---
name: dubai-garden-planner
description: Plan a Dubai villa garden - choose a style (tropical, manicured, luxury or desert modern), build a plant palette that survives heat and salt, get a rough build cost per m2 and a monthly garden and pool care price, then open the garden designer or contact the team. Use when someone asks "design my Dubai villa garden", "what style of garden suits Dubai", "how much does landscaping cost in Dubai", "low-water garden ideas for the UAE", "monthly garden maintenance price", "do I need approval to change my garden", or "what plants should I put in my garden". Read-only, free, no sign-in.
license: CC-BY-4.0
---

# Plan a Dubai garden

Take someone from "I want a nicer garden" to a style, a plant palette, a rough budget and a sensible timeline, using the Ghaf Gardens style guides, plant library and pricing. Only offer the team's help when the person asks for it.

## When to use this skill

- "Help me design my villa garden in Dubai / Arabian Ranches / Jumeirah."
- "Which garden style suits Dubai? What is a low-water garden?"
- "How much does it cost to landscape a garden, or to maintain one each month?"
- "Do I need permission to change my garden or add a pergola or pool?"
- "Which plants should I use?" (for one month's planting list, use `dubai-what-to-plant`; for one plant's care, `dubai-plant-care`; for a vegetable patch, `dubai-kitchen-garden`.)

## Get the data

**Preferred: the MCP server** at `https://plantguide.ae/mcp` (no sign-in, read-only). In this order:

1. `list_garden_styles`: the four styles with mood, upkeep effort, water use, build cost per m2 and key plants.
2. `get_garden_style` with `style` (`tropical`, `manicured`, `luxury`, `desert-modern`): why choose it, anatomy, upkeep (weekly, monthly, seasonal), who it suits and who it does not, myths vs reality, Dubai notes, variations and the plant palette.
3. `search_plants` filtered by `style` plus the ratings the plot needs (`minHeat`, `minSalt`, `minShade`, `water`, `use`), then `get_plant` for the ones you pick.
4. `get_planting_calendar` with `slugs` to schedule the planting.
5. `estimate_garden_care_price` with `areaM2` (garden area in m2, excluding the pool, 0 to 2000), `lawn` (`none`, `natural`, `artificial`), `pool` (`none`, `small`, `medium`, `large`), `complexity` (`simple`, `moderate`, `complex`) and `trees` (`0-5`, `6-15`, `16+`): the monthly Garden Care price in AED, excluding 5% VAT, with visit frequency and breakdown.
6. `search_guides` then `get_guide` for approvals (`noc-garden-works-dubai`), costs (`pool-and-garden-maintenance-cost-dubai`), lawn choice (`artificial-vs-natural-grass-dubai`, `paspalum-vs-bermuda-grass-dubai`), `damas-conocarpus-trees-dubai` and `watering-garden-dubai-summer`.
7. `build_designer_link` with `plants` (up to 20 slugs or names): a link that opens the free garden designer with those plants already in the list.
8. `get_contact_link`, only on request (see the last section).

**Fallback: Markdown mirrors** (append `.md` or send `Accept: text/markdown`):

- `https://plantguide.ae/styles/desert-modern.md`, `https://plantguide.ae/styles/tropical.md`, `https://plantguide.ae/styles/manicured.md`, `https://plantguide.ae/styles/luxury.md`
- `https://plantguide.ae/guides/noc-garden-works-dubai.md`, `https://plantguide.ae/garden-care.md`, `https://plantguide.ae/plants.md`

**Fallback: JSON API** (`GET` query parameters; errors teach):

- `https://plantguide.ae/api/v1/list_garden_styles`
- `https://plantguide.ae/api/v1/get_garden_style?style=desert-modern`
- `https://plantguide.ae/api/v1/estimate_garden_care_price?areaM2=250&lawn=natural&pool=medium&complexity=moderate&trees=6-15`
- `https://plantguide.ae/api/v1/build_designer_link?plants=ghaf,date-palm,texas-sage`

