I'm Back

I remember you, welcome back! :))))

Hi, I wasn't here a year ago. At least you have a plan, now all you need to do is make it look like that!:)

Are those two green patches lawn or plants?

Hope you manage to get it done this year, and good luck with the dog.

Hi Michaella, good to see you. How are you?

Hi Louisa, welcome to GOY, pleased to meet you. The two green patches are lawn. The little square bed by the house I'm planning as a raised herb garden and the beds around the smaller circular lawn I'm thinking about raised beds. Possibly veg, possibly flowers, possibly both lol. The little side garden I would like to look something like this http://www.houzz.com/photos/200849/debora-carl-landscape-design-mediterranean-landscape-san-diego just without the big pot in the middle of the circular bit (well I would like it, but don't think it will be practical - the side garden is our main access as we park at the back of the house).

That looks like an attractive design - hope the weather lets you get on with it this year!

I wasn't here either but nice to meet you, good luck with your plan and fingers crossed for good weather :)

Nice to see you back Samjp. I like the look of your plan and look forward to following your progress.

Welcome back :o)
I like your plan, and I hope we get a better summer this year, so that you can make some progress.

welcomeback! it's a pain when stuff gangs up on you to that extent; so glad you were able to work through it or past it.

I love the plan you show - what did you use to make it?

Hi Steragram, Denise, Hywel and Fran good to see you all.

Hi Dirtyred, nice to meet you.

Thanks for your comments everyone, pleased you like my plan. Fingers crossed we get somewhere. I'm dragging my OH out today to look at paving - whether he likes it or not lol. I'm so sick of coming home at night to that awful garden. Its even worse when the weather is nice. My aim for this year is to get the garden to the point where I can sit out in the sun with a glass of wine.

Fran I've used Google Sketchup for the plan. Its takes a bit longer to build (its all done from basic shapes), but I find it easier to use than most of the free garden design programmes. I usually struggle to build the odd shape of the garden in the other programmes.

I've tried Sketchup, but got hopelessly lost trying to create 3-d images. never thought of using it to make a plan, I'll have to give it another go.

I bought Geoff Hamilton's Garden CD-R, but got lost in that, too: the text size was tiny, and the "0" haseline was two screens down the page. lol if I ever find it again, and anyone on GoY wants to give it a go ...(same with the 3d home design software)

Hi Fran, the plan I've shown is the birds-eye view of a 3D image. I find I work better when I can put my ideas into a 3D format.

Sketchup takes a bit of getting used to. I thinks its relatively intuitive but there are tools which don't work as you would expect. The best thing about sketchup for me is the ability to draw a line, square etc and type the size you want it to be (in either metric or imperial and full size). There are a load of how to videos on you tube which really helped me to learn how to use sketchup (in a basic way).

Have you tried the BBC online garden design program. Its quite basic and I must admit curved lines are a complete pain to draw but its pretty good. You draw everything out in 2D, fit in their basic plants, pergolas, benches etc then you can view it in 3D and basically walk around your design. Considering its free its not bad, just not very good for a strangely shaped garden like mine.

thanks, Samip! I think I stumbled across the BBC design page ages ago, will see if I still have the link, or ask that nice Mr Google. My place is allstraight lines, sigh, so no probs with curves. Then I'll try Sketchup again. If it does for me half as good as it did for you, it'll be enough!

Let me know if you can't find the link fran I think I've got it saved. Same goes if your having problems with sketch up. I'll see if I can help. Good luck with your plans.

found it, but ... prob with non-standard screen resolution. Got the page up, half of it, anyway, the other column, other half of the page, overwrote most of it, even zooming right out didn't help.
Sounds about right -sigh*

Oh dear sounds like your not having much fun with it. What screen resolution do you use?

i have lowest res possible, 600x800 - and I'm using a 42" TV as monitor and still need 24 front in Word and 150 % zoom online : gives you some idea of how good my vision is!

I could probably find soemthing that I could work with, but only getting half the page don't help! lol it's like groping in the dark with one hand behind you. Half the prob is that help menus often aren't very helpful (even if they're readable) - you ca'nt say to one, I do'nt understand this, explain it to me. This is why people are always better! there's someone who knows a bit, i'll have to ask him next time he visits.

My garden's all straight lines, so I managed to do a scale plan, using Word table - not colour or as good-looking as yous, but it does. I don't really *need* to know how to do it, but it'd be nice to know how anyway.

Sounds like your having great fun :-S

since you've got a fairly simple garden you might be ok with sketchup. If you can understand the basic tools you'll manage. There are loads of video tutorials on You Tube and the Google help pages.

Hope your friend can point you in the right direction.