Frequently Asked Questions
How do I download your garden landscaping software?
We do not sell software or a subscription. You buy credits for photos of your outdoor space to download (there’s no expiration date) to plan your landscaping project. For example: today you might buy the “large spaces” offer, which means you can upload a photo of the entrance to your garden and carry out various experiments (contemporary style, Japanese style, natural style and so on). Then, when you are ready, you can upload the photos of the side areas of your garden and finally, even a year later, photos of your main outdoor space. You manage all of this via your personal dashboard. You can return to each project you create at any time.
You can also hire our landscape designers to come up with plans for your exterior. Find out more about our offers.
What can I use My Garden Designer outdoor landscaping software for?
Our software lets you create decorative designs for gardens and terraces, assisted by our nifty online system. We have developed garden landscaping software that factors in your environmental specifications so that we can suggest to you plants that are truly suited to your environment. This means your plantings will have a greater chance of success, you will waste less money on buying unsuitable plants and gain more satisfaction when looking out to your beautiful exterior.
I can't find my town or city, what should I do?
The site is currently set up for europe. We recommend that people residing in other regions find the French town or city closest to their own USDA hardiness zone using this map: http://nature.jardin.free.fr/zone. html. Then simply enter the name of this town or city when you are asked to do so. In other words, for anyone living outside of France, put the Mainland French city with the climate closest to yours (e.g. Divonne-les-Bains if you live in Geneva). For Overseas France and Mediterranean countries, we are currently working to extend our system to your regions. For the time being, to receive the best selection of plants, enter Antibes, France as your city.
I don't know anything about computers, what should I do?
Rest assured, we’ve thought of you and created video tutorials that show you exactly what to do, step by step. One small tip: if you pause the video and minimise the window (horizontal line in the top right of your screen), the “Help” button will turn red and you can then resume playback at the point where you stopped it. Children from the age of 5 use our tool in computing class, so it is designed to be as accessible as possible.
Can you explain in more detail the offers and how to upload photos?
You have the option to create a design from our model photos or to upload your own photo:
“Exterior image bank access”: these are photos of “model” gardens and terraces that we provide to help you create your design. However, this only gives an approximate idea of the final result because our “model exteriors” will never be 100% identical to your own exterior. They are intended to show you the potential of our garden landscaping tool.
“Upload photos of your exterior”: you upload the photos of your exterior and landscape them directly by adding plants and decorative objects.
If you choose the “trial” offer, you will be limited in terms of the choice of plants and objects to add. For the other offers, you have access to the entire catalogue and have the possibility of creating several different outdoor landscape designs based on the same photo (e.g. changing the arrangement of the flower beds, the style, etc.), thereby letting you determine which design suits you best.
For the “large spaces” and “pro” offers, you can download as many different photos as you have credits for. You can also create multiple designs of different gardens for each upload photo.
What can I not do with this garden planning software?
The technology that we have developed will not allow you to play around with the depth of your garden, i.e. if you want to virtually move large sections of soil and put them elsewhere. Our software is designed to plan plantings and garden decoration.
For major landscaping projects, we recommend you call on the help of an experienced landscaper.
Our software is in 2D, so it is not possible to see all the sides of the objects, which requires 3D technology.
Some Designer functions do not work on my PC, why is that?
We have optimised our site for the most recent browser versions. However, you may encounter problems with the “eraser”, “rotate” and “patch” functions of our Designer on earlier browser versions. Use the following browser versions for best results:
Chrome 4.0 and above
Internet Explorer 9 and above
Firefox 2.0 and above
Opera 9 and above
Safari 3.2 and above
We recommend that you update your browsers to get the best results from our software.
All other Designer functions work in all versions.
What are the figures used for at the start a new design?
Our augmented reality design software is inspired by 3D technology. Placing and resizing the figures is necessary to offer you a rendering that is as realistic as possible. The plants and objects will then automatically fit to the points of reference created by the figures. Make sure you place them in the four corners of your space and that the feet are well placed on the ground. Adapt their size (1m70) to the objects you have added to the photo (plants, furniture, etc.).
Start by placing the two figures in the background, resize them and then place the figures in the foreground. In general, if the exterior is not very deep (less than 5 m) then the two figures in the foreground should be between two thirds or three quarters of the height of the image. If the area to be landscaped is greater than 10 m, then the two figures in the foreground will be smaller: approximately half the height of the image.
In the case of a triangular space, place the two furthest figures on top of each other.
What advice do you have for uploading photos?
We advise that you take the photo in landscape mode (horizontal display where the width is greater) and stand where you usually sit to look at your exterior (as opposed to standing in the centre of your terrace, for example, or at the entrance to the garden if you want to design a beautiful new entrance).
Of the inside: make sure your door or window is open when you are on your terrace.
Take the photo at ground level looking slightly down in front of you (imagine an object on the ground at least 4 m away).
Photos taken from the back of the garden in which you can see most of the building will usually be reserved for real estate sales particulars, for example.
Photos must not exceed 10 MB otherwise reduce them using your PC’s default software, Paint. Reduce a photo tutorial
To know the size of your photo, go to the file location on your device, right click its icon then at the bottom of the list select “Property”.
What is the patch tool used for at the start of the process?
This step of using the garden design software is optional but very practical if you have elements already in place that you no longer wish to see in the photo (plants, decorative objects, pipes, etc.). The process consists of concealing the areas you no longer want to see by replacing it with another part of the photo with a similar texture.
We advise you to watch the tutorial video which is of great help.
Are there any rules for adding plants and other object?
We strongly advise that you always start the landscaping design of any garden or terrace from the back and then gradually work your way to the middle and end with the foreground. To obtain a realistic design of a large exterior, we advise you to take several photos with different light exposures in the space: sunny, partial shade, shaded, etc. to provide you with different plant selections.
For terraces, box “The plants will be watered at least twice a week in the dry period (manually or automatically)” is ticked, by default, why?
Since most balconies and terraces are covered by those of neighbours, the amount of rainwater reaching the plants is limited. As such, manual or automatic watering becomes essential. We advise you to put in a simple autonomous system that will mean less work for you and more time to contemplate your outdoor space. If your terrace or balcony is unsheltered, you can untick this box when you display “more options” in the “add a plant” window.
Can I zoom in on the image to see the arrangement of plants and objects in more detail?
To zoom in, click on the “Ctrl” and “+” keys on your keyboard simultaneously several times until you have zoomed in as close as you want and the “Ctrl” and “ – ” keys to return to the initial position.