I used MicroSoft Excel to "design the layout" of my garden. But then I found plangarden.com -- I love it! I am still working on what I'm planting in each square (I square foot garden). But you can record the date that you started the seeds inside, the date you transplanted the seedlings outside, the amount that you harvest from each individual plant (or square/area) depending on how you set your vegetables up. Also, in the squares where I am planting two different plants, I just put icons for both plants in the same square. I'm doing this where I'm planting parsley around my tomatoes for example. Here's a link to my plangarden: http://www.plangarden.com/share/share.php?userFile=Magnolias4Ever Here is a link that might be useful: Judy's Square Foot Garden Blog

jcrowder--past growing season I had found one software and was able to use it for 30 days free trial. I am not sure of the link--just google for one you may fine it. Meanwhile I will try to recall the link and search my emails--I may have it there! Anna

Hi, I use Microsfot Publisher to make maps of my garden. I use the banner setting for some big ones. It works pretty well. I import photos of each daylily or other plants and then put a text box with the name and other info underneath. It is easy to update when I make changes. For example if I am replacing some daylilies with new ones I just drag the old photo and text box up to the top or bottom and then put in the new one. I can move them around once imported. I usually experiment with the new ones I have ordered putting them into an existing plan or starting a new one for a new flower bed. I can also print these off although they may take several pages depending on how much of the banner you used. I often do this though and tape the pages together. It gives me something to take out in the garden when I am thinking or looking for something that might have gone missing. A few years ago my daughter did garden maps for her employer using excell. I think they had downloaded some program on top of excell. Each cell was a box and she entered a plant in each box to make a map. You could click on the cell and it would go to an info page for that plant such as how many they had of it for example. I have been meaning to ask them how they did it but have never gotten around to it. I have been happy with my publisher maps. I do look after a rural cemetery that has 2 large old maps that are starting to crumble and I have often thought the excell maps would be good so I could enter all of the info I have about a plot and its holder and be able to link to that page when I click on the plot. It would be good to have it saved somewhere other than on these 2 maps which are going to crumble some day!

Hi, I'm trying to decide between purchasing one of the Punch software editions or one of the Better Homes & Gardens. I've searched the Kitchens forum, Bathrooms forum, and Remodeling forum. On the Kitchens forum, I see people are using the Better Homes & Gardens software to do their layouts and work through designs. I don't see any mention of the Punch software over there. I see that some people here are using the Punch software, so I thought I'd ask for input here. If you're using Punch, which edition are you using? How has your experience been so far with it? What rooms or other things have you designed with it? I'd like to have the ability for different views and vantage points of the room, and somehow get a feel for how it would look entering, standing in the space, exiting, etc. And ideally, I'd love to be able to export in a digital photo of my existing room into the software and use it to do changes so I can get a closer idea of how it will look in reality. There are so many different edition flavors that I'm having trouble deciding on price point alone. Thanks in advance! Lee