Garden blogging

Alt text for your garden photos

Alt text is a short written description attached to an image. Screen readers read it aloud to people who cannot see the photo, browsers show it if the image fails to load, and search engines use it to understand what the picture shows.

Updated 26 Oct 2026 · Facts checked against the sources at the end.

Illustration of a garden table with an open notebook, a pencil and a potted herb
AI illustration (decorative).

How to write it

  • Describe what matters in the photo for this post. The same photo may need different alt text in a post about pests than in a post about color.
  • Name the plant. 'Purple coneflowers' is better than 'flowers'.
  • Keep it short, usually a sentence or less.
  • Do not start with 'image of' or 'picture of'. Screen readers already announce that it is an image.
  • Do not stuff keywords. Write for a person, not a search engine.
  • Leave alt text empty for purely decorative images, such as a divider line. The W3C alt decision tree walks through these cases.

Examples

WeakBetter
IMG_2041.jpgCherry tomatoes ripening on the vine in a raised bed
flowersPink peony fully open after a spring rain
garden garden plants best gardenHosta leaves with slug holes along the edges
my potsThree terracotta pots of basil, thyme and rosemary on a balcony rail

Also name your files well

Google's image SEO guidance recommends descriptive file names and placing images near related text. 'pink-peony-spring.jpg' tells more than 'DSC0012.jpg'. Add a caption when the photo needs context that the text does not give.

Before you post, also check what the photo file reveals about you; see photo location data.

Frequently asked questions

What is alt text?

A short text description of an image, read by screen readers, shown when images do not load, and used by search engines to understand the picture.

How long should alt text be?

Usually one short sentence or less. Describe what matters in the photo for that page.

Does every image need alt text?

Every meaningful image does. Purely decorative images should have empty alt text so screen readers skip them.

Sources

Written in our own words from the sources above. See our editorial policy. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.