What makes landscape practice different?
Landscape work is seasonal and living. Planting dates depend on the calendar, plants have lead times and substitutes, and the work continues after handover through establishment and maintenance. A generic project tool tracks tasks; a landscape practice also needs a library of plants and materials and a schedule that respects the seasons.
Which databases should you build?
| Database | Purpose | Key properties |
|---|---|---|
| Projects | Jobs and stages | Client, site, stage, lead, fee, key dates |
| Plants | Studio plant palette | Latin name, common name, size, habit, hardiness, season of interest, supplier |
| Planting schedule | Plants specified per project | Project, area, plant, quantity, size, planting window, status |
| Materials | Paving, furniture, structures | Product, supplier, finish, cost, project use |
| Site visits | Surveys and observations | Date, observations, photos, actions |
| Consultants | Engineers, ecologists, arborists | Discipline, contact, project, deliverables |
| Approvals | Planning and client decisions | Item, decision, date, project |
How do you build the plant library?
- 1
Create the Plants database
Use a gallery layout with a cover image, so browsing feels like a catalogue.
- 2
Add the properties you filter by
Habit, height, spread, light, soil, hardiness, season of interest, evergreen or deciduous.
- 3
Relate it to projects
Every planting schedule row relates to a plant, so you can see where each species has been used.
- 4
Record local knowledge
Add notes on suppliers, availability and performance, so the library improves with every project.
How do you manage site visits and establishment?
Use a Site visits database with a template for date, conditions, observations, instructions and photos, linked to the project. For establishment and maintenance, add recurring visit dates and a view of upcoming visits, so aftercare is planned rather than remembered.
What belongs outside Notion?
- CAD, BIM and GIS files stay in their native tools; link the issued sets.
- Plant sizing and specification standards come from your standards documents; Notion holds your own library.
- Accounting and tendering use dedicated systems.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Notion good for landscape architects?
- Yes, for plant and materials libraries, planting schedules, site visits and project tracking. It does not do CAD or GIS.
- How do I build a plant database in Notion?
- As a gallery database with properties for habit, size, season and hardiness, related to project planting schedules.
- Can Notion manage a planting schedule?
- Yes. A Planting schedule database related to Plants and Projects gives filtered schedules by area, window or status.
- Can I track seasonal dates?
- Yes. Use date properties for planting windows and maintenance visits, with a calendar or timeline view.
- Where do drawings and GIS data go?
- Keep them in their tools and link the issued revision from the project page.
Sources
Keep reading
- Landscape architecturePlanting schedule tracking for landscape architects in NotionBuild a planting schedule in Notion linked to a reusable plant library: areas, quantities, sizes, planting windows, substitutions and supplier status.3 min read · 17 October 2026
- Running a practiceHow architects can use Notion to manage their practiceA practical guide to running an architecture practice in Notion: projects, phases, drawing registers, approvals, meetings, fees and a weekly routine.5 min read · 17 October 2026
- Studio workflowsHow to make a mood board in Notion for interior and architecture projectsThree ways to make a mood board in Notion: gallery databases, column layouts and embedded Pinterest boards, plus tagging, client sharing and image rights.3 min read · 17 October 2026