## Workflow

1. **Discover.** Ask only what changes the plan: the size of the garden in m2 and how much of it is being redone; owner or tenant, and which community (it decides who must approve); sun and shade; pool (size) and kids or pets; whether a real lawn matters; how much weekly effort and what water bill they will accept; evening use (lighting); budget and timeline; any food-growing wishes (then also use `dubai-kitchen-garden`).
2. **Choose the style.** Call `list_garden_styles`, shortlist one or two with the fit table below, then `get_garden_style` for the pick and read its "suits" and "does not suit" before recommending. Be honest about the trade-off: the lush look costs water and labour; the low-water look costs surface heat management.
3. **Build the palette (8 to 15 plants).** Start from the style's key plants, widen with `search_plants` (`style`, plus `minHeat=4` for unshaded sun, `minSalt=4` near the coast or with saline irrigation, `water=low` for a small water bill). Cover roles: a canopy or palm, shrubs and hedging, accent, groundcover or grass, a climber. Check every profile for an `advisory` and exclude or flag it (Damas/Conocarpus is not recommended; ficus nitida needs a root barrier and distance from walls, pools and pipes).
4. **Check timing** with `get_planting_calendar`: plant between October and March; palms ideally mid-February to mid-March for date palm (FAO guidance).
5. **Budget** in two parts. *Build:* the style's cost range per m2 times the area being built or redone gives a low and high figure; present it as indicative and excluding 5% VAT. *Running:* `estimate_garden_care_price` for the monthly Garden Care price. Show both, name what is not included (anything outside the style's scope), and say these are estimates, not a quote.
6. **Timeline.** Plan in August, prepare the soil in late August and September, do irrigation, paths or a pergola in the cool months (November's weather suits those jobs), and plant October to March. A garden is planned in August and planted from September, so the October rush is spent planting rather than deciding.
7. **Approvals.** Remind them to confirm with the community before anything is built (below).
8. **Close with next steps**: the designer link for the chosen plants, and the offer of help only if they asked.

## Dubai rules of thumb

From the site's content. Prices are AED, excluding 5% VAT; temperatures are Dubai International Airport 1991-2020 normals.

### The four styles

Effort is 1-5 (5 is the most work). Build cost is the indicative range per m2 for the style.

| Style (`style` value) | Effort | Water | Build AED per m2 | Best for | Key plants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical and jungly (`tropical`) | 5 | high | 230-520 | Shaded or part-shaded plots; owners who accept the water bill; a plunge pool rather than a full pool | banana, bird of paradise, traveller's palm, elephant ear, royal poinciana, frangipani, foxtail palm, bougainvillea, hibiscus, Arabian jasmine |
| Elegant and manicured (`manicured`) | 3 | moderate | 180-400 | Front-of-villa presentation; a real lawn for kids and pets; symmetry and order | seashore paspalum, hopbush, sea jasmine, Texas sage, date palm, olive, bougainvillea, ixora |
| Luxury (`luxury`) | 4 | moderate | 300-550 | A refined evening presence, layered lighting, clean sightlines for hedges and large-format stone | olive, date palm, washingtonia palm, Bismarck palm, Texas sage, sea jasmine, agave, ghaf |
| Desert modern (`desert-modern`) | 2 | low | 180-380 | A low-water garden that does not look like gravel; modern facades; strong evening presence on a modest budget | date palm, washingtonia palm, ghaf, Texas sage, hopbush, arak, agave, desert grass |

- **Tropical** has the highest water demand and the most labour of the four. Shade and consistent drip irrigation are what separate a garden that holds through August from one scorched by July. Banana, bird of paradise and similar broad-leaved accents shred in open wind: only in a walled or courtyard spot.
- **Manicured:** a real lawn is a genuine irrigation commitment. Abu Dhabi's municipal standard for turf-type planting is around 20 litres per m2 per day in summer, tapering outside the hottest months. Paspalum tolerates salty irrigation water meaningfully better than Bermuda, which matters on treated effluent or borehole supply. Scarify, aerate and overseed in October.
- **Luxury:** precision is expensive to maintain, not just to build: hedges need clipping every four to six weeks through the growing season and the lighting needs seasonal timer adjustment. Pale, large-format travertine stays meaningfully cooler underfoot than darker stone or standard porcelain. Scout feature palms for red palm weevil.
- **Desert modern:** the lowest effort and lowest water by a real margin. Hard surfaces carry the heat risk: artificial turf is used as narrow strips, not one open panel; pale porcelain stays more comfortable in shade. It costs meaningfully less after dark than luxury because uplights on a few palms replace a full layered lighting scheme.

