Well-Intentioned Gardeners Get Some Cyber-Help in the Yard

Feb. 21 -- So maybe you're not the Martha Stewart of horticulture, but there's hope for you yet. This season, switch on your PC to work out some of your gardening kinks before they happen. Gardening is the number one hobby in America, and considering that 57 million American households own computers, the combination of gardening and technology is a natural fit, according to Bob Brennecke, brand manager for SierraHome.
"Though planning for a new garden or landscape might seem like a daunting project with many variables, even novices can design their yards without hassle or guesswork if they take advantage of some of the tools their computer has to offer," says Brennecke.

SierraHome currently offers a comprehensive software package, Complete LandDesigner 3D, as well as the online resource www.Gardening.com, to help everyone from expert to novice, and especially those with lofty goals but limited ideas, budgets, and know-how.

To put your computer to work in the yard, he suggests some helpful tips for creating your own fool-proof Garden of Eden:

• Get inspired. For a creativity jump-start, check out sample gardens and landscapes in the Designer Garden Library to see which styles strike your fancy. Complete LandDesigner software contains more than 80 pre-designed gardens, from container gardens for urban living, to rose gardens, to water gardens and Feng Shui landscapes. You can also go online for ideas: check out Garden Makeovers at Gardening.com to see how other outdoor spaces have been transformed.



• Make a list. Decide what you want to accomplish. Are there eyesores or noise problems you want to block? Any views you'd like to maximize? Include in your list everything you'd like to add, keep, remove or change. Then rank each of these in order of importance. Now that you know what you'd like, use software to work out the details. How tall will the trees need to be to block your pool from the neighbors' view? How will you irrigate the new perennial garden you're planning?



• Know your budget. You wouldn't want to plan your dream garden, only to discover that making it a reality is a financial nightmare. Complete LandDesigner allows you to add each object to a shopping list, which keeps a running tally of how much your design will cost.



• See how your ideas work with your house. Now you can view potential results of your gardening efforts before you even begin. Use the Photo Garden Designer program in this software to scan in an actual photo of your home, then drag and drop a wide selection of plants and objects right onto the picture.



• Be "in the zone." Make sure you're realistic in your selection and placement of plants. In the software, a Design Review will take a look at your finished design, allow you to input your zip code and make sure that nothing you've selected is incompatible with your growing zone. The Design Review will also assess if your deck is too close to your lot line, if one plant is shaded by another, if a tree is too close to your house, and so on. For a listing of plants that thrive in your zone, you can also turn to the comprehensive plant encyclopedia on Gardening.com.



• Make use of expert advice. No one expects you to go it alone, which is why Complete LandDesigner's Design Guide provides you with a reference for everything from planting techniques to working with landscaping pros. You can also turn to the Web, and check out Garden Features on Gardening.com for tips on a variety of topics and an active gardening message board for sharing ideas and getting advice.

Take encouragement from the fact that you're not alone in planning your garden this spring. Though your PC can't plant the flowers for you, knowing you can get such comprehensive help from your computer will ensure that you end up with just the garden you've always wanted, no matter how brown your thumb may be.

SOURCE Sierra On-Line, Inc.
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