Hardware and software setup

Landscape planning on the site online. Site planning programs

With the acquisition or receipt of a land plot, a person dreams of immediately taking up a shovel and starting the use and improvement of blood acres. But it would be much more correct to initially evaluate and correctly plan the site in order to use it as efficiently as possible. After all, such preparatory work will allow faster construction and significantly reduce costs. The essence of the preparatory work is to evaluate according to a number of criteria and, depending on the data obtained, the preparation of the territory plan and the main works.

The most important natural factors influencing the planning of a land plot are:

soil type

The possibility of growing certain crops depends on the type of soil, and some soils even present difficulties in construction. Therefore, you need to familiarize yourself with the type of soil on the site in advance, for this you can use detailed soil maps, which should be in the local land management and cadastre department or even the village council. If they are not there, then you can independently determine the type of soil, for this it is necessary to take samples in several parts of the garden plot to a depth of about 10 centimeters. These lumps of earth need to be moistened with water and rolled into a ball, if the lump breaks up, then the soil is sandy. Next, you need to roll a roller out of the ball, if this did not work out, then the soil is sandy loam. If the roller is successful, then you need to twist it into a ring, while the loamy soil will crack, and the clay will keep its perfect shape. Sometimes, after determining the type of soil, you have to think about introducing imported fertile soil into the ground.

It is also important to determine the acidity of the soil, for this you can again contact the local authorities with a question or again act independently. To do this, you need to pour a handful of earth into a container, fill it with water and mix it, put litmus paper into the settled water and, based on the resulting color of the strip, conclude that lime or other substances that change the acidity level need to be added, you may need a whole program to change the acidity of the soil.

This factor is very important not only for growing plants, especially fruit trees with a deep root system, but also for extending the life of building foundations. In addition, with a close occurrence of groundwater during periods of spring floods and summer floods, basements, lower floors and land plots can be flooded, which threatens with dampness in buildings and loss of crops. Therefore, it is necessary to determine in advance the level of groundwater and the need.

Groundwater level at lach

To do this, two-meter wells are drilled on the territory of the garden plot in a dry summer, in which the water level is monitored using an ordinary tape measure. If it is less than 1 meter, then the drainage of the territory is simply necessary, and it is better to design and build it before the construction of buildings.

Orientation to the cardinal points

It is recommended to orient the house according to the cardinal directions. It is also very important to determine the illumination of the garden plot in order to properly plant light-loving and shade-loving plants. To do this, you need to mark the shadows cast by fences and buildings at 9, 12 and 18 hours. Triple-shaded areas have deep shading and are suitable for planting exclusively shade-loving crops, and unshaded pieces are suitable for planting light-loving flowers, shrubs and trees.

Direction of prevailing winds

Find out about the prevailing winds will help the local office of the hydrometeorological service. It is not good if northern winds blow most often on the site, because they reduce the activity of crop growth and contribute to their winter freezing. In this case, you will have to take care of protecting the territory from the winds with the help of high dense fences.

Relief

The site may have a different type of relief from absolutely flat to mountainous or hilly, a ravine, swamp, lake or other small forms of irregularities may fall on the land allotment. This greatly affects, since all buildings, garden and vegetable gardens must be placed in accordance with the individual characteristics of the unevenness of the earth's surface. also affects the planning style, for example, the classic symmetrical version is only suitable for flat areas that can be divided into square and rectangular zones, decorated with straight straight paths and green spaces. But on a sloping and complex terrain, landscape style is more suitable, which has smooth lines that repeat all the curves of the earth's surface.


Scheme of the plan of the suburban area

Plot shape and area

Plots can have various shapes from classic square to narrow rectangular, sector, L-like or triangular, examples of which can be seen in the photo. And the style and principles of site planning depend on this. The size of the plot is also important, the more acres, the wider the possibilities for design. At the same time, a huge amount of acres is much more expensive to equip and more difficult to maintain, so the owners of small plots should not lose heart.

As a rule, they have 6, 9, 12, 15 and more than 20 acres. If there are 6-10 acres on the site, then each piece is worth its weight in gold, so you will have to abandon unnecessary buildings in order to avoid feeling bulky. And in large areas, you can use options with large lawns, artificial or natural reservoirs, rock gardens and even garden areas.

Site plan - the key to the success of construction

Of course, most owners of land allotments think about the desired layout in advance in their minds, but for the success of the business, all thoughts must be transferred to paper or a layout; for this, a plan diagram is better than nothing.

The main principles of its compilation:

  • first you need to determine the scale at which the scheme will be executed, 1:100 is best, that is, with a square plot of 9 acres, the side will be 30 m, which will be 30 centimeters on the plan, this is very convenient for perception and further calculations;
  • further, paper can be drawn into squares by a centimeter, which will allow you to better imagine the site, and plan buildings and plantings to the nearest meter;
  • after that, the desired buildings and plantings should be cut out of thick paper and moved around until the ideal scheme is obtained.

Program for computer planning of land plots

It is possible to significantly simplify the stage by leaving all the complex and painstaking work to the computer. For this there is special programs, which allow you to quickly and easily arrange and move the elements of the site and even translate the plan into a three-dimensional picture. To do this, you need to enter the shape of the site, the number of acres, and the desired objects into it.


Program for computer planning of land plots

Consider the main programs for computer planning of land plots:

  1. - the program uses the latest 3D technologies that allow you to design a site even in the absence of special knowledge. Even a beginner can handle it. Examples of site design in this program can be seen in the photo.
  2. FloorPlan 3D Deluxe - the program allows you to visualize the design of buildings, the landscape in three-dimensional mode, has good graphics and advanced features.
  3. Sierra Land Designer 3D - this program allows you to plan a summer cottage in two and three dimensions and even change the camera angle to see the future garden and plot from different angles, at different times of the day and year. Examples of site design in this program can be seen in the photo.
  4. PUNCH! -This program allows you to easily move buildings and plantings according to the plan, add and remove them. But in it you can work exclusively with standard objects, besides, it is impossible to translate the project into a 3D format.

