Design me a garden plan for my space and my climate. Not the dream garden — the one that survives my actual conditions.
LOCATION: {city_country_or_zip + USDA_zone_if_US}
SPACE: {balcony / yard_size / community_plot / containers}
SUN EXPOSURE: {full_sun_6h+ / partial_sun_3-6h / shade}
SOIL: {description_or_'unknown'}
WATER ACCESS: {hose / hand-water / drip / rainfall_only}
GOAL: {food / cut_flowers / pollinators / privacy_screen / mix}
TIME / WEEK I'LL ACTUALLY SPEND: {minutes_or_hours}
EXPERIENCE LEVEL: {first_time / one_season / multi_season}
WHAT I'VE KILLED before: {plants_that_didn't_make_it}
KIDS / PETS to consider: {any}
VISUAL VIBE I WANT: {cottage / tidy_rows / lush / minimalist}
DELIVER:
1. **The reality check** — what your conditions allow vs what they don't (e.g. 'no tomatoes in 4hrs of sun, but yes peppers').
2. **8-15 plants** suited to your conditions, mixing your goal + low-maintenance fillers. Each with:
- Why this plant for your conditions
- When to plant
- Water need
- Failure mode (what kills it)
3. **A simple layout** — back/middle/front by height, sun-loving toward best sun.
4. **Planting timeline** — month by month for the season.
5. **The 'minimum viable maintenance'** — what to do weekly / monthly.
6. **3 things you DON'T have to do** that beginner garden articles tell you to do (e.g. don't fertilize containers weekly).
7. **The first thing to plant** — the easy win that builds confidence.
No 'companion planting' lore. No 'manifest abundance.' Practical, climate-honest.0 copies·0 saves·2 views
235 words·1,533 chars
Sample output
Location: Austin, TX, USDA zone 8b/9a. Space: ~150 sqft sunny back patio + small raised bed (4x8 ft). Sun: full sun, ~7-8 hours. Soil: raised bed has 1-yr-old compost + topsoil mix. Water: hose + you'll set up drip. Goal: food + a few pollinators. Time: 30-45 min/week. Experience: 2nd season, tomatoes failed last summer due to heat. Kids: 7yo. Vibe: tidy, not chaotic.
1. Reality check:
Austin summers in zone 8b/9a kill 'standard' tomato varieties from mid-June through August (100°F+ ruins flower set). What works here is:
What your conditions DON'T allow:
Parameters
Text generation parameters
FAQ
Take photos of your garden every Sunday at the same angle. Six weeks later you'll see what's actually growing vs what just feels stuck. Photo memory beats observation memory. The prompt targets ChatGPT (GPT-4) and lives in the Personal & Career category on mycopyprompt.
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2. 8-12 plants suited to your conditions:
Food (raised bed + 1-2 containers):
'Sungold' or 'Sun Sugar' cherry tomatoes (1 plant in containers OR 2 in raised bed)
Pepper — 'Jalapeño' or 'Lemon Drop' (2 plants)
Bush green beans — 'Provider' or 'Contender' (1 row, 6-8 plants in raised bed)
Basil (3 plants)
Rosemary (1 plant, in container)
Pollinator strip (along the edge of raised bed or in containers):
Lantana (1 plant, container)
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) (3 plants)
Salvia 'Mystic Spires' (2 plants)
Native Texas wildflower seed mix (sprinkle along front edge)
Filler (great for tidy look):
3. Layout sketch (raised 4x8 bed):
[back, 4ft] 2 tomatoes (staked, north edge — won't shade others)
[middle row] 2 peppers · 3 basil · 1 rosemary container off to side
[middle row] bush beans (6 plants across)
[front row] marigolds + a few wildflowers
[edge] lantana, black-eyed susan, salvia in containers along patio edge
Tallest stuff at the back (north side) so it doesn't shade the front rows.
4. Planting timeline:
February: prep raised bed (top off with 2 inches compost, mix in lightly). March 1-15: direct seed bush beans. Transplant tomato seedlings late March. April 1-15: transplant peppers, basil, lantana, salvia, black-eyed susan. Sow marigold seeds. May-June: harvest tomatoes + beans + first basil cuts. Late June: pull spent tomato plants (they're done in the heat). Mulch the open spots. August 15: direct seed second crop of bush beans + sow fall lettuce. September 1: transplant fall tomatoes (yes — Austin gets a 2nd crop). October: sow Texas wildflower seed mix for spring. December: nothing — most things rest. Rosemary keeps going.
5. Minimum viable maintenance (30-45 min/week):
Monthly: check raised bed soil — top up compost if depleted.
6. 3 things you DON'T have to do (beginner articles overprescribe):
Don't fertilize weekly. With a healthy compost-rich raised bed, a side-dressing of compost once a month is plenty. Weekly fertilizer leads to weak, leggy plants.
Don't 'companion plant' obsessively. Basil 'near' tomatoes is fine. The science behind most companion planting is anecdotal. Plant what fits your space.
Don't deeply till. Tilling destroys soil structure. Top-dress with compost and let the worms incorporate it.
7. First thing to plant: BUSH BEANS.
Why: germinate in 5-7 days. Harvest in 50 days. Your 7-year-old can pick them off the plant. They're nearly impossible to kill in Austin's climate. The 'I grew this!' moment in week 7 builds confidence to do everything else.