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Garden design software

Last post 28-08-2009 4:48 PM by spade monkey. 44 replies.

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  • 21/01/2009 01:13 PM
    In reply to
    • Digger
    • Northern UK
    • 18 Jul 2005
    • 4,743
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    If you visit www.complete-gardens.co.uk you can navigate around and there is loads of information and  samples of the cd rom

    digger Devil
  • 21/01/2009 01:18 PM
    In reply to
    • sue1002
    • Ipswich, Suffolk
    • 06 Sep 2005
    • 5,200
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     I see while I was looking for the link that digger has replied meanwhile - the link to the demo page is

    http://www.complete-gardens.co.uk/gardening-cdrom/cdrom-demos-gardening-software-cdrom.php

    sue1002
  • 29/01/2009 01:16 PM
    In reply to
    Top 500 Contributor
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    Hello there,

     I'm actually looking for a devoted garden planning and design software package.

     Joe Swift uses one for his Gardeners world magazine projects, I was after something like this ideally,

    any help would be welcomed.

    Thanks.

     

    Given the gift of growing your own is a reward far greater than buying veg from a supermarket, don't you think?
  • 02/02/2009 01:18 PM
    In reply to
    • NeilB
    • Oxford
    • 21 Jul 2007
    • 12
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    I think you'll find this site is free for part of the site then you'll need to subscribe and annual fee. Wyvale gave them a lot of funding which means Wyvale will want something in return and I suspect this is customers contact and email addresses.
    I sent my CD-ROM to Wyvale back in 2004. They liked the CD-ROM but I heard nothing more.
    It was a bit of a surprise that I learned that they had helped fund Shoot to get started.
    I spoke to Wyvale to ask what happened and they said that it was because the Complete Gardens CD-ROM had links to independent nurseries and web sites.
    They wanted all the links to go to Wyvale.
    I don't like a monopoly and although Wyvale don't stock the CD-ROM it good to be independent and give customers a choice
  • 02/02/2009 01:23 PM
    In reply to
    • NeilB
    • Oxford
    • 21 Jul 2007
    • 12
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    There is a demo on the www.complete-gardens.co.uk web site.

    The demo runs much slower than the CD-ROM.

    The demo does not list all the plants on the CD-ROM but we have made sure that we have covered most Genus.
  • 02/02/2009 06:16 PM
    In reply to
    • Nicola
    • UK
    • 02 Feb 2009
    • 5
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    Hi Neil - this is Nicola the founder of Shoot.

    Thanks all for the kind words about the website. It is great to discover that it is being talked about! Jill Cherry from the RHS mentioned that she saw that Shoot being discussed here when I met her at a recent event so I came to have a look.

    When I found your post I just had to clarify to you and the readers of this forum that Wyevale did not fund us, they have paid a licence fee to us to use our online plant database of 8,600 plants http://www.shootgardening.co.uk/sitePage.php?pageid=62&name=a-z-list (This number is being added to all the time and we enter plants that our members ask us to add for them.)

    This licence saved Wyevale the time and effort to recreate the plant content they needed from scratch - that is what they have paid us for. We have done the same for Squires, Frosts, Altons and Ruxley Manor garden centres too. 

    You will see that nowhere on the Shoot web site are there links to Wyevale or ads about Wyevale. Wyevale do not own any part of Shoot at all.

    Also, we have not sold to Wyevale, or to anyone else for that matter, the names and addresses of our members. I just wanted to clarifty these misunderstandings as this gives a poor impression of the site!

    You can try it out for Free. The advanced subscription, including the online design tool some of you have referred to, is a paid service for starting at £12.99. What you get is a personal 'my garden' space in which to keep unlimited plant lists for as many gardens as you like, your notes, and garden designs you create using our software. We also send you monthly care instructions by email on how to care for the plants in your garden.

    To see a sample member's page, her gardens, garden design layout, plant photos and forum posts click here below - it will give you a feeling for what you get with the site.

    http://www.shootgardening.co.uk/siteMemberProfile.php?profileid=1530

    Please let us know what you think if you do decide to give it a go.

    http://www.shootgardening.co.uk/serviceRegister.php

    Thanks! Nicola
  • 06/02/2009 06:39 PM
    In reply to
    • Nicola
    • UK
    • 02 Feb 2009
    • 5
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    Hi Neil,

    This is Nicola from Shoot. It is always interesting to find Shoot being talked about and it seems people really like what we have to offer. Jill Cherry of the RHS mentioned to me that we were being talked about on this forum, so I have come to have a look.

    I am also glad you are 'for' some choice in the market too. I just read your post and want to clarify some misunderstandings though.

