OUCH!!! I'm not mean as intimmated, just not good with technology and I do not want to spend out on something that I do not understand. Quite happy to pay if it fits the bill. I have half an acre of lawn and gravel, so a joyful blank canvas. I have started with structural planting, but need ideas to infill vast tracts of green and gravel, playing with shapes -light and shade. I just felt an App would help. Better House and Gardens do a nice one, but I was looking for alternatives.
I did a quick search for professional garden design software. One from the USA is over £1000, and the other UK based product is pricing on request (which to me translates as very expensive).
So you have a 2,000 m² area of lawn and gravel as a blank canvas. I don't think what you need urgently is a piece of garden design software (especially is you are "not good with technology" in your own terms). I would advise seeking advice from a professional garden designer. They usually have a whole range of formulas to choose from, with a wide range of costs. Alternatively you might contact a reliable nursery. If you plan to place a sizeable order for plants, you will get a garden plan into the bargain.
Whatever you do, I strongly advise making a plan. I'm amazed by the fact that no-one these days would dream of building a house without consulting with an architect and drawing plans, but people create gardens by planting trees, shrubs etc. haphazardly with no plan.
No app is going to factor in such things as , budget, site issues such as levels, soil conditions, climatic conditions, long term maintenance, building / planning regulations for any structural work etc etc etc.
Thanks for all the great advice. Have found 2 good american sites as only want ideas to work from as have made 3 gardens from scratch before. This is just a fun challenge. -I moved with 310 plants instead of the 60 chosen! Rose Garden is in. Raised beds are in. Back Flower Border for Spring and Autumn is in. Fruits Bed is in -Now am challenged with S/W facing bank with dry neutral clay soil. and I would like to do something with the gravel area which surrounds the house. Only been here 2 months so have a achieved alot and all 310 plants in!! So far have added Rock Roses/Day Lilies/Teddy Bear Conifers/Grasses/Red Hot Pokers/Geums/and potentillas to bank plus Azaleas for height. All very happy.
Ah, you had not mentioned in your previous posts that you were an experienced gardener. So you put more than 300 plants in within 2 months, quite an achievement!
We are looking forward to pictures of your garden. And what are those US sites you mention in your post?
Papi Jo -Sorry for Silence. If someone can tell me how to upload photos from Picassa to this site -I will happily show you what I have done before. It is the Bank and the Gravelled Area which are new to me. Tablet with computer technician so have lost US site info -Will give details to you asap.
Have you tried Shoot gardening's planner? I was thinking of trying it, there is a free trial with limited plants etc. The full version is £36 a year. Looks like you can add plants and directory contains 10,000.
I did try the free version a few years ago and didn't think much of it. It may have improved since then. As it's a freebie why not try and see how you get on. Part of the problem for me was our long narrow garden which wouldn't scale up to anything useful on size.
Posts
OUCH!!! I'm not mean as intimmated, just not good with technology and I do not want to spend out on something that I do not understand. Quite happy to pay if it fits the bill. I have half an acre of lawn and gravel, so a joyful blank canvas. I have started with structural planting, but need ideas to infill vast tracts of green and gravel, playing with shapes -light and shade. I just felt an App would help. Better House and Gardens do a nice one, but I was looking for alternatives.
I did a quick search for professional garden design software. One from the USA is over £1000, and the other UK based product is pricing on request (which to me translates as very expensive).
@biofreak,
So you have a 2,000 m² area of lawn and gravel as a blank canvas. I don't think what you need urgently is a piece of garden design software (especially is you are "not good with technology" in your own terms). I would advise seeking advice from a professional garden designer. They usually have a whole range of formulas to choose from, with a wide range of costs. Alternatively you might contact a reliable nursery. If you plan to place a sizeable order for plants, you will get a garden plan into the bargain.
Whatever you do, I strongly advise making a plan. I'm amazed by the fact that no-one these days would dream of building a house without consulting with an architect and drawing plans, but people create gardens by planting trees, shrubs etc. haphazardly with no plan.
Dare I suggest using a Garden Designer?
No app is going to factor in such things as , budget, site issues such as levels, soil conditions, climatic conditions, long term maintenance, building / planning regulations for any structural work etc etc etc.
Thanks for all the great advice. Have found 2 good american sites as only want ideas to work from as have made 3 gardens from scratch before. This is just a fun challenge. -I moved with 310 plants instead of the 60 chosen! Rose Garden is in. Raised beds are in. Back Flower Border for Spring and Autumn is in. Fruits Bed is in -Now am challenged with S/W facing bank with dry neutral clay soil. and I would like to do something with the gravel area which surrounds the house. Only been here 2 months so have a achieved alot and all 310 plants in!! So far have added Rock Roses/Day Lilies/Teddy Bear Conifers/Grasses/Red Hot Pokers/Geums/and potentillas to bank plus Azaleas for height. All very happy.
Ah, you had not mentioned in your previous posts that you were an experienced gardener.
So you put more than 300 plants in within 2 months, quite an achievement!
We are looking forward to pictures of your garden. And what are those US sites you mention in your post?
Papi Jo -Sorry for Silence. If someone can tell me how to upload photos from Picassa to this site -I will happily show you what I have done before. It is the Bank and the Gravelled Area which are new to me. Tablet with computer technician so have lost US site info -Will give details to you asap.
Hi,
Have you tried Shoot gardening's planner? I was thinking of trying it, there is a free trial with limited plants etc. The full version is £36 a year. Looks like you can add plants and directory contains 10,000.
Cheers
I did try the free version a few years ago and didn't think much of it. It may have improved since then. As it's a freebie why not try and see how you get on. Part of the problem for me was our long narrow garden which wouldn't scale up to anything useful on size.