software for landscaping and garrdening?

I have been searching for freeware or inexpensive software that would help me plan our landscaping, I have no drawing talent whatsoever and so it would be very difficult for me to sketch out what I have in my head...

Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Janie

I found one by Burpee seeds at the dollar store. But am not sure it is worth the dollar I paid for it! Maybe it is just me not knowing how to use it but if you want it it is yours! Just email me your address.

I bought this one:
http://www.gardencomposer.com/

However, it hasn't been much help to me, since I'm working with a 5 acre area, and it has only limited garden shapes.

If you find one that works well for you, I'd love to hear about it. I'm starting over with my landscaping since we tore up the yard to move out the trailer house and build a house. I've walked around this yard all weekend and still am back to my hand drawing of the house and garage. LOL! No landscaping ideas coming easily here.

I do have the shady area around the house planned out though, since I have hostas coming in the mail and some coming up that are wondering where their house went. I needed to prepare that area so I can plant/move those hostas. They are a priority. I'll work off of that.

We went to a landscaping seminar yesterday, and now DH is all enthused about a pond. So, we need to work that into the plan, but it only needs to be dug and layed out this year. Next year will be pond year. Too many other things to do this year.

Opps, I've been rambling. Sorry. Please let me know what you come up with, or email me.

Joan

I have a CD called 'Easy Home Gardening'. It is old, the label brags that it works with Windows 95! It is OK, not wonderful, and it covers Gardening 101, including landscaping design. And it even has a Gardening Journal!

I will be more than happy to send it to you, or if you come anywhere in the Columbus area, stop over and I will just give it to you. I haven't used it for at least 4 years.

Computer junkies are worse about keeping stuff than Gardening junkies ;D

Kathy

Janiejoy, Belledonna has some software that she leant to me. I sent it back to her since I just didn't have time this year, but you may want to email her about it. Just a thought...

Complete 3D Land Designer by Sierra is what I use.

I took a picture of my back patio and then inserted plants
to see how it would look.

a

That is what I am looking for, TLC! Thanks, I'll search for that!

Sierra On-Line Main: (425) 644-4343
Technical Support Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. PST
P.O. Box 85006 Fax: (425) 644-7697
Bellevue, WA 98015-8506 http://www.sierra.com
Email: support@sierra.com

I love that program. I have Complete 3D Landdesigner 6.0, which includes that and a couple of 3D rendering programs which will show bloom times and the view of the garden at different times of year and future years as it grows. There's a discussion of it in the computer forum, too: http://davesgarden.com/t/379460/

P.S. I don't think Sierra makes this anymore. It was at Sierrahome.com -- http://sierrahome.com -- but now it's only card-making and desktop stuff.

It's available from various online vendors, still, and you can find it used around online, too. Here's one vendor with it for $29.95: http://www.cdromusa.com/asp/moreinfo.asp?pid=HO574

This message was edited Sunday, Apr 27th 10:50 PM

Found it and ordered it at $29.99, ver. 7.0

Looking forward to it - thanks for your help, everybody!

Glad you are ordering it. Have not used it very much yet but plan to. There is a definite learning curve with it.
Helps when you get stuck to have someone to confer with.
A

There are some great user groups on the web - check out

Quite a bit of discussion in the rec.gardens and rec.gardens.roses newsgroups: http://groups.google.com/groups?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=landdesigner+6

Sierrahome.com user forums about gardening: http://community.vugames.com/WebX?13@11.5rTjb843TXa.0@.ee741cb

NOTE: The archive is there, but the newest support forum is at http://www.valusoftsupport.com/Results.asp?search=full&show=titles&results=20&submit=prod&pid=192&submitgo=GO%21

Here's the product history. No WONDER it's so confusing! http://community.vugames.com/WebX?230@11.5rTjb843TXa.3@.ee7581a

This message was edited Monday, Apr 28th 12:25 PM

Thanks, GW!

Those user forums may come in really handy!

TLC

Yeah, thanks TLC and GW...

Looking forward to getting into it and seeing what I can do to make it work for us.