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What design software do you use?

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Kweenie97  Send Kweenie97 a private message!


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Posted on Thursday, September 13, 2007 - 01:48 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Hello all! I'm new here and I've noticed that some of you have some niffty software for designing gardens. I'd love to know what you use! I've made a list of a bunch of different plants I like and I'm trying to figure out how to arrange them in my various beds. Ideally, I'd like something that can show me the garden in various seasons (if it exists). I get so frustrated with preplanned designs showing everything in bloom at once when that's not the way it happens at all. There are some great design minds in here so I'd love to know your tricks! Thanks so much!

Kristin

Kweenie97 - Michigan, Zone "5"
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Heirloomgardens  Send Heirloomgardens a private message!




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Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 03:31 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I just use Paint Shop Pro, my digital camera, and pictures I find on the Internet. It's not garden designing software, so I have to know plant heights and bloom times and keep that sort of thing in mind when I am designing, but I already had it for graphics design and it's good enough for my gardening purposes. (especially since my gardening projects never end up going as planned anyway)

Heirloomgardens - Massachusetts, Zone "5b"
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Flowerfreak  Send Flowerfreak a private message!



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Posted on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 08:52 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I use Sierra Home, Custom LandDesigner Home & Garden Suite. I bought another one a year or two ago, but forget what it is, as I only used it once. (I bought it b/c it was on sale and it shows the gardens through the different seasons. I just haven't made the time to use and get familiar with that program yet).

Flowerfreak - Ky, Zone "6a"
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Heirloomgardens  Send Heirloomgardens a private message!




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Posted on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 09:34 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Lisa, I use some sort of obscure plants sometimes that I think gardening software might not have in their databases (or however those things work). Does that software let you add your own flower pics, or how does that work exactly? I've always been tempted to buy that sort of software, but it seems sort of pricey for something that I'm afraid might not do what I expect it to be able to do.

Heirloomgardens - Massachusetts, Zone "5b"
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Flowerfreak  Send Flowerfreak a private message!



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Posted on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 10:00 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Good morning DJ

Yes, the software allows you to import other images either from the internet or pictures you scan into the computer. It also has a lot of other items preloaded such as: furniture, house structures (windows, doors, chimneys, etc), boulders, playground items, animals (hehe, once, just for fun, I put a DEER and a TURKEY in my front yard--and I live in the ((ugh))city, lol).

It is pretty simple once you get the hang of it. I happened to have a coupon for the store where I bought it AND it was on sale AND it had a rebate when I bought it. I couldn't pass it up! It does tend to stall/run a little slow every once in awhile, but overall its not too bad. You get the idea of how something would look anyway (I, like you, don't usually stick to my original plans either though! haha)

I need to dig out the other software I bought & use it on a couple of upcoming landscape jobs (or else my front bed I've been wanting to redo). I need to see if I like the software or not and just stick with one or the other. Otherwise, I need to pass it on to someone else who might be interested in using it so it isn't just collecting dust...

Flowerfreak - Ky, Zone "6a"
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Heirloomgardens  Send Heirloomgardens a private message!




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Posted on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 10:15 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

A good morning to you, too, Lisa!

And you can load in your own house or whatever for a backdrop, too?

Flowerfreak wrote on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 10:00 am:

once, just for fun, I put a DEER and a TURKEY in my front yard

HAHA!! Did they eat the virtual scenery? HAHA! I wonder if they make SimGarden? That would be a great video game! It sounds like you got a real deal on that piece of software. You sound like my kind of shopper!

Heirloomgardens - Massachusetts, Zone "5b"
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Flowerfreak  Send Flowerfreak a private message!



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Posted on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 10:38 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Heirloomgardens wrote on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 10:15 am:

And you can load in your own house or whatever for a backdrop, too?


Yep. You can load any picture and it will open it up inside of the program. For example, I started with this photo I had on my computer:
Plant Forum

and it opened just as you see it and allowed me to change the structure a little bit & add my landscaping:
Plant Forum
Heirloomgardens wrote on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 10:15 am:

It sounds like you got a real deal on that piece of software. You sound like my kind of shopper!


Oh yes, definitely a "Bargain Betty" shopper here!

Flowerfreak - Ky, Zone "6a"
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Posted on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 11:19 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Holy cow, that is very cool! Thanks for all the info. So sorry to have kept picking your brains about it! I think I will join the list of people who want gardening software for Christmas. I can see how it might interfere with the time I have for gabbing on this site, though. HAHAHA!!

Heirloomgardens - Massachusetts, Zone "5b"
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Flowerfreak  Send Flowerfreak a private message!



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Posted on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 12:25 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Heirloomgardens wrote on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 11:19 am:

Thanks for all the info. So sorry to have kept picking your brains about it!


Your welcome. No problem at all :)

I just realized something...that "green door" I put on those pictures of your house I was playing around with came from this software program!

Flowerfreak - Ky, Zone "6a"
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Heirloomgardens  Send Heirloomgardens a private message!




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Posted on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 12:35 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Funny! Strange that you mention that, because yesterday I was thinking about green doors and cream trim and I pulled up a picture of the orange house in a This Old House project that someone had pointed out to me. I knew it had cream trim, but lo and behold, it had a green door, too. HAHA!

Heirloomgardens - Massachusetts, Zone "5b"

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