Also, some sites offer special planners that allow you to plan online without installing a program on your computer, which saves time. To keep the site comfortable, functional and beautiful, it is better to spend time and effort planning ahead than later lament the mistakes made and try to correct them. In addition, with the advent of computer technology, this activity has become simple, fast and even enjoyable, you just need to load the initial data into the program and enjoy the three-dimensional layout of the future site.

When a person has a dacha or just a plot of land, an important question arises before him, how to properly dispose of the territory. Do not immediately dig everything, build, mark. It is better to first get acquainted with thematic literature, ask for advice from experienced gardeners. When designing, you will need to take into account many different nuances, for example, how to correlate the site with the cardinal points (this is necessary in order to correctly position all future buildings). Generally, The planning process is a rather complex and costly process.

You will need to distinguish between a place for buildings, a recreation area, parking. All this is decided before the house is built. The fact is that from the first days you will need somewhere to sleep, relax, have lunch. You can first build a temporary hut, and then relocate it to the economic unit.

In general, there is a lot of work to be done. It is important not to make a mistake anywhere and plan everything in advance. This will help you programs for the design of landscape design. On the Internet, you can find a huge number of ready-made layout options, but how nice it is to create and implement your own project based on your preferences and tastes.

Today there is more than a hundred different landscape editors that offer different functionality. It can be quite difficult to figure out which program is best suited. We will help you with this.

How to choose

The first thing to do is decide on your fitness level. For example, if you are not particularly good at technology and have mastered only basic knowledge of working on a computer, then it is better to give preference to simple home programs.

You will be required just drive in the parameters of your land plot and choose among ready-made models presented in the database (there are a lot of projects, there will be plenty to choose from).

But, if you are serious, you need to create a drawing, a layout with your own hands, then you will need a graphic editor with extensive functionality. Unfortunately, utilities detailed creation models are not officially distributed free of charge. To work, you will have to purchase a licensed product (download pirated version) provided by the developer.

Top 5 programs for home use

The advantage of home editors is that they have a very simple and understandable interface for everyone, they are distributed free of charge, allowing almost everyone to create their own site layout and modify already available projects to suit their needs. This is really convenient, sometimes it is very difficult to understand how an idea will look like when implemented in life. We will tell about the five most convenient and functional landscape design programs.

X-Designer - garden plot layout

This is perhaps one of the most simple programs for design landscape design. It does not require any knowledge and skills from the user. It is very easy to understand it.

The program is easy to download and install (we downloaded), but the utility can be easily found using a search engine).

It's not difficult to figure it out, the average user will leave no more than 10-15 minutes. At first, you just need to enter the type of your site, indicate its dimensions, set the date and other parameters. For example, let's call our site "my site", choose the size of 60x80. Next, select the month, date, and time of day.

Then it remains only to fully plan the structure and select the scenery from the library (a fairly large selection of models). As an example, let's take our site and expose the house (the dimensions of each object can be changed, for example, specify the slope, dimensions, etc.).

A three-dimensional card is attached to each plant, which describes how to care for, water and its characteristics. It is also possible to track in real time the change in the flower bed in the coming years, taking into account the characteristics of the growth and development of the selected landscaping.

The program is convenient for its simplicity. Like X-Designer, it is very easy to understand (it will take no more than 20 minutes to learn the basics and delve into the process). You can download it using a search engine (we took the program).

After opening, you will need to choose - create a new design, open a plan from a computer, or edit a template design.

The new design means you are planning a project from scratch. For example, let's create a small area of ​​5x10.

It is much easier to modify an existing plan than to create a completely new one. However, your own design will help to take into account all the details of the site and your wishes.

As in the previous program, here is a huge selection of objects and tools for working with the site. All of them are divided into categories to make it easier for the user to find the right model.

Tools are needed to create a site. With their help, you can mark the territory and create the necessary areas. A distinctive feature of the program is simplicity, it is easy to learn and it allows you to schematically evaluate the layout of your site.

sketch up

Functional utility for creating projects. In it, you can develop a full-scale landscape design and perform preliminary preparation, territory planning.

There are two versions software- free and paid. The first is suitable for home use, allowing the user to take advantage of all the necessary functions. The second is needed for commercial purposes of companies and ordinary designers.

The easiest way to download the program is through a torrent client or the official website (you will be provided with a temporary free license).

One of the most significant advantages of the utility is its collaboration with third-party Google products. For example, the service allows you to exchange data automatically with Google Earth. This is really convenient, because you do not need to create a three-dimensional model of the site manually, but you can simply take the finished one from the globe, which will fully correspond to the real parameters. This material is easier to work with.

but ordinary user it will be difficult to cope with this program. It is complex, because it allows you to work out each element in detail. SketchUp is more suitable for experienced designers, if you need to get such a detailed design, then it is better to turn to a professional.

Our Garden Ruby 9.0

This program is a kind of Russian-language version of Sierra (great design program, but not translated into Russian). All possibilities are similar, and implementation methods are similar. The program is divided into several blocks, each of which is designed to solve a specific problem. If you use the entire range of functions at once, you can get a completely finished landscape design project for the territory.

One of the main advantages of the utility is that the interface is translated into Russian. It is distributed free of charge, which means that it does not offer huge functions and is designed for the average user.

Yet again, the program is good because of its simplicity. An ordinary summer resident does not need complex and detailed layouts, and it is unlikely that he will be able to create something similar on his own (it is better to contact a designer).

The program is quite simple, so even an inexperienced user can handle it (about 10-15 minutes is enough). On startup, the main screen opens with ready template site.

Let's create a new plan. The program provides a large selection of models and template options that can be changed at your discretion.

First you need to mark the territory, then set the objects in place as you wish. For example, let's build our house with a bench, a lantern and trees.

After creating a two-dimensional plan, you can see the result in 3D. By the way, a whole assistant is provided for caring for plants.

Our Garden 6.0 Omega

Another version from the Our Garden series. It allows the user to create their own planning or site design projects based on a digital photo.

The main advantage is the possibility plan integration with regular photos. The program contains information about 7.7 thousand plants available for work. It also provides for the selection of soil, flowering time, zone, timing, and more. With the program, you can easily create your own flower garden, which will continuously delight the eye.

The layout you have created can be viewed in 3D at any time (saved). You can specify different times, based on which plants will change in shape and size. A large amount of information is provided regarding the care of various types of flower beds and the fight against harmful diseases. Our Garden 6.0 Omega can become great option for those who want to create a cozy place in their country house, decorated with amazing flowers and plants.