    1) Wyevale did not fund Shoot, nor are they a shareholder of any kind - it is still owned by me and funded by me. They have paid us for the use of our plant database for their website as we have credible, good quality content about plants. Here is an article from Retail Week in May 2007 that explains what we have sold to them. http://www.shootgardening.co.uk/sitePage.php?pageid=120&name=retail-week

    We have done the same for the Garden Centres Frosts, Squires, Altons (who are also running a Shoot membership promotion right now http://www.alton-gardencentre.co.uk/ too) and Ruxley Manor. This is branded Beautiful Gardens like thier in-store magazine. Click here to see the site we have made for them http://beautifulgardens.shootgardening.co.uk/

    Finally, we have done the same for all members of the Horticultural Trades Association http://hta.shootgardening.co.uk/ in case you are interested.

    2) We have no weblinks or adverts on Shoot linking to Wyevale at all.

    3) We have not given/sold to Wyevale, or anyone else for that matter, the details of our membership

    I just needed to clarify these points as it otherwise implies we are biased and possibly misleading our membership, which we are not.

    All the best, Nicola

    (p.s. this is a link to 'my garden' page with further links to my plant lists, garden design layout plan, photos, forum posts etc. http://www.shootgardening.co.uk/siteMemberProfile.php?profileid=1627 Hope you give it a go too)
  • 05/04/2009 11:36 PM
    In reply to
    • patiopal
    • My Garden forums
    • 11 Feb 2009
    • 72
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    IF I am relocated to a small garden, is there a software package I can use to design my own garden, given my ideas, size and what I wish to achieve in this 'patch' and which might be suitable when designing for disability in mind...am I a bit ahead of myself with no garden...yet?

  • 25/05/2009 08:22 AM
    In reply to
    • nigelmoss
    • 25 May 2009
    • 1
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    My main interest is to compile a record of plants in my garden. Can this be easily done by picking from the plant list on Complete Garden software? And can I add searchable details such as location and planting date easily. Does the database have country of origin on?

    Can anyone advise me if Complete Gardens software is suitable or advise an alternative product?

    Thanks.

     

     
  • 25/05/2009 03:45 PM
    In reply to
    • Digger
    • Northern UK
    • 18 Jul 2005
    • 4,743
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    Yes complete gardens cdrom will do what you require, you can contact them from their website and discuss your needs.

    digger Devil
  • 26/05/2009 02:46 PM
    In reply to
    • Nicola
    • UK
    • 02 Feb 2009
    • 5
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    Hi NigelMoss - your question came into my inbox too, as I had replied to Neil earlier on in this string. You can try Shoot too - basic level subscription is free. http://www.shootgardening.co.uk Or you can just look at other people's gardens, plant lists, notes and photos. Hope you like it! Nicola
  • 08/08/2009 08:59 PM
    In reply to
    • patiopal
    • My Garden forums
    • 11 Feb 2009
    • 72
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    is there such software for designing patios, a weency weency sized one! I really want to take it seriously so that my garden/patio will be just what i want. I am a complete beginner in gardening. xpatio pal

  • 18/08/2009 11:41 AM
    In reply to
    • Mochamoo
    • 16 Jun 2009
    • 3
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    I need easy peasy garden design software, I am rubbish with computers! I emailed Neil but the software is just for plants not design. It is good software and I may invest in it in the future, but right now I am doing voluntary projects so I can't afford to spend loads.

    I'm looking at shoot but I would rather have the software on my computer rather than having to pay annual subscriptions and be online to use it.

     

    Any other ideas?

  • 28/08/2009 03:40 PM
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    Top 150 Contributor
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    Hi,

    I don't know too much about actual software packages, but from the stuff I have seen, a lot depends on what you want to do, the time you have to spend learning how to use the software and how much you want to spend.

    The main thing seems to be to ask questions related to what you want to do and then go from there. For example, the approach for someone looking to go into selling landscape services is likely to be different to personal projects or hobby usage.

    Off the top of my head, some of the questions would be things like:

    Business or personal use?

    Are you particularly looking at hard or soft landscaping or a mix of both?

    Are you looking for something to work as visualisation software or something that will help you calculate the number of bricks needed? If visualisation, do you want 2D or 3D?

    Take a look at the BBC's free tools - "Design a new garden with our user-friendly 'Virtual Garden' tool" at:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/design/

    For basic plans, the cheapest and simplest solution is still pencils and grid paper, especially if you are not familiar with graphics packages. A lot can be achieved with cheaper graphics software and I think there is still a free version of google sketchup (for 3D), but, one thing you do need is ideas and patience to get to grips with the software... and the software does not equip anyone with creativity; personally, I just look at software as just a different form of pencil and paper.

    If I remember rightly, some sales places have software where you can put in the dimensions and it'll work out what will fit re patios etc... I'll see if I can remember more details... sadly brain is functioning at half speed today. Smile

  • 28/08/2009 04:48 PM
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    Can't remember exactly where I saw the patio stuff, but maybe these might be useful:

    Random layouts:
    http://www.pavingexpert.com/random01.htm

    ...and calculations:
    http://www.pavingexpert.com/random01.htm#calcs

    For basic slabs:
    http://www.calcresult.com/diy/patio/slabs.html