A before and after of the author's at-home landscaping project.
A screenshot of the author's ChatGPT instructions for their DIY landscaping project.
A before photo of the author's landscaping project before starting the process.
A photo of the completed landscaping project at the author's home.
A photo of the completed landscaping project at the author's home.

From plant maps to fall planting tips, here’s how I used ChatGPT to design a lush, deer-resistant cottage garden in my specific Zone, without hiring a landscaper.

You know that feeling when you get a quote and think, “Wait, how much?!” That was me staring at an estimate of $12,500 to turn the barren rock and weed smattered dirt patch in front of my house into a dreamy cottage garden.

Enter my new favorite AI hack — using ChatGPT as a landscape architect. Spoiler: I spent just over $2,000 and ended up with a yard that looks like it belongs in a magazine spread.

The project

I worked with a 465-square-foot front bed — curved, partial sun and frequented by deer like it’s their neighborhood salad bar. The pros wanted thousands for design fees, plant selection and installation. I wanted deer-resistant, low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plants suited to my Pacific Northwest Zone 8b — and a price tag that didn’t feel like a second mortgage.

The AI factor

I uploaded photos and dimensions to ChatGPT and typed: “Help me landscape this with deer-proof, drought-resistant plants for my zip code on a $2,000 budget. Include a map and grid layout. Then show me where to buy these plants for the least amount of money within 50 miles.”

What happened next felt like HGTV crossed with Silicon Valley. ChatGPT generated full planting plans with plants perfect for Zone 8b — lavender, hydrangeas, catmint, salvia, heuchera and ornamental grasses — and told me exactly where each should go: back row, middle, front border. It broke down spacing (five to six feet between lavenders), suggested existing boxwoods as anchors, and even reminded me about mulch.

I printed out its seven-page plan and sent my two best research assistants — my parents — to confirm everything with a real-life expert. Priscilla, a garden guru at Maillards Landing Nursery in Oak Harbor, Washington, reviewed the plan and confirmed that every detail — right down to bark-mulch color — was spot-on.

The timeline

  • Days 1–2 were all about bed prep — weed barrier, new soil and shovel workouts that made me regret skipping arm day.
  • Day 3 was nursery runs. ChatGPT found local shops, compared wholesale vs. retail, and coached me on how to get wholesale prices without a contractor’s permit.
  • Days 4—5 were layout, planting and mulching days. This included about an hour of me uploading progress photos to the ChatGPT app with questions like, “Where does the catmint go?” “Do I space lavenders five or six feet apart?” It was like gardening with a patient friend who never rolled their eyes.

AI nailed the details and answered every single question that popped me. I’m careful to triple check that it’s not hallucinating, and it really was incredibly accurate. It even assured me that fall’s the perfect time to do a project just like this in my area because cooler temps and steady rain help roots establish before winter. Everything gets a strong start and bursts to life in spring. If I’d planted in summer, half might have crisped up before settling in.

Here’s how the budget broke down:

  • Soil and mulch = $400
  • plants — lavender, hydrangeas, catmint, grasses, perennials, and shrubs — about $1,400
  • Extras, like fertilizer and deer-repellent spray, came in around $200.

Total: Right around that $2,000 mark. That’s more than $10,000 less than hiring a pro.

Why this matters

This isn’t just about one yard. It’s about how AI is quietly transforming everyday life — even cottage gardening. Landscaping used to be an opaque, high-cost mystery. Now, tools like ChatGPT make professional-level design accessible to anyone with Wi-Fi and a free weekend. It doesn’t dig the holes (yet), but it bridges the gap between expert knowledge and DIY reality. People are using AI for everything — kids’ study schedules, trip planning, business marketing — and now, backyard makeovers. Knowledge that once required hiring a professional is suddenly open-source, personalized, and affordable.

I saved over $10,000, got a customized, climate-appropriate garden plan, learned more about lavender spacing than I ever wanted to know, and ended up with a space that makes me smile every time I pull into the driveway. My neighbors think I hired a pro crew. Nope — just a lot of mulch, sweat, family elbow grease and an AI sidekick.

If you’ve been wondering whether AI can do something useful — beyond writing weird poems or fake Drake songs — this is proof. From potty training to vacation planning to turning a dirt lot into a lush garden, AI is quickly becoming the handy robot friend we didn’t know we needed. So yes, I could’ve spent $12,500. Instead, I spent a fifth of that, planted at exactly the right time of year, got a full-body workout, and learned my new favorite phrase: “Where does the catmint go?”

The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.

Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech columnist and on-air contributor for The Today Show. Contact her via Techish.com or @JennJolly on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How I used ChatGPT to design a cottage garden without hiring a landscaper

Reporting by Jennifer Jolly / USA TODAY

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