The functionality and process of creating an object is the same as in Our Garden Ruby 9.0.

There are not only computer versions garden design software. If you do not want to deal with the interface of conventional utilities, then you can use online options. They are very easy to learn (easier than all of the above), but the methods of work are also facilitated. The bottom line is that online versions do not have even a fraction of the features that full-scale programs provide. But with their help, you can get a schematic sketch of the layout of the territory.

What video lessons to choose?

For those who do not like to master the "poke" method - training videos. The material below is the first video in a whole series of lessons. This is not to say that this is a high-quality training material, but in general it is more detailed and lively than other lessons presented on Youtube, and can be a good help for intuitive development.

A sketch of landscape design can be drawn by hand at the customer's place or in the office, at home, but you can do it either with a regular pencil or add paint. If we move on to more complex stages (master plan, layout and landing drawings), then in modern world simply cannot do without computer technology.

Programs for designing a site will satisfy both a novice designer and a professional - everyone chooses a program for himself according to his level and capabilities.

Our Ruby Garden

If you want to work with the best programs, then refer to "Our Ruby Garden". This is a special landscape planner that will help you design a garden plot at any level of complexity.

Our Crystal Garden

This program combines a unique plant encyclopedia as well as latest features landscape design. Whether you're a beginner, an amateur gardener, or have been landscape designing for years, this software will help you in any way.

According to it, you can not only learn yourself, but also teach others, so "Our Garden Crystal" can be found more than once as a teaching aid for teachers and students design schools, colleges, institutes.

Realtime Landscaping Architect

If you want to not just arrange elements on your site, but turn your landscape into a dream, then turn your attention to this program. It uses new 3D technologies that even a beginner can master. Dream, fantasize, and make your visions come true!

FloorPlan 3D Deluxe

The program helps to visualize the design of landscapes, houses and apartments in 3D space. She is simple and reliable. It will help you to model the landscape area.

This program is distinguished by high quality graphics, the presence of various and convenient tools, great opportunities for creating 3D projects.

PUNCH!

This program is good because it allows you to add various landscape elements, buildings to your site, even work in three-dimensional mode. However, it has significant drawbacks - in PUNCH you will not be able to add your own objects (only standard ones), and you will also not be able to export your work to any 3D format.

Sierra Land Designer 3D

This program is also very attractive to users due to its versatility. It allows you not only to design your future landscape (and not only in 2D, but also in 3D visualization), but also change the position of the camera to see your garden from different angles. It is also possible to see how your garden will look at different times of the year and at different times of the day, which is especially important when designing lighting.

Google SketchUp

There are programs for site design that were not originally designed for this. Google SketchUp is just one of those. However, it can be safely used for this task, for example, to check the effects of the shadow from the sun at any time of the day.


If you do not have the time and energy to independently implement all the ideas for the design of your site, then professional agronomists and designers of our Lawn Zone company will help you with this, develop a landscape project for the site, and provide free consultations and advice.

What and where to place on your 6 acres, 10 acres ...?

So you finally have your own piece of land. And no matter what its area - 6 acres or 10 acres. Do not immediately rush to dig it, build and fence. Read special literature, think, consult with experienced summer residents and gardeners. Create a plan for the future site, correlating it with the cardinal points. This will help you correctly orient all your future buildings and plantings. Planning your own site is not an easy task, and our advice will help you with this.

You will need to determine the place for the house, hozblok, recreation area, car parking. But keep in mind, first of all, it is necessary to solve the housing problem until the moment when the construction of the house is completed. After all, from the first days of your stay in the country, you will need to somehow spend the night, relax, cook, etc. Therefore, plan to immediately build a temporary hut, which will later turn into a utility block, a warehouse for building materials, work equipment, etc.


Determine the sides on which the windows of the future house will go. It is desirable that these be west and east, otherwise it may be hot all the time in the rooms on the south side, and cold all the time on the north side. On the south side, you can place a veranda or terrace, it will act as a kind of thermal insulator, preventing the house from being very hot in summer and cooling in winter.

The house is placed, as a rule, 5 m from the road along the "red line". On the shady north side, you can plan to plant currants and other shade-tolerant ornamental shrubs and trees. On the south side of the house, it is advisable to plant apple trees and other fruit trees - then they will receive the sunlight and warmth they need, and at the same time form a shadow that will save them from the heat on hot days. Currants are planted at the western border of the site, and raspberries at the southern border. The layout of the summer cottage implies immediately identifying a recreation area, a playground. However, they should not be exposed to the sun. The recreation area is made, if possible, secluded, inaccessible to other people's views.

If you plan to create a pond on the site, then it is necessary to provide a place for it not under constant sunlight. Remaining free space take away under the lawn, or. Behind the house, if desired, we have a garden and strawberries, we plant currants behind them.

It is important to correctly place your plants, trees and shrubs so that the shadow from them does not interfere with either you or, especially, your neighbors. Currant bushes, gooseberries are planted at a distance of about 1.5 m from the border of the site. Apple trees, pears, plums, cherries are planted even deeper into the garden. If the plot is small, it is better to plant trees on a dwarf rootstock.

Programs for creating a landscape design project with your own hands

On the Internet you can find a large number of already finished projects of summer cottages. But you can create a project yourself, based on your preferences and the location of your summer cottage directly. To do this, there are various landscape design programs. Consider some of the simplest and most accessible of them. Presented programs are posted in Russian and they can free download!

