Plot and Patch exists to answer one deceptively simple question as accurately as possible: how much do I actually need?
Whether you’re filling a raised bed, ordering gravel for a driveway, or working out bags of compost for a row of pots, getting the quantity right saves money and spares you a second trip to the supplier — or a bulk delivery you can’t send back. Most calculators online are built for one market and one unit. Ours are built to give you the answer in the bags, tonnes, and units your local supplier actually sells, wherever you are.
What we do
We build free, practical calculators for garden and building-materials projects, each paired with a clear, no-nonsense guide. Our tools cover:
- Raised bed and container soil — how much compost or soil to fill beds, planters, pots, and grow bags.
- Gravel, aggregate, and sub-base — tonnes and bulk bags for driveways, paths, and drainage, with the correct density for each material.
Every calculator lets you switch between regions and units — litres, bags, cubic feet, tonnes, cubic yards — because a gardener in Manchester, Melbourne, or Dubai shouldn’t have to convert American cubic-yard figures in their head.
Why we’re different
Three things guide everything we publish:
We use the right numbers. Different materials weigh different amounts, and bag sizes differ by country. Our tools account for both, so the tonnage and bag counts are right for what you’re actually buying — not a generic guess.
We explain, not just calculate. Each tool comes with a guide that tells you the depth to use, the waste allowance to add, and the mistakes to avoid — the context a number alone can’t give you.
We keep it honest. Our estimates are planning guides, and we say so. We tell you to round up, to verify bag sizes with your supplier, and where costs can be trimmed. We’d rather be useful than pushy.
Who’s behind it
Plot and Patch is written and maintained by Adam Parker, a keen gardener and DIY enthusiast who spent years frustrated by calculators built for other countries’ units. Plot and Patch is the tool set I wished existed when filling my first raised beds and laying my first gravel path.
EDITOR NOTE: replace this paragraph with your own real, specific experience — a project you’ve done, why you started this. Genuine detail here is what builds trust with readers and search engines.
Have a question, a correction, or a calculator you’d like us to build? We’d genuinely like to hear it — head to our Contact page.
About the author
Adam Parker
Founder and editor of Plot and Patch.
EDITOR NOTE: add 2–3 sentences of your real background with gardening, landscaping, or DIY here.
Contact: adam@plotandpatch.com