Landscape design software makes it easy for you to plan your new garden and trial some of your ideas. Even if you have no experience designing landscapes, these software packages make it easy for you to plan and visualise your finished landscape before calling in the diggers.

There are a number of landscape design software packages on the market, some are free and others require a subscription. Here are our top picks to get you started.

1. Lands Design

Completely free if you have Rhino, Lands Design creates realistic 3D images and virtual tours of your garden design. There is also a database of more than 1800 plant species, complete with detailed information on each plant’s preferred conditions, so you can select the best plants for your terrain and climate. Lands Designs can also simulate seasonality changes and gives you the ability to add paths, fences, walls and facades. Overall, an incredibly powerful and comprehensive landscaping tool.

2. Garden Planner

Garden Planner is a simple landscape planning tool suitable for those who want a very basic drag-and-drop interface. There is a one-off fee of $38 USD, but you won’t have any ongoing subscription costs. It’s ideal for homeowners who want to give their landscape gardener a visual representation of the changes they want made. You can also add plants, furniture and other features.

3. iScape

iScape is a clever augmented reality tool that uses your iPhone or iPad to collect data about your existing garden and overlay it with new features. It’s free for home use, or if you are a landscape professional, you can upgrade to the full version for either a monthly or yearly fee. iScape also features plenty of plants, trees, paths and fences you can move around, as well as a sharing function.

Not confident using landscape design software? Insight Landscapes is happy to help you plan your new outdoor space and create it for you. Call your local Camden Landscape Designers today.