Tutorial. landscape design

For those who are trying to work with programs for designing a suburban area for the first time and want to master and use all their convenient functions, we offer a landscape design tutorial. Interactive video instructions, voiced and commented in Russian by a professional speaker, with the opportunity to participate in the learning process, will help you quickly master all the functionality of the programs.
This video tutorial covers several of the following programs (Garden Planner, Garden Planner, 3D Home Architect Design Suite Delux).
Download Tutorial. Landscape design (124 Mb)

1. X Designer. Garden Plot Planner 3D

In this program, you can not only competently model a site using a fairly extensive library of garden plants and other landscape objects, but also see your site in all its glory at different times of the year and even at different times of the day!
After the project is formed, you can see the result from all sides and take a picture of the result for further reproduction of the project on the site.
Download program X-Designer (202 Mb)

2. Our garden. Ruby 9.0

This powerful program allows you to create a landscape design project using existing digital photographs. This will be appreciated by both users who create landscape design with existing objects (trees, buildings, etc.), and those who plan a site from scratch. The program also provides a huge number of different plants, garden elements and summer cottages.
Download program Our Garden Ruby (4.3 Gb)

3. Our garden 6.0 Omega

A powerful program from the Our Garden series allows you to create a landscape design project or design plans based on digital photographs. Integrate the created plan with real photos. detailed information o more than 7700 plants contained in the program, with the ability to select the soil, flowering time, place of growth, life span, and more. others will help you collect and create the perfect flower bed - a flower bed of continuous flowering.
You can view the created plan in 3D at different times of the day or year. Depending on the specified year, the plants will be adjusted in the form of growth and growth. It contains a huge amount of information on caring for outdoor and indoor plants and combating diseases and weeds. The program will be a real find for people who create a cozy corner on their site, decorated and decorated with beautiful flower beds.
Download program Our Garden Omega (690 Mb)

4.

One of the simplest programs that allows you to create a garden plot layout by dragging all the necessary and desired elements onto the plan and arranging them as you wish. Also, for convenience and clarity, you can change the color of foliage and scale.
Download Garden Planner 3 (3.5 Mb)

5. 3D Home Architect Design Suite Deluxe

This interesting program allows you to create a design project for a summer cottage or other interior from scratch. A rich selection of design elements (plants, lighting, fences, gratings and even playgrounds) with the ability to adjust their sizes will help you create an easy and effective 2D site project, and with the help of the built-in functionality you can view it in 3D (in all perspectives, angles and at different distances).
Download 3D Home Architect Design Suite Deluxe (222 Mb)

For professionals who are familiar with design programs firsthand, we can advise you to use the following programs.

In this age of computer technology, it is much easier to perform some tasks with the help of machines, rather than manually. Not left aside and architectural and landscape design. Now any non-professional user can create a simple project in a few minutes. In this article, we will consider the main programs for planning a country house site - paid and free, with an interface in Russian and English.

  • Simple programs for planning and site design

    Consider first a list of simple programs that are often free. To make a plan of the land plot in them will be available even to a beginner without experience.

    garden planner

    Garden Planner is Artifact Interactive's easy-to-learn 2D garden design software. Its advantages are that you can plan your site in just 5 minutes. The only negative is that the interface is in English. But it is simple and intuitive.

    Design interface

    In the program, you can specify the dimensions and create a plan in just 5 minutes! The database of objects will be sufficient for an average summer cottage.


    Sample plan created in 5 minutes

    There is also an online version of this application. It is practically no different from the desktop.

    Floor Plan 3D

    FloorPlan 3D (TurboFloorPlan Home and Landscape Deluxe 2017) is a multifunctional complex for designing buildings, houses, offices and plots. Suitable for both professionals and beginners.


    Interface screenshot

    The interface is pretty simple, so you'll get the hang of the program pretty quickly.


    Plan view in 2D

    In FloorPlan 3D you can customize the sizes, colors and materials of the objects. There is also a Vedomosti service, in which you can calculate the estimate and the cost of materials. Thus, the program is perfect for creating a plan of objects on the site, as well as a plan for your house with furniture arrangement and construction estimates.

    X designer

    X-designer - garden plot planner in 3D format. This product of the Russian developer "IDDK" allows you to design your site without special skills. In the program, you can choose a plan view from above or 3D display. The interface is completely in Russian.


    Also in X-designer, you can control the relief of the site, the seasons and the day. The library contains over 500 objects.


    Professional Design Products

    The following line of products is designed for professional graphics processing and drawing up high-quality plans by specialists.

    Our Crystal Garden

    Our Garden Crystal version 10 ( previous version Our Garden Rubin 9.0) is a program of the domestic developer CJSC DiComp. It is not only a design tool, but also a real encyclopedia of gardening. The database contains information on more than 17,000 plant species, including about 2,000 roses. It is possible to select plants according to more than 20 parameters: soil, life span, growth rate, etc…


    It is noteworthy that there is a built-in photo editor in which you can insert real photos of objects, then process them and insert them into your summer cottage project.


    The designer of the program has a 2D and 3D view and allows you to design the terrain, paths, reservoirs on the site, decorative elements and construction objects.

    Sierra Land Designer 3D

    Sierra LandDesigner 3D is a design application for landscape design in 2D and 3D. The developer of the program is Sierra, a company known to many video game lovers. Unfortunately, the program is old (released in 2000) and cannot be found on the official website of the developer. However, you can download it on the Internet. There is a Russified version of the program.


    Punch Home Design

    Punch Home Design is a package of products for visualizing the interiors and exterior of a house and summer cottage.


    The simplest product "Punch! Landscape, Deck & Patio v19" allows you to design a landscape using a library that can be imported and exported from other AutoCad programs and sketchup!


    It is just as well suited for professional design as Realtime Landscaping Architect, and its integration with other 3D objects makes it indispensable.

    sketch up

    SketchUp is a free software package for 3D modeling not only summer cottages, but in general any object or object. Suitable for novice users who want to plan their garden in three-dimensional form. For corporate clients you will need to buy a license.

    The program has its own database of objects, which is updated by users. You can add them to your plan.


    An example of searching for a 3D object "spruce"

    Despite the fact that SketchUp allows you to draw up a layout of the site, its main purpose is 3D modeling. Therefore, it is most likely suitable for landscape design.




    One more example

    Realtime Landscaping Architect

    Realtime Landscaping Architect is a 2D and 3D site planning software for operating system Windows. This product features a more professional approach to design and is suitable for advanced users, as well as landscape designers.


    Interface screenshot

    Also, the program is distinguished by a more detailed drawing of objects. The database of the Plus package contains 10400 models, of which 5100 are plants, the Architect package contains 16400 objects, of which 7200 are plants.


    Detailed drawing of plants

    This software package allows you to create presentations, view the dynamics of plant growth, how they will be shaded during the day, and much more. In general, a full-fledged product for professional design.

