I only got my plot about a month ago and still clearing it. I have started building raised beds to the right of the plot and could not decide how i wanted it.
I used this free program when planing my small back garden and thought i would see what it was like for the allotment.
I drew it on paper first to plan, 1cm = 1m, Plot size 14.5m x 10m, then simply drew it on Sketchup(free and run by google) http://www.google.com/sketchup/index.html (http://www.google.com/sketchup/index.html) it took about an hour because i forgot how to use it.
You can shade, add texture and loads of other stuff.
This is my first attempt without adding and texture.
(http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/4411/allotment22dqu8.th.jpg) (http://img502.imageshack.us/my.php?image=allotment22dqu8.jpg)(http://img502.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif) (http://g.imageshack.us/thpix.php)
top left is the compost area and top right is the shed(only allowed 6x4) and patio. The two triangles are going to be for my boys(11 & 8yrs) to grow and have competitions against each other. The front and sides will have wire strung across for fruit trees/bushes and the back will have a small fence to stop people cutting accross to get to the sloe/ blackberry bushes.
I am going to try a few different layouts to see what i prefer, then print out 3 lots and write on it what veg i'm going to have for crop rotation.
Neil
Thats brilliant Nilly, I'll give it a go
With a bit of texture.
(http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/4373/allotment32dgo2.th.jpg) (http://img46.imageshack.us/my.php?image=allotment32dgo2.jpg)(http://img46.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif) (http://g.imageshack.us/thpix.php)
Sawfish
It's a great thing to play with and very easy (once you get used to it :D).
Neil
Seems quite good. I sketched mine out on Paintshop Pro. Took absoloutley ages.
Quote from: ktlawson on September 21, 2008, 18:30:15
Seems quite good. I sketched mine out on Paintshop Pro. Took absoloutley ages.
I bet it did using that.
To do something like a raised bed, all you have to do is click on rectangle and draw the size you need, then click on offset and i typed 5cm (this gave the thickness of the wood, then i clicked on push/pull and selected the outside of the rectangle and typed 15cm(this raises the outside of the bed to 15cm) takes about 1-2 minutes to draw a bed) a bit quicker than paintshop and you can zoom in and out and rotate.
All i have to do now is get rid of all the weeds and rubbish, so that i can begin :o
Neil
this looks like fun i will check it out :D
just the sort of thing i've been looking for ;D
I did mine in Word - just made text boxes roughly the shapes of the beds, it's not 3D or anything sophisticated like that, but I print off a copy each year so we can write on it what we're planting, thereby having some sort of a rotation plan.
Quote from: asbean on September 22, 2008, 17:02:11
I did mine in Word - just made text boxes roughly the shapes of the beds, it's not 3D or anything sophisticated like that, but I print off a copy each year so we can write on it what we're planting, thereby having some sort of a rotation plan.
i do the same thing but my plan was drawn up using Microsoft Publisher.
I mainly wanted it to plan out the plot to scale, so that i could see how it all worked together.
I might move the compost bins to the top middle.
Anyone have any comments on the layout, like improvements or ideas?
Neil