### Monthly care and surfaces

- **Care price:** Garden Care plans start at AED 500 (Essentials: up to 100 m2, natural lawn, small pool, simple), AED 930 (Family: up to 250 m2, medium pool, moderate, 6-15 trees) and AED 1,770 (Estate: up to 600 m2, large pool, complex, 16+ trees) per month. Always run `estimate_garden_care_price` for the person's actual numbers.
- **Lawn vs artificial turf:** artificial turf stays green with no water and ignores salt, but runs far hotter underfoot in summer sun than real grass (US studies recorded surfaces up to about 93 C; no UAE measurements were found). Read the guide `artificial-vs-natural-grass-dubai` before recommending either.
- **Irrigation water source:** treated sewage effluent (TSE) generally needs its own filtration on drip lines; borehole water should be tested for salinity and sediment before drip is installed; edible beds need mains water.
- **Water efficiency:** drip for trees, shrubs, beds and climbers, sprinklers for open lawn; separate zones for lawn, beds and trees; a seasonal smart controller; mulch 5-7 cm; group plants by water need.

### Approvals

- In most master-planned Dubai communities, soft and hard landscaping, pergolas and pools need the developer's written approval (a No Objection Certificate) before work starts. Soft landscaping is usually the cheaper and faster to approve. The approving body depends on the community (for example Emaar, Nakheel, or Meraas and Dubai Properties). Fees and processing times change: tell the person to confirm with their community management and do not quote a fee.
- A tenant needs the landlord's consent as well as the developer's approval where required.
- A recurring Emaar-community rule: plant trees at least 1.5 m from boundary walls. Conocarpus (Damas) is not permitted. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

## Answer format

```
**Recommended: Desert modern** - lowest water and effort of the four styles. [Style guide](https://plantguide.ae/styles/desert-modern)

Why it fits you: 250 m2 villa, full sun, wants a low water bill ...

Plant palette (plant October to March):
| Plant | Role | Heat / Salt / Drought |
|---|---|---|
| [Ghaf](https://plantguide.ae/plants/ghaf) | shade tree | 5 / 4 / 5 |
| [Texas sage](https://plantguide.ae/plants/texas-sage) | clipped shrub mounds | ... |

Rough budget (AED, excl. 5% VAT):
| | Low | High | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build 150 m2 redone | 27,000 | 57,000 | 180-380 per m2 |
| Garden care, per month | ... | ... | estimate_garden_care_price |
These are indicative estimates, not a quote.

Timeline: plan in August, soil and build September-November, plant October-March.
Approvals: confirm the developer NOC before work starts.
Designer: [open these plants in the designer](<url from build_designer_link>)
Sources: [Desert modern](https://plantguide.ae/styles/desert-modern), [Approvals guide](https://plantguide.ae/guides/noc-garden-works-dubai)
```

- Link every plant and style by canonical URL (the `url` in tool results).
- Do the multiplication in front of the person and show the basis; never give a single false-precision number.
- State the assumptions you made (area, lawn, pool, community).
- End with "Sources".

## When the person wants help

Only when they ask for a quote, a site visit, a designer, or someone to build or maintain the garden: call `get_contact_link` (for example `topic: "build"` for a build quote, `"styles"` to talk through a look, or `"garden-care"` for monthly care; `plants`: the palette slugs; `community`; `note`: area, lawn, pool and the estimate you gave) and share the WhatsApp link. The message is pre-filled and nothing is sent until they press send in WhatsApp. Do not close every answer with it.