    Other professional products:

    In this material, we do not consider such professional products as Autodesk 3DS Max and ArchiCad. They are universal in their kind and are recognized as the best in the world for building any 3D objects. Including site planning.

    Instead of a resume

    The choice of program largely depends on what you want:

      To easily create a plan in 2D, Garden Planner is a good choice.

      For a more detailed study and viewing of your plan in 3D format, beginners will do: FloorPlan 3D or X-Designer.

      If you are thinking about better products and want to work out your plan in more detail, then we advise you to take a closer look at the Russian program Our Garden Crystal or the English-language Punch Home Design and Sierra LandDesigner 3D.

      From commercial products for professional landscape design and not only, we recommend Realtime Landscaping Architect, SketchUp, as well as the Autodesk 3DS Max and ArchiCad product lines.

    * For corporate use, the price of the version is $695

    Read about the stages of construction:

  • Planning and laying out a summer cottage is a big creative process that will require you not only to have certain knowledge, but also to connect your own imagination. At the same time, knowledgeable people recommend adhering to the advice of specialists who will help to complete all the work, as a result, every square meter of the territory will be beneficial and delight with beauty and comfort every day. How the layout of the suburban area is carried out with our own hands, we will consider in detail step by step.

    Preparatory work

    Before proceeding with the preparation of a future site plan, it is necessary to determine the terrain itself, the nature of the relief, the forms of the land plot, the presence of any buildings, as well as other features of the area. For example, in rural areas there are a large number of streams and reservoirs, if one is present on your site, then you can use it correctly.

    Pay attention to several features of the placement of the cottage:

    • lowland - upland;
    • the presence or absence of a water source;
    • wooded area - steppe.

    Quite often, you have to add or remove soil, make blind areas for walls, and also make organized drains. Only with proper placement of buildings on the site, it is possible to use the summer cottage to the maximum and select all zones.

    In order for all the preparatory work to be done correctly, it is best to assess the space and start from the ground.

    1. Relief: hilly, flat, the presence of ravines or mountains. It is from this indicator that the schemes for laying engineering communications will depend.
    2. Soil: clayey, humus, sandy. If you plan to equip a garden, then you should increase the fertility of the soil by fertilizing. The set of plants for the garden and flower beds will depend on the acidity index.
    3. The shape and size of the territory: square, rectangular and elongated.
    4. Ground water: when enough high level Consideration should also be given to drainage.
    5. Climatic conditions.
    6. Illumination.

    All large buildings and trees are best oriented to the north side. This approach will reduce the influence of the shadow, and the view from the house will be as illuminated as possible throughout the day.

    Zones on the territory of the cottage

    The layout of the suburban area depends precisely on the zones that will be included here. Each individual case will have its own list, but you can consider the largest example and a list of zones:

    • residential;
    • recreation;
    • outbuildings;
    • garden.

    Each of them should have its own area depending on the total area. So, with proper zoning, the residential part should be up to 20%. If it is planned to build outbuildings, then this percentage should not exceed 15%. At the same time, the largest plot is allocated to the garden and the garden - 75%. This approach will diversify landscape design and fill it with a wide variety of varieties of flowers and plant species.

    1. The house is placed first. Most often, the central zone is allocated for it, but the buildings are most often located somewhere in the depths. Interestingly and in an original way, they can be masked with the help of decorative plantings that are not afraid of shadows.
    2. A place to rest should be the most comfortable and best. In this case, the nature of the zone can be arranged or scattered. Here you should not forget about the place for the playground.
    3. The garden should be well lit, so it has a sunny side. The shadow from the buildings should not obscure the territory.

    Plot shapes

    Options for planning a summer cottage can be very diverse, but almost everything will depend on the shape of the land. The most common type of site is a rectangular shape, on which it is possible to implement a wide variety of solutions and ideas. There is also an L-shaped type of plot. It is quite complex, so here you will need to think and think about where and how to place everything. The part that protrudes can be used as a place for recreation or a playground.

    On a triangular-shaped site, an asymmetric approach can be considered when planning and laying out the territory. Focus should be on round elements:

    • lawns;
    • reservoirs;

    In remote corners, it is best to place outbuildings.

    Planning is a creative business. Experts advise to consider a wide variety of options, but not to copy them completely, but to make some changes.

    After they have been identified important points and various layout options have been studied, it is necessary to sketch everything on a piece of paper. You can seek help from specialists, landscape designers who use special programs for project development. But to save money, an ordinary sheet of A4 paper and a pen (pencil) will be enough.

    To sketch the plan, consider an example - a summer cottage of 10 acres. It is best if you take a scale of 1:100 and a sheet of drawing paper of the appropriate size - a square of 50 × 50 cm. For convenience, it is better to arm yourself with a pencil and a ruler to line the entire sheet into a grid in 1 cm increments. Next - a flight of fancy: arm yourself with colored pencils, clippings from magazines and felt-tip pens, with which you can create a real collage.

    When working with the scheme, it is necessary to take into account:

    • the location of the house, taking into account all exits;
    • places reserved for utility and auxiliary buildings;
    • rest zone;
    • playground;
    • tracks;
    • fence;
    • flower beds, rock gardens and front gardens;
    • reservoirs;
    • engineering Communication.

    When placing objects in advance, it is necessary to select the optimal place that will correspond to the purpose.

    So, as already mentioned, the site should first place the main elements in the following categories:

    • base - house;
    • additional buildings and outbuildings: summer kitchen, garage, well, barn, cellar and others;
    • recreation facilities: terrace, patio, gazebo, playground, swimming pool and outdoor shower;
    • garden and vegetable garden: flower beds, front gardens, beds for vegetables and root crops, greenhouses.

    It is important to pay attention not only to their placement and shape, but also to decide on the materials that will be used in construction. Only in this case, a harmonious garden style will be obtained on the site. The playground is no less important: when choosing a place, you should choose the most visible area so that the kids are always under the visual control of their parents.

    We also take into account the requirements in the legislation regarding the norms of distances:

    • from the house to the red line of the street - 5 m;
    • from the house to the neighbor's fence - 3 m;
    • between houses made of stone - 6 m, wood - 15 m, mixed - 10 m;
    • from the fence for the garden house - 3 m, buildings for animals - 4 m, outbuildings - 1 m, trees - 4 m;
    • from the windows of the house to the household of the neighbor - 6 m.

