Table of contents
- What must a virtual garden planner be able to do?
- software
- Online Garden Planner
Virtual garden planning accompanies you from the idea to the finished dream garden. Gardening inspirations can unfold freely on the way to the perfect combination of paths, water worlds, plants, flowers and garden decoration. In order to put your vision of the green retreat into practice, you can leave your wallet behind. A wide range of digital planning aids is available to you at no cost. This guide introduces you to 3 software and 5 online garden planners that are free and tried and tested.
What must a virtual garden planner be able to do?
Only providers that have the following functions made it into our selection of free software and online garden planners:
- Enter exact property dimensions
- Realistic representation, ideally in 3D view
- Flexible arrangement of components such as a pond, seating area, pavilion
- Integrating paths, walls, green spaces with variable substrates
- Extensive database of trees, shrubs, flowers and aquatic plants
- Storage of all design options
Another quality feature are good test ratings from users. Before you invest the time and effort into a program, it helps to look at the experiences of other home gardeners.
software
Virtual garden
The BBC's 3D design program is aimed at gardeners who want to plan their green paradise on the PC. The operating language is English and the software is free. To begin, draw the exact shape of the garden and add appropriate flooring. In the menu, a diverse range of options invites you to browse, select and arrange. Finally, take a virtual walk through your new dream garden. A tutorial for operation and ready-made gardens for inspiration are advantageous for beginners.
- Advantages: Plan in 3D view, operation suitable for laypersons
- Disadvantage: Operating language English
Edraw
Edraw is a sophisticated program for quick access to private garden planning. The application can be downloaded free of charge for a period of 30 days. This period is usually sufficient for the new and redesign of your own garden. The easy-to-understand program has a large selection of symbols and components that can be put together to form the finished garden plan. Ready-made floor plan templates act as inspiration for unimaginative gardeners. You can download the approved result at the end and save it for later fine-tuning. The only downer is the unrealistic 2D display.
- Advantages: easy-to-learn operation, presentation-quality plans, save and process in various formats
- Disadvantages: Only free for 30 days, then subject to a charge, in 2D display
TurboFloorPlan Pro
Are you faced with the challenge of planning a large, park-like garden? Then the extensive TurboFloorPlan Pro application software comes into focus. The English-language program is free for 14 days and provides a well-founded insight into all design options. The demo version offers a good insight into the powerful, professional solution for successfully planning your outdoor living space. No previous knowledge is necessary. You can plan your dream garden step by step using the uncomplicated drag & drop method. Practical cost estimation tools are available to ensure that the budget does not get out of hand despite all the planning enthusiasm.
- Advantages: Operation without prior knowledge, good overview even in large parks
- Disadvantages: free 14-day demo version, operating language in English, oversized for the small private garden
Online Garden Planner
OBI garden planner
The free OBI planning tool convinces in several respects. As soon as you start the conception, you can make a concrete selection in all categories of creative garden design. You can either plan a single project or devote yourself to an imaginative complete design. Since the costs play a central role in every garden planning, the prices are always in view. Unfulfillable wishes beyond your budget and the associated disappointments are therefore excluded. Hand and foot receives the finished layout with a complete shopping list and useful step-by-step instructions, which can be emailed to you if you wish. After a test, we can recommend the OBI GartenPlaner as a practical free tool for a successful planning phase.
- Advantage: Individual plan with list of materials and self-assembly instructions
- Disadvantage: exclusively OBI products
Gardena MyGarden
Gardena's free online garden planner works as a sophisticated app directly in your internet browser. You can plan and draw your dream garden without the hassle of registering or time-consuming downloading. Ready-made templates make it easier for gardeners to start looking for ideas. One click is enough to create an arrangement of diverse objects and move them around until everything fits. Rotate, scale and duplicate beds, hedges, shrubs, plants, paths and ponds until your gardener's heart beats faster. As befits the market leader in garden irrigation, a sprinkler planner is included in the app. Numerous example gardens and design ideas give impetus to horticultural creativity. If you then take the time to register, you can save the finished plan.
