software

[BACONBUTTY]

Is there any computer software on the market that will let you make plan, which you can work with. or any other ideas please. starting from scratch. any help or advice most welcome.

Dave and Kaz

[BACONBUTTY]

[Merry Tiller]

Excel

[Bagpuss74]

What sort of plan Dave and Kaz?

Excel is great for calculations but something more like a desk top publisher (eg MS Publisher) works nicely to divide up the plot etc.

If you are looking to do a calendar Publisher can do this too but if it is a scale drawing you are after then perhaps something like 2D design....

[Melbourne12]

Is there any computer software on the market that will let you make plan, which you can work with. or any other ideas please. starting from scratch. any help or advice most welcome.
Dave and Kaz

I'm not quite sure what you're after, but why not go to www.zdnet.com and/or www.zdnet.co.uk then click on Downloads and search for a keyword such as "garden".  You'll get some ideas of what's available (you'll get offered games and screensavers, too, but just ignore them).

It might be worth trying a search on www.cnet.com too.  I don't think they have downloads, but they do have some good reviews of software.

HTH

John

[shaolin101]

certain WH Smith and other bookshops tend to have cheap cd roms and normally always have a garden planning one.

Might be worth looking in them.

[MarthaMad]

I used the VGA Vegetable Garden Almanac. www.thevga.co.uk and thought that it was utter poo.  A total waste of £30.00

It was difficult to use and offfered little help. so i went back to Visio for my bed planning and excel for my journaling.

[windygale]

Hi Dave and Kaz, if you wish to design your own garden and want a good software package try to find 3D LANDSCAPE 2 DELUXE from one of the websites or shops, not sure how much it will cost you as it was a part of a gardening course (http://www.inst.org/gd/gd_bro.htm) of which i am thinking of doing when i finish my others from LEARNING CURVE,
hope this helps
windy  8) love the weather  8)

[Sprout]

Glad to read your comments on the VGA almanac, Martha as I was thinking of getting one. Bought another version from ebay which was complete and utter (American) poo but at least it only cost a couple of quid.

[PREMTAL]

Hi BACONBUTTY,
                          Merry Tiller's post is spot on, I have tried 4 of the most popular CD's on the market and found them to be over priced and not user friendly. >:(

On excel create a grid of squares, line it off to the dimensions of your plot and save it as your allotment layout blank. ;D

Personally I have found that I don't require an all bells and whistles CD, but if you want something to challenge your sanity during the winter months go for it. ::)

                                                       PREMTAL

[Kevins299]

i have made use of a program called plot crop bought locally from a guy who posts you a cd. its his own program and made locally. its takes a little getting used to in using hte scale (i am useless at scale diagrams) but you can track sowing crop yeilds etc. if you search for Plot Crop you should find a way of accessing him.

i also use a secondary diary sheet in outlook to trake the planting time and sowing time of crops, as well as to schedule what i need to do when by.  for some of the key items i set them up as annual reminders.

but at the end of the day a good old pencil and paper works best . keep it simple.....this is for fun not a business

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've never managed to have a plan, it's just been a question of what beds were available when I needed to put stuff in. I need to get ahead of it, and had hoped to do so this year, but injury and illness over the winter prevented that; it took about four months to recover properly from a blow on the head and a cracked cheekbone.

[Gadfium]

Having tried some of the computer options, I too have settled for the pen and paper option...

Just bought a cheap pad of graph paper, a few coloured pens/pencils, and a 12" ruler. Drew in the basic (to scale) dimensions of the allotment, having been out there with a tape measure, and then started playing...

Alternatively you need only one piece of graph paper, with black outlined plan of plot dimensions. Then tear off a bit of baking parchment/tracing paper, and paper-clip it on the top of this 'master-outline'... and start fiddling.

You don't even need to buy the graph paper either... just do a search on google, and you'll find a few options ready to print out.

[wardy]

RB   I'm with you!  When your plot is a jungle it's a case of putting stuff where there is a suitable bit  :)  I'm rubbish at planning and my plot will evolve.  I do find my ill discipline causes me to walk round in circles a bit but I need the exercise  ;D

I did do a companion plan thing on Excel though and agree that it's easy to use.  I like using tables in Word as well and thought I might have a go at that.  I'm also taking photos to help me with my rotation as my memory and labelling are rubbish also.  Best laid plans with me seem to go awry  ;D

[Ed^Chigliak]

Any old CAD program but ProgeCAD LT 2006 is free and very good. Like AutoCAD LT but £650 cheaper.

http://www.download.com/ProgeCAD-LT-2006/3000-6677_4-10399449.html?tag=lst-0-1

You need to register the software online. There is no need to give them your correct details if you don't want just fill out the form Donald Duck or whatever. You don't have to give them your email address either to get the registration codes. You can use a disposable email address. I use www.spamgourmet.com which is free source of disposable email addresses. Perhaps you can tell I got fed up with SPAM. Spamgourmet will need to know your real farwarding email address then everyone else gets a disposable address and it works very well for downloads and purchase. Anyway I digress.

CAD will look complicated but really it's not difficult. You only need to know a few basics things and you can draw whatever plans you like. It's easier to use the right type of software for the job than trying to make word processors and spread sheets do things they were never designed to do.

I'll do a CAD school thread if anyone is interested and post some step by step tutorial type stuff to get people started.

[Moggle]

Dave and Kaz, see my post about MS Visio. I also used Excel last year, made the cells in to small squares to each represent 10 square cm (or whatever measurement you prefer) and then marked the plant positions in with an 'x'.

If you PM me your email address, I can try to send you a copy of it.