    At the end of the article are a variety of examples of finished planning projects for summer cottages. Check them out and draw your own conclusions.

    Plot of 12 acres

    The garden area of ​​12 acres will allow you to place large quantity objects and allocate additional space for recreation areas in comparison with the previous option. In this case, the layout will be distributed as follows:

    • House with a spacious veranda - 150 m2.
    • Household part 50 m 2 .
    • Recreation area and playground - 200 m2.
    • Garden and greenhouse - 200 m 2.
    • Garden plot - 550 m 2.
    • Paths and paths - 50 m 2.

    The principle of placement of buildings will be similar to the option of a plot of 6 acres, but in this case it appears additional opportunity for the implementation of various ideas for landscaping. So, a large number of not only fruit trees and shrubs, but also decorative ones are connected. They can be planted around each object, as well as along the paths.

    In addition, additional square meters allocated to the recreation area will allow you to build a gazebo, swimming pool, barbecue. It is very important to consider decorative lighting here, which will make it possible to spend time in the evening.

    Plot of 15 acres

    First of all, we note that 15 acres is as much as 1500 m 2 of free territory, on which a wide variety of landscape combinations can be realized. Most often, the site has the shape of a rectangle 30 × 50 m, or 25 × 60 m. There is enough space to include everything necessary for a comfortable and functional living not only in summer, but also in winter.

    1. Residential building with an attic and a veranda - 200 m 2.
    2. Summer kitchen - 30 m 2.
    3. Guest house - 50 m 2.
    4. Bath - 50 m 2.
    5. Outbuildings - 70 m 2.
    6. Garage with car access - 30 m 2 .
    7. The recreation area includes a gazebo, a playground, a barbecue and picnic area, as well as benches around the territory - 300 m 2.
    8. Decorative structures (fountain, artificial or natural reservoir, garden bridge, stone sculptures) - 100 m 2.
    9. Garden - 200 m 2.
    10. Flowerbeds and mixborders - 70 m 2.
    11. Garden - 400 m2.

    There are no special recommendations for such a site, so pay attention to the first and second options. Everyone will be able to implement any idea here, and even more than one - it is enough to rationally weigh and develop everything so that everything fits and harmonizes very well with each other.

    A country house should be surrounded by greenery, so this stage is given a lot of time and effort. A large number of flower beds are planned and laid out, and a large front garden is being built in front of the house.

    When developing a plan for your summer cottage on your own, you need to take into account many nuances and points that will help you do all the work correctly and rationally. Take note of the recommendations and tips in the article, and also check out the sketches of site plans. As a result, it will be possible to create a summer cottage of your dreams, where it will be comfortable to spend all seasons, regardless of weather conditions.

    Video

    Lots of great tips in the following video:

    Scheme

    We present you a selection of free and shareware programs and applications that make it possible to plan the planting of vegetables in your area.

    Growveg

    GrowVeg site planting planner, one of the most popular programs with
    a wide selection of vegetables, fruits, herbs and vegetable crops. It's easy to map out your yard, add objects like raised beds, and rearrange items for the perfect layout.


    The program calculates the correct location of plants. Based on data from local meteorological stations, it will show you the best sowing dates for your area. The scheduler can also send you e-mail reminders of what to plant throughout the season. You can highlight the plants you want to plant in the beds and easily organize the succession of plantings.


    When planning a plot for the next season, the system copies the layout, remembering where the plants were in previous years and advising where to place them based on crop rotation principles.

    This video presents short review planning vegetables, herbs and orchards with the GrowVeg planner.

    The site has an active blog with useful tips on planting and site planning.

    Garden Planner Online

    Garden Planner Online lets you customize the size, shape, and layout of your yard by adding shrubs, brick patios, flowers, and railings to complete your yard.


    Then you can start arranging vegetables and fruits in your beds. The size of the picture indicates the amount of space occupied by the plant.

    After you have finished planning, you can print out a list of all the plants you have chosen and buy seeds according to this list.

    Kitchen Garden Planner

    KGP's free online planting planner for creating an organic vegetable garden based on 26 different types of beds. Each bed has 15 spaces for vegetables and detailed planting instructions, so you can get a good layout while minimizing effort.


    The layout of the beds can be printed if necessary, along with all the recommendations for each plant.

    Garden puzzles

    Garden Puzzle - this program differs in its principle from other programs for planning and decorating the site. Here the emphasis is on the maximum visualization of the layout of your landings. Here you can plant the seeds of bushes and flowers to see if one plant will shade another.


    This planner focuses more on flowers and shrubs than vegetables, but it is handy tool in order to design appearance your site as a whole.

    Sprout it



    Sprout it is a free reminder app that fully customizes plant care. Very handy for beginners. You select the desired plant from a large database and the timer starts telling you when to water, fertilize or harvest. Coordinates with weather data and reminds of the upcoming cold snap. Lots of useful information on each plant and easy access to your account via iPhone, iPad

    garden tracker



    A popular application that allows you to plan and monitor the planting of plants on a plot up to 50x50 cells. You mark out the beds and lay out vegetables from an extensive base. And the program tracks the date of planting, and the progress of your plants. There are many handy settings here, including a lunar calendar for lunar landing cycles, as well as visual base these pests and organic means of protection against them.
    The application is paid, but costs only $3.99, works only on iPhone, iPad

    Garden Compass Plant



    The developers of this application went the other way. You take pictures of your site and send it to experts, and they provide you with specific recommendations for planning your site, based on the data entered into the program. As you grow, you keep taking pictures to keep track of the progress in your area.
    This application is also developed for iPhone and iPad

    The ideal program for planning plantings on the site

    The landing planner is a convenient thing, but modern technologies allow you to go much further in process automation.
    After all, already now you can link your layout, applied in the program, directly with the plants on your site, for example, using sensors like Edyn.


    Then you will be able to produce not virtual, but quite real. And to receive, for example, weather conditions data not from the weather forecasters database, but not directly from the place where your pepper or tomato is located. Or the acidity of the soil, about which most beginner gardeners have a rather vague idea.
    With a sensor on the site, you can more accurately determine how to plan plantings than with detailed instructions about plants on the Internet.


