Free Garden Tool
Garden Biodiversity Scorer
Evaluate your garden's ecological health across 6 scientific dimensions. Get research-backed recommendations to improve pollinator habitat, natural pest suppression, and soil biology — no pesticides required.
Why Garden Biodiversity Matters
A biodiverse garden is a self-regulating ecosystem. When you grow plants from many different families alongside beneficial insect habitat, your garden develops its own pest management system. Parasitoid wasps lay eggs inside caterpillars. Hover fly larvae consume aphids by the hundreds. Ground beetles patrol the soil surface at night, eating slugs and cutworms.
None of this happens in a monoculture. It requires intentional diversity — the right mix of plant families, bloom times, root architectures, and habitat structures. That is what this tool measures.
How the Scorer Works
Number of botanical families and species evenness
Pollinator, predator, and parasitoid support
Aromatic confusion, trap crops, and predator-prey balance
Family separation, rotation compatibility, and airflow
Nitrogen fixers, mycorrhizal networks, and root diversity
Seasonal balance, bloom succession, and overwintering habitat
Every data point links to its source — peer-reviewed research, university extension publications, or established field observations. We distinguish between documented (multiple studies), supported (single study or extension recommendation), and observational (practitioner consensus) evidence.
Understanding Your Score
Most gardens score between 40 and 65 on their first assessment. The tool provides specific recommendations for plants that will have the highest ecological impact. Even small additions — a patch of dill for parasitoid wasps, a strip of clover for nitrogen fixation — can move the needle significantly. Learn more about our approach to pesticide-free growing explore our companion planting guide to find specific pairings, or see our garden design services.
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