conditions, variables, and what thrives where.

The scientific way to a flourishing garden

Three simple steps to a garden that thrives

1

Map your garden

Enter your postcode and we drop you onto a satellite view of your home. Line it up, crop your plot, and trace your borders, beds and lawn — no measuring, no app to download.

Tracing garden borders over a satellite aerial view
2

See where the sun falls

Outline what casts shade — fences, sheds, trees, neighbouring walls — and we instantly map how sunlight reaches every corner across the growing season. No more guessing whether that spot is 'partial shade' or 'full sun'.

Sun exposure heatmap showing light levels across the garden
3

Design with confidence

Tell us your style preferences and we'll suggest plants perfectly matched to each spot. We consider light, space, soil, and aesthetics to create combinations that work.

Assistant recommending plants for a garden border

Everything you need to plan with confidence

Powerful tools designed to help gardeners of all levels succeed

Precision Sun Analysis

Ray-traced sun calculations across the entire growing season. Know exactly what 'partial shade' means in your garden.

5,000+ Plant Database

Every plant with detailed growing requirements, design characteristics, and seasonal interest. Curated for UK gardens.

AI Garden Designer

Chat with an expert that knows your garden's conditions, your existing plants, and your style preferences.

Plant Identification

Photograph plants in your garden and we'll identify them, then track their position, health, and how they fit your evolving design.

Seasonal Planning

See what will flower when. Design for year-round interest with confidence.

Ready to meet your garden?

Start by mapping your garden. No credit card required.

Get Started