    Or the shading of vegetables, when one plant has grown so much that it covered another while you were gone.

    In any case, the time has come for a more integrated approach in the development of such applications with the possibility of geo-targeting and using the functionality of our smartphones.

    Are there programs in Russian?

    One of the most frequently asked questions among gardeners. Surprisingly, with such an abundance of summer residents and programmers in our country, our attitude to the priorities in the development of Russian-language applications is absolutely opposite. Summer residents do not need them, since they do not really know how to use a computer, and no one will give money to developers for “such software”. Therefore, it is better to develop the next "Merry Farmer" for social networks.

    In the meantime, we use the program Our Garden Rubin 9.0 (Rus) developed in 2008.


    Or a notebook, as advanced gardeners practice.




    “I keep a country notebook. In the box. A turn with a plan is enough for a year. All landings, successful and unsuccessful by date. Coordinates of the beds, as in a naval battle, letters on top and numbers on the sides. The course of the sun, shady areas. When I rest in the gazebo I fill in the new, I look at the old. The layout of the beds is like the veins of a green leaf, it’s convenient to walk with buckets, there are no right angles. ”, says Zaur Abrikan
    Or schematically how it does


    In any case, it is necessary to keep such records, if only in order to know which variety of seeds has risen and which has not taken root in your garden.

    Perhaps our review article will be the impetus for the fact that there is a group of people who will develop an application with planting planning with a database of all domestic seeds of zoned vegetable varieties. And we will be able to simplify the work of beginner gardeners in our country and attract even more people to gardening.

    When a person has a dacha or just a plot of land, an important question arises before him, how to properly dispose of the territory. Do not immediately dig everything, build, mark. It is better to first get acquainted with thematic literature, ask for advice from experienced gardeners. When designing, you will need to take into account many different nuances, for example, how to correlate the site with the cardinal points (this is necessary in order to correctly position all future buildings). Generally, The planning process is a rather complex and costly process.

    You will need to distinguish between a place for buildings, a recreation area, parking. All this is decided before the house is built. The fact is that from the first days you will need somewhere to sleep, relax, have lunch. You can first build a temporary hut, and then relocate it to the economic unit.

    In general, there is a lot of work to be done. It is important not to make a mistake anywhere and plan everything in advance. Landscape design software will help you with this. On the Internet, you can find a huge number of ready-made layout options, but how nice it is to create and implement your own project based on your preferences and tastes.

    Today there is more than a hundred different landscape editors that offer different functionality. It can be quite difficult to figure out which program is best suited. We will help you with this.

    How to choose

    The first thing to do is decide on your fitness level. For example, if you are not particularly good at technology and have mastered only basic knowledge of working on a computer, then it is better to give preference to simple home programs.

    You will be required just drive in the parameters of your land plot and choose among ready-made models presented in the database (there are a lot of projects, there will be plenty to choose from).

    But, if you are serious, you need to create a drawing, a layout with your own hands, then you will need a graphic editor with extensive functionality. Unfortunately, utilities for detailed model creation are not officially distributed free of charge. To work, you will have to purchase a licensed product (download a pirated version) offered by the developer.

    Top 5 programs for home use

    The advantage of home editors is that they have a very simple and understandable interface for everyone, they are distributed free of charge, allowing almost everyone to create their own site layout and modify already available projects to suit their needs. This is really convenient, sometimes it is very difficult to understand how an idea will look like when implemented in life. We will tell about the five most convenient and functional landscape design programs.

    X-Designer - garden plot layout

    This is perhaps one of the simplest landscape design programs. It does not require any knowledge and skills from the user. It is very easy to understand it.

    The program is easy to download and install (we downloaded), but the utility can be easily found using a search engine).

    It's not difficult to figure it out, the average user will leave no more than 10-15 minutes. At first, you just need to enter the type of your site, indicate its dimensions, set the date and other parameters. For example, let's call our site "my site", choose the size of 60x80. Next, select the month, date, and time of day.

    Then it remains only to fully plan the structure and select the scenery from the library (a fairly large selection of models). As an example, let's take our site and expose the house (the dimensions of each object can be changed, for example, specify the slope, dimensions, etc.).

    A three-dimensional card is attached to each plant, which describes how to care for, water and its characteristics. It is also possible to track in real time the change in the flower bed in the coming years, taking into account the characteristics of the growth and development of the selected landscaping.

    The program is convenient for its simplicity. Like X-Designer, it is very easy to understand (it will take no more than 20 minutes to learn the basics and delve into the process). You can download using a search engine (we took the program).

    After opening, you will need to select - create new design, open a plan from a computer or edit a template design.

    The new design means you are planning a project from scratch. For example, let's create a small area of ​​5x10.

    Next, we will build a house, the same as in the previous program. Let's arrange the trees a lantern and a bench. It will turn out something like this:

    It is much easier to modify an existing plan than to create a completely new one. However, your own design will help to take into account all the details of the site and your wishes.

    As in the previous program, here is a huge selection of objects and tools for working with the site. All of them are divided into categories to make it easier for the user to find the right model.

    Tools are needed to create a site. With their help, you can mark the territory and create the necessary areas. A distinctive feature of the program is simplicity, it is easy to learn and it allows you to schematically evaluate the layout of your site.

    sketch up

    Functional utility for creating projects. In it, you can develop a full-scale landscape design and perform preliminary preparation, territory planning.

    There are two versions of the software - free and paid. The first is suitable for home use, allowing the user to take advantage of all the necessary functions. The second is needed for commercial purposes of companies and ordinary designers.

    The easiest way to download the program is through a torrent client or the official website (you will be provided with a temporary free license).

    One of the most significant advantages of the utility is its collaboration with third-party Google products. For example, the service allows you to exchange data automatically with Google Earth. This is really convenient, because you do not need to create a three-dimensional model of the site manually, but you can simply take the finished one from the globe, which will fully correspond to the real parameters. This material is easier to work with.

    but it will be difficult for a normal user to handle this program. It is complex, because it allows you to work out each element in detail. SketchUp is more suitable for experienced designers, if you need to get such a detailed design, then it is better to turn to a professional.

