Abstract: The management and operation of gardens is an important support for the existence of royal gardens of the Qing Dynasty. On the basis of documents and the Regulations of the Royal Household Bureau of Qing Dynasty, this paper discusses the duties, income sources and operation modes as well as expenditure and earnings management of the administrative institutions of the Qing dynasty. It sums up the management framework based on plant production. The royal gardens of Qing Dynasty had gradually had a clear division of management as a result of rounds of reforms. In addition to the daily maintenance, the departments mainly undertook the plant production-oriented operations of each garden. Through the elaborate utilization of various resources and the combined land management of planting and leasing, the royal gardens had basically balanced budget of maintaining the gardens by themselves. And this operation mode had created a large area of background landscape along the water and productive plant ornamenting the garden. The paper draws the conclusion that plant landscape of the royal gardens in Qing Dynasty was valuable not only for the ornamental function, but also serving as a material foundation for the garden’s existence.