FREE LANDSCAPE DESIGN CLIMATE ANALYSIS WORKSHEETS

When designing a regenerative landscape, it’s tempting to jump straight into choosing plants, but understanding your local weather patterns is one of the most important steps you can take for long-term success.

What is a Climate Analysis?

A climate analysis is simply the process of gathering weather and climate data specific to your land. Instead of guessing when the first frost hits, or where the wind usually comes from, you're using real, recorded data to guide your design decisions.

This helps you choose plants that will thrive, place structures where they’ll be most effective, and design systems that work with nature instead of against it.

What's in the worksheets?

In the worksheets provided below, you’ll explore:

• Frost pockets: Where on your property is most susceptible to frost & lingering snow?

• Seasonal temperatures: What are your average highs and lows in each season?

• Seasonal prevailing winds: What direction does the wind usually come from in summer vs. winter?

• Sun/shade dynamics: How much sunlight does your site get throughout the year & where is the shade?

• Grow zones: What USDA Hardiness Zone are you in?

• Diurnal temperature shifts: How much does it cool off overnight, especially in the summer?

• Average humidity: What is the average humidity index in the summer and winter?

These elements help you map how your land breathes, warms, cools, and protects itself. By understanding this data, it'll help you identify micorclimates, mitigate issues, & help you pick the best spot for your plants.

Tips on Finding Local Climate Data

Here are some great online resources to help you fill out the worksheets:

• NOAA Climate Data – Search by zip code for historical temperature, precipitation, and frost dates.

• USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map – Find your grow zone based on average minimum winter temperatures.

• WeatherSpark – Offers easy-to-read seasonal graphs of temperature, cloud cover, wind, and more for many locations worldwide.

• Windy.com – Great for visualizing prevailing winds and wind patterns.

• Time and Date – Good for historical temperature patterns and sunrise/sunset times.

• Climate.gov – A bit more advanced, but full of interactive climate maps and educational tools.

• Google Earth Desktop Version (free): The sundial icon helps you see daily and seasonal shade dynamics

So grab the free worksheets from the link below, take your time gathering the data, and let nature guide your design!

LANDSCAPE CLIMATE ANALYSIS.pdf

Download PDF • 4.70MB