Moon's Graden

I saw there was an earlier thread in this group that didn't seem to get
any response so I thought I would ask basically the same question in a
different form. Does anybody have any experience or comments regarding
landscape design or Garden planning software.  The two packages I have
examined, literally as I have not tried them, seem either short on
drafting horsepower or short on plant libraries.  I would like a package
that has the plant libraries, makes it easy to draw up a design with
existing symbol libraries and has a database for garden results.  If this
doesn't exist maybe we should try to make one and sell it. Any comments??
Michael L Mcwilliams

A dream is only tomorrow, unborn.

Ok there are two type of designing software.  Cheap under a 100 and
expensive over 800.00+

Cheap - generally 1-2d and limited plant libraries.  They work ok.  Most
allow layers, inventory and pricing to be done.  Some offer aging of
plants some offer side views, some 3d.  None offer all of them.

Expensive - are real 3d, extensive plant libraries.  These are really
designed for your landscaper who is running his own business.  Supports
drafting printers, color printers, overviews, side views etc etc....

The problem is that most people want the features of expensive for the
price of cheap.  

The expensive programs are REAL cad/cam programs,  Which is why they are
so expensive.  The real programs are great, it is just hard to justify
spending that much money for a program.

If you are interested send me a note and I will send you the names of the
companies.  Most of demo products that show what they can do as a self
running demo.  You can make your choice from them.

Good luck.

Martin Kosiak

I have been using Look Into the Garden - and for me, it has been
easy and I have been able to achieve great results.  This is
a different sort of package.  It deals with pictures which you
resize and place in the landscape.  I have been scanning in
lots of plants that I am interested in having.  I am never
without a camera now at all times of the year.  This is WYSIWYG
gardening software - all pictures, no bubble diagrams -

I love it -

Dominique

?Mum's the Word Plus? and their pro version ?bel terre pro? are in my
opinion clearly the most complete Mac-based gardening software products.

I am myself using bel terre pro with excellent results.

Please contact:
Terrace Software, P.O.Box 271, Medford, MA 02155. Phone 617-396-0382.

Product/price:
Mum's the Word Plus/USD 75
bel Terre pro/USD 295
Plants West (plants for USDA zones 9+10)/USD 39
Elevation Symbol Library/USD 89
Plan Symbol Library/USD 39

The last three items are add-ons to the two first programs, or can be used
separately in other drawing programs.

For other garden software programs, please see:

http://sunSITE.unc.edu/pub/academic/agriculture/sustainable_agricultu...

--
Ole Petter Vik, Connect AS, Blakstadmarka 26, N-1370 Asker, Norway.
Telephone +47-66 90 23 00. Telefax +47-66 90 23 05.

I don't know about a landscape design software but I really like my
Sunset Western Garden CD for garden planning. It has a wonderful
feature where you can find any plant for any area. Like perennial, 2ft
high, lavendar in color, full sun, moderate water. And it lists all the
plants in that category. Then if you click on one, it will show you its
picture, tell you all the different varieties and special care
instructions, audio to tell you how to pronounce it if your not Latin
literate, and sometimes an instruction video for special tips.

CD: I saw there was an earlier thread in this group that didn't seem to
CD: get any response so I thought I would ask basically the same
CD: question in a different form. Does anybody have any experience or
CD: comments regarding

   I've recently bought the 3D Landscape CD by Books That Work . I'm fairly
satisfied with it, paid about $35 at Comp USA . The biggest knock I have
against it is there is no facility to add plants to a database although
theirs is large . The pluses is the drafting side , growth over time,
shadowing over the course of a year or day depending on your latitude,
several cost and quantity estimator that are helpful.
 * RM 1.31 0866 * DESQview: faster than a Cray (running Windows).

Somehow I missed the entire original question. (Still trying to figure
out how to work this technology.)  I bought LandDesigner and used it to
create a plan of my project for a landscaping class.  You can add
plants to this database, and it even has a place where you can put the
flame retardant value of the plant (useful for this new firescaping
trend.)  The library of hardscape items (including a/c units and bird
feeders, etc.) was really very good.  There is a multimedia
presentation by White Flower Farm and some suggested garden designs
(all rectangular.)  My problem with it was that the draw functions were
awkward to use.  Basically you wind up creating a pre-defined type of
line or object, and then adjusting it to your needs.  It took me DAYS
to do my 100x300 lot!  I didn't really miss the 3D thing, but to be
able to show a different perspective would be really nice.  The program
costs the same as the 3D programs do.  I'm wondering if anyone has used
autocad?  I'd like to find a landscape program that you could simply
draw the lines with a mouse or pointer.  It's really hard to check out
these programs without purchasing them!

Marc,

I was able to modify the plants.db file with a goo text editor (Brief).  You
can't add plants, but you can carefully replace plants that you do not need.  
The fields are separated by TABS, just be careful not to delete the TAB
characters and your on your way.

Mark Stephens

{:-)}