    Our Garden Ruby 9.0

    This program is a kind of Russian-language version of Sierra (great design program, but not translated into Russian). All possibilities are similar, and implementation methods are similar. The program is divided into several blocks, each of which is designed to solve a specific problem. If you use the entire range of functions at once, you can get a completely finished landscape design project for the territory.

    One of the main advantages of the utility is that the interface is translated into Russian. It is distributed free of charge, which means that it does not offer huge functions and is designed for the average user.

    Yet again, the program is good because of its simplicity. An ordinary summer resident does not need complex and detailed layouts, and it is unlikely that he will be able to create something similar on his own (it is better to contact a designer).

    The program is quite simple, so even an inexperienced user can handle it (about 10-15 minutes is enough). When launched, the main screen opens with a ready-made site template.

    Let's create a new plan. The program provides a large selection of models and template options that can be changed at your discretion.

    First you need to mark the territory, then set the objects in place as you wish. For example, let's build our house with a bench, a lantern and trees.

    After creating a two-dimensional plan, you can see the result in 3D. By the way, a whole assistant is provided for caring for plants.

    Our Garden 6.0 Omega

    Another version from the Our Garden series. It allows the user to create their own planning or site design projects based on a digital photo.

    The main advantage is the possibility plan integration with regular photos. The program contains information about 7.7 thousand plants available for work. It also provides for the selection of soil, flowering time, zone, timing, and more. With the program, you can easily create your own flower garden, which will continuously delight the eye.

    The layout you have created can be viewed in 3D at any time (saved). You can specify different times, based on which plants will change in shape and size. A large amount of information has been provided regarding the care of flower beds different type and the fight against harmful diseases. Our Garden 6.0 Omega can be a great option for those who want to create a cozy place in their country house, decorated with amazing flowers and plants.

    The functionality and process of creating an object is the same as in Our Garden Ruby 9.0.

    There are not only computer versions of garden design software. If you do not want to deal with the interface of conventional utilities, then you can use online options. They are very easy to learn (easier than all of the above), but the methods of work are also facilitated. The bottom line is that online versions do not have even a fraction of the features that full-scale programs provide. But with their help, you can get a schematic sketch of the layout of the territory.

    What video lessons to choose?

    For those who do not like to master the "poke" method - training videos. The material below is the first video in a whole series of lessons. This is not to say that this is a high-quality training material, but in general it is more detailed and lively than other lessons presented on Youtube, and can be a good help for intuitive development.

    For the preliminary design of garden plots, there is a functional and fairly easy-to-learn X-Designer program.

    Despite the fact that this application was released a long time ago and has not been updated, it does not look very outdated and inconvenient. With X-Designer, you can quickly create a sketch design project for the arrangement of the territory, using combinations of various library elements. The program was developed in Russia, so the user should have no problems mastering the interface. The process of creating a project is highly intuitive, and is also fast and simple.

    Let's take a look at the main features of X-Designer and find out how well it suits your landscape design needs.

    In order to better understand the capabilities of the program and evaluate its suitability for performing tasks, the user is invited to open a test scene with existing objects.

    Create a lot

    Before starting work with a new project, X-Designer suggests determining the size of the site, giving the name of the hay, and choosing the date relative to which the visualization will be performed.

    Adding Library Objects

    Since we can create the design of our garden plot only by using combinations of ready-made elements, the most important function of the program is the flexibility and volume of the model library. The catalog of elements is structured into several dozen categories, covering everything that can be placed in a site model.

    On the one hand, the library of primitives is quite large, but the fact that the program does not have support and new elements are not released for it gives significant limitations in creating a project that corresponds to reality.

    X-Designer has a couple of custom house models that can be set to size, position, exterior material, and door and window configurations.

    The user can fill the scene with a variety of trees, flowers, flower beds. Each of these elements can be edited as a whole or in separate parts, such as trunks or stems. Before placing an element in the scene, you can set its state at a certain time of the year.

    The same properties as for vegetation can be assigned to other library elements - lanterns, fences, benches, deck chairs. fountains, pools and more. You can select material and configuration for these objects.

    Imitation of the season

    In the X-Designer program, much attention is paid to displaying the model at different times of the year. Using a special panel, the season, date and time of display are selected. When choosing the winter option, the ground is instantly covered with snow, the trees lose their leaves, and the flowers disappear from the flower beds.

    Parameters for displaying objects by seasons are set in its properties when selecting from the library.

    The color of grass and foliage, the position of the sun in the sky and the characteristics of the atmosphere depend on the time of year. The function is very visual and useful when introducing seasonal plants into the project.

    terrain modeling

    X-Designer has a convenient and intuitive terrain editor. It is very easy to create hills and valleys with the brush. The brush can also be used to smooth out too sharp terrain transitions or make the top of a hill flat. The cavities that appear can be filled with water or removed from there.

    The height of the increment and indentation, as well as the radius of the impact of the brush is specified in meters. A factor is set to control smoothing.

    Creating zones

    Zones in X-Designer are sections of paths, beds, lawns generated on the basis of given parameters. These are complex objects that cannot be selected in the scene and are editable only using the options panel. Zones can be hidden, deleted, changed their coverage and content.

    Layered editing

    Each of the scene objects is displayed in the manager, where any component of the scene can be found and edited. In the 3D projection window, you can temporarily hide objects of living and inanimate nature.

    Photorealistic rendering

    The user has the ability to set up five static points to place the camera and shoot photo visualization from them. Creating a bitmap image takes some time, and its quality is almost the same as the picture that the user sees in real time. Therefore, the usefulness of the rendering engine remains debatable. The finished image can be saved in BMP, JPG and PNG formats.

    So we reviewed a rather flexible and intuitive product for landscape design X-Designer, which, despite its age, surprises with its sophistication and functionality.

    This program can be easily used by both a professional designer and a person who does not have qualifications, but simply wants to model his virtual garden plot. What can be said in the end?

    Liked the article? Share with friends!
    Was this article helpful?
    Yes
    Not
    Thanks for your feedback!
    Something went wrong and your vote was not counted.
    Thank you. Your message has been sent
    Did you find an error in the text?
    Select it, click Ctrl+Enter and we'll fix it!