- Advantages: easy handling, true-to-scale planning including sprinkler system, save drafts
- Disadvantage: no 3D view
Tip:
Your individual garden design will become a successful project if you take a seat in the middle of the area beforehand. As you internalize the unique flair on site, crowds of creative ideas will later bubble up in the virtual world.
Gestaltedeinengarten.de
A much frequented website for virtual garden concepts should not be missing in this selection. As a welcome, a German-language video guide familiarizes you with the most important functions. After just 4 minutes you know exactly how to operate the uncomplicated drawing program. Select the garden shape and then enter the exact dimensions. A comprehensive library offers a colorful range of recommendable components. The selection ranges from suitable building elements and path coverings to plants of all kinds. Shape an exemplary garden plan step by step according to your mood and budget. In the test, an integrated plant encyclopedia proved to be helpful in the search for site-specific planting. On the right-hand side of the interface, a list of materials provides a good overview at all times. Registered users can save their plans.
- Advantages: helpful video instructions, easy operation
- Disadvantages: Free version in 2D view
Tip:
The pleasing planning program "Gestaltedeinengarten" is also available as an app under the name "garDsign". Simply register for free, enter your password and you can get started as a virtual garden designer.
Gartendialog.ch
This online garden planner has set itself the task of illustrating your dream garden in three steps. In the first step, you filter according to your favorite look and desired atmosphere. From Asian to representative to urban, you have 9 options to choose from. You also determine which activities are to be prioritized. A garden with children playing follows other premises than an oasis of calm. Other selection criteria are plants, materials, equipment and color palette. The second step presents a selection of colored images of your preferred design variants. The finale is a collection of images of favorite ideas as a starting point for concrete planning work. In the test, we received a complete dossier that can be sent by email free of charge or saved as a PDF on the computer.
- Advantage: pictorial visualization of almost unlimited design ideas, ideal source of inspiration
- Disadvantages: Only suitable for getting started with garden planning, no precise, true-to-scale planning option
Garden Planner
The Garden Planner is at your side, click by click, on the way to the garden paradise of your dreams. The application runs free of charge via the browser for a period of 14 days. The English-language program welcomes you with a plan view and invites you to gradually place the desired garden components. Everything that belongs in a beautiful ornamental garden is available on the menu. Suitable tools for processing are also available. In the test, it worked both freehand and via a properties menu. At the end, you export the finished garden plan as an image file or print out the result directly, optionally together with a complete object list.
- Advantages: intuitive operation, clear user interface, extensive selection of components, saving and printing possible
- Disadvantages: in English, subject to a charge after 14 days
garden editorial I write about everything that interests me in my garden.
Learn more about garden planning
Design a garden on a slope | 11 tips for the slope garden
Plots on a slope usually offer a fantastic view and are therefore very popular. But the unobstructed view into the distance takes its toll. Sloping land often has to be elaborately processed in order to create a usable garden.
Garden planning costs – that’s how much a garden architect costs
A beautifully designed garden is not a product of chance, but the result of well-founded garden planning. The professional garden architect understands the skilful combination of a large number of significant factors that come together to form a green, natural refuge. This guide provides an overview of the costs with tips for savings.
Boulders in the garden - tips for garden design
Stones are not only used in the well-known Japanese rock gardens for the design and structuring of garden areas. Because even in German gardens there are always stone elements that attract the attention of owners and visitors through their good positioning and the special effect.
Creating and designing a stone bed - instructions
For many hobby gardeners, creating a bed of gravel or stone is part of the design of the front yard: it should Leave a neat impression on neighbors or passers-by and the main view of the house is positive round off Find out everything you need to know about stone beds and their care.
Build a natural stone wall yourself – instructions
A natural stone wall is a wall that can be constructed of a variety of stones, but is often constructed of sandstone or hewn limestone. Which stones are selected for this also depends on the taste of the landowner.
Design your own garden – garden design for beginners
Having a garden is a real gift for most of us. Which, however, cannot be enjoyed without work, especially in the initial phase, because a garden wants to be designed, and this garden design cannot be done without information, planning and consideration.
