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MEASURE BEFORE YOU PLANT
Garden Area Calculator
Measure beds, garden plots and lawn patches using simple shapes. Add planting sections, subtract paths or other nonplantable areas, and see one usable-area total.
Build your area
Enter each simple shape separately. Use subtract for a path or other area you will not plant.
THE METHOD
Use simple shapes to measure an irregular space
Split a complicated bed or patch into shapes you can measure with a tape. Add the pieces that belong in your project, then subtract paths or unusable sections that do not overlap each other.
For a triangle or trapezoid, height is the perpendicular distance to the base. For an ellipse, enter the two semi-axes (half the full width and half the full length).
WORKED EXAMPLE
Two beds, one useful total
Two rectangular raised beds, each measuring 8 ft × 4 ft, have 32 ft² each. Together they cover 64 ft² or approximately 5.95 m². Tap “Try 2 beds” above to load these dimensions into the calculator.
If a path lies inside a larger measured plot, enter the path as a separate excluded shape. Do not subtract the same area twice.
READ THE NUMBER CORRECTLY
Area is a starting point, not a material order
This calculator measures an estimated surface. It does not determine soil volume, number of plants, fertilizer rate or the amount of water a bed needs. Those jobs require other measurements and inputs.
Match the shape
Curved or irregular edges are approximations. Split a garden into measurable sections instead of assuming a rough sketch is exact.
Avoid overlapping cutouts
Only subtract pathways or unusable pieces contained within the measured area. Double-counted exclusions make the result too small.
Use the correct rate
For mulch or seed calculations, use the depth or application rate appropriate to that task and product rather than assuming one universal rate.