Most landscaping software either has a steep learning curve or is seriously lacking from everything I have read here. Most aren't free, particularly those that have the potential to be useful.

Instead consider some other options. One of the posters on this forum uses the MS Paint that comes with Windows computers and a stylus to draw on photos he has uploaded. You can look at info or consult with a good quality garden center on particular plants to find ones that suit the size and texture that you want, but the sketches can give a feel for where you want plants and hardscape of various sizes and types.

I tend to use graph paper in map/plan form and make a bunch of copies, put in actual or planned hardscape and important aspects of the home's architecture such as window and door locations, and then make to-size outlines (also in birdseye view) of plants and move them around until locations seem to fit what I want, basically like a blueprint for the garden. I work on a computer making maps professionally, so would just as soon spend my leisure time with analog plans. You will want to do a measured plan view regardless to be sure that things will fit in the space allotted, but many folks need a sketch to help visualize how the plan view will look from ground level. You can usually get a plot plan from the city planning department, often on line, but google maps or google earth can be helpful as well as a starting point for plans.

It is important to understand that any of these software programs are just visualization tools and any can be helpful in that regard. But the design quality output will only be as good as the design quality input :-) IOW, the software will not help you create a "good" design........the design input has to come from the user, not the program!!

Thanks for the suggestions. Funny, my husband actually recommended "paint". I agree about the learning curve as many have quite put me off. Yes, visualization is what I'm after. Most of my gardens are over 20 years old, I studied floral design and have always been a plant person so I do have a bit of an eye for designing with them. At this point it's a matter of "seeing things differently" finding the right home for the shrubs I buy, hopefully without moving every other plant in the gardens. It always seems adding one plant to the garden means moving 3 others. I don't plan any hard scaping changes.