Garden (re)design

I was searching for the same info a couple of months ago and every review/comment I read said that none of the packages were any good.

The only thing you need is the ability to visualise it and maybe a small drawing package like Corel draw for plan view stuff.

Since lanst never ever conform to expectation, fancy 3d renderings of how it will look are a total aste of time ...:-)

every

good.

I wouldn't know about that, but my wife is soon to embark on an HNC (part-time over 2 years) in garden design. I accompanied her to the preliminary interview/chat with the course leader.

He and the professional designers he knows all do it on paper. CAD (dedicated garden design software is a specialist type of CAD) used to be taught on the course but people spent too much time getting to grips with the mechanics of the software and not enough time thinking about design, so they dropped it. Basically, it got in the way of the creative process. CAD is now a module in the HND (full time) course only.

He said that CAD has a place, but basic design work is easier on paper. Also, clients expect the personalised and arty look of a hand-drawn and coloured plan.

OTOH he has the design process and a wide knowledge of plants firmly in his head. I am sure there are less skilled people out there who swear that some package or other is the bee's knees!

W.

Thanks for the replies Guys.

If its just plan layout stuff you want, then Visio has a fair amount of garden related symbols in its library. May help at the "shuffle things round til the look right" part of the design process!