A couple suggestions I think would be nice would be the incorporation of custom shapes. As we all know curves soften edges etc. So far this program doesn't really allow you to make an inverted curve or a curved pathway for instance. It could incorporate tabs possibly similar to a program called "chief architect" to use curves or other features. It basically allows you to open a tab to turn on a cad type ability.
Another idea is to allow the user to put in other features more oriented to a floral garden or landscaping such as raised beds, bushes, water features and fencing to name a few. After all this is for planning a garden as well as monitoring it.

I have been trying to design a garden that is a basic rectangle with curves incorporated, raised beds, paths, a water feature, sitting area with arbor and garden shed. This design incorporates a bit of every type of plant as well from fruit trees to vegetables to flowers and shrubs. SO in order to do this it is very dificult with this program as it is right now.

Let me look into inverted curve. I see this as a limitation and it would be nice to have this feature.
As a CAD user myself I look to what I can take from the CAD world without requiring it to be too geeky or make it hard to use.

What are you lookng for to help layout your area? Are you looking for a set of graphics that you could add that would be more visual?

Thanks,
Roy

Roy,

I understand not wanting it to be too geeky or hard to use, thats why I suggested somthing similar to the "Chief Architect" program. The basic program is an easy to use click and drag format to create yet wiht the extra tabs it also allows you to enter into the cad based area to do custom things.

More visual would be good, specifically something that gives a average size of the plants etc. for spacing requirements. I think that would greatly help because it would allow a user to maximize there plantings and get a better visualization of there project. Also if somehow you could incorporate a 3-D feature I think that would help as well. It would allow the user to see it in a view which could help decide on the light requirements for that plant as well as the desired appearance they are going for. For instance you wouldn't want to plant several rows of corn and then put something small next to it that requires more light, because depending on the orientation (north, south, east, west) it could effect the amount of sunlight the area next to the corn, or next to a building, gets. Adding textures like for dirt, grass or gravel etc could help as well as a custom call out feature to label something.

The garden layout I did on here should give you some idea of what I am trying to design. I went as far as I could as far as the shape and features I was trying to add. It is actually based a little on the design of "The italian water garden" at Longwood gardens except it is a functional garden for vegatables and flowers not just a lawn with paths and water features. If you search the web for chief architect and the longwood gardens sites and compare to my lay out you'll have a pretty good idea of the direction I'm trying to head.

Hopefully that gives you an idea of what I'd like to see!
thanks
Troy

Very few gardeners work with perfect rectangles, triangles and circles. There needs to be a way to free form garden shapes, especially if you are going to expand into flower beds, which seems to be the most requested change.