The spatial pattern of urban waterfront landscape is an important factor affecting the quality of urban culture and improving the recognition of the city. As the core material of urban landscape design, garden plants play a very important role in the construction of spatial pattern of urban waterfront landscape. The spatial pattern of garden plant landscape can be divided into three types: two-dimensional, vertical and special. The two-dimensional spatial pattern focuses on the construction of "meaning and form". The vertical spatial pattern focuses on the construction of "image". The special spatial pattern of garden plants focuses on the construction of "artistic conception". The three types are used to create a spatial pattern of urban waterfront landscape with rich spatial and temporal changes and artistic connotation.