For folks who love a little order in their lives, there is something very soothing about the checkerboard pattern. Graphic, precise and, well, neat, those lined up squares bring order to any underfoot situation. So it’s no surprise that checkerboard patterns in the garden have been around a long time (though not without some controversy, see below) and yet still pop up in modern gardens for both maximalists and minimalists.

A checkerboard patio using fake grass and pavers in a garden in urban Toronto.

The garden seen in photos immediately above and below is a great example of a checkerboard pattern that brings full-on design excitement to a very small urban garden. There’s a practicality to this checkerboard patio and pathway as well. The entire area uses fake grass so there’s no weeding needed to keep things looking tidy and, since it’s a small garden so foot traffic is concentrated in a tiny space, there won’t be signs of wear and tear any time soon.

Above left: The checkerboard theme melds into full pavers at one side of the patio. Above right: the diagonal squares continue as a path down to a charming seating area at the bottom of the garden.

Choosing your materials

A checkerboard garden bed with perennials featuring a variety of foliage colours.

Although a checkerboard garden element may seem rather minimalistic the treatment is wide open to choices of materials. For the hard surfaces, pavers are a no-brainer but there are loads of other options that help to reinforce the theme you’re going for such as:

RECLAIMED BRICK set in a basketweave pattern, eight to each square, for a country garden feel

GRAVEL filling squares outlined in pieces of black lawn edging for a modern look

MULCH corralled into squares edged with rocks or sections of thick branches for a rustic look

The plants you choose to go into the other squares is completely up to you given your sunlight and soil situation. One caveat is that the plants really ought to be low growing. Tall plants would hide the checkerboard pattern, defeating your purpose. Carpet thyme, a so-called stepable herb, or any creeping perennial is a popular choice as is fake grass (see above).

One classic option is moss although back in the day a moss checkerboard garden was considered close to blasphemous. Japanese designer Shigemori Mirei created a checkerboard moss garden for Kyoto’s Tofuku-ji temple in the late 1930’s. During that tumultuous time, using Western-style geometry for an ancient temple was considered scandalous. Eventually, everyone got over it and nowadays it’s still thriving and considered one of the most beautiful gardens in the world.

For a good how-to guide on making your own moss checkerboard garden, check out Ask The Expert: 7 Tips For Making A Moss Checkerboard by Cheryl Locke in Gardenista.

You don’t have to start from scratch, either. Better Homes And Gardens has a great article on creating a checkerboard design using an existing lawn. Pavers are placed into square holes you’ve cut into the turf.

When rigid geometry is not your thing

Of course, there will always be those people who need to mix things up a bit. (I salute you.)

A front garden in urban Toronto featuring pavers in a square pattern minus the checkers.

You can always borrow the sensibility of the checkered grid pattern and loosen up the look. Try pavers set in squares, for instance, as seen above. Or start with straight-sided pavers in a grid pattern with random spaces left open for plantings (see below). In both cases, you get that calming geometric feeling without the rigidness of a total checkerboard.

Square plant containers echo the grid pattern in a tiny front garden.

No garden? No problem.

And if you’re into teeny tiny moss checkerboards, there’s also the option below. What a terrific idea for the apartment dweller with a roomy balcony.