Right plant, right micro-site
The same yard can hold a baking south-facing border and a damp, shaded corner. OpenLandscape3D records exposure and moisture for the site and for each area, and checks every plant against the conditions where it stands.
Site defaults and area overrides
Set the site’s typical sun (full, part or shade), moisture (dry, medium or wet) and soil (sand, loam or clay). Then override sun or moisture on any bed or area — the shaded strip by the north wall, the low spot that stays wet after rain.
For each plant, the planner uses the innermost area it sits in, falling back to the site default, and raises OL-SUN or OL-WATER when the plant’s needs don’t include that condition.
Water use you can group
Every plant carries a low, medium or high water-use class. Grouping plants with similar needs — hydrozoning — is the single most effective water-saving design decision, and the plant list makes it visible. See the drought-tolerant design guide and the rain garden guide.
Mapping sun is still your job
OpenLandscape3D doesn’t yet simulate shadows from buildings and trees. Map the light on site through the day and the seasons — the sun and shade mapping guide shows how — and enter what you observe.
Design checks
Illustrative results, as the planner reports them.
- OL-HARDY error:Bougainvillea is hardy to zone 9; this site is zone 6b.
- OL-SUN warning:Little bluestem needs full sun; the bed by the north wall is set to shade.
- OL-WATER warning:Winterberry prefers medium to wet soil; the gravel garden is set to dry.
- OL-OVERLAP warning:Two arborvitae 1.0 m apart will overlap at maturity (spread 2.5–4 m).
- OL-BLOOMGAP info:Nothing is in bloom in May or September.
Available now
- Site sun, moisture and soil
- Per-area sun and moisture overrides
- OL-SUN and OL-WATER checks
- Water-use class on every plant
Planned
- Sun-path shadow study by date and hour
- Irrigation zones and water budget
- Rainfall and runoff estimates
Questions
Does OpenLandscape3D design irrigation?
Not yet. It records water use and checks moisture fit; irrigation zoning and water budgets are on the roadmap.
What counts as full sun?
Commonly six or more hours of direct sun in the growing season; part shade is about three to six hours, and shade less than three. Morning and afternoon sun are not equal, so note when the sun arrives as well as how long it stays.
Related
Start designing in your browser
OpenLandscape3D is free and open source. Draw the site, place regional plants, and scrub through seasons and years before anything goes in the ground.