Landscape Design Software

Create landscape designs quickly and easily with our landscape design app

The Easy Choice for Designing Landscapes and Backyards Online

Easy to Use

SmartDraw's landscape design software makes it easy to design your next outdoor space with built-in templates for landscapes, gardens, backyards, and more. Start with any of the built-in templates and drag-and-drop flowers, shrubs, grasses and other plants. You can add sprinkler systems and other structures like lights, walkways, pools, and furniture. You can even easily apply brick patterns and photo-realistic textures!

Easy to Find the Symbols You Need

Search SmartDraw's vast collection of symbols for any plant or structural element you need and add it to your design. With shape data, you can even add information like cost and export a manifest to help generate a shopping or material list and price out a proposal.

Conifer

Easy to Draw and Print to Scale

Most landscape plans are drawn with a 1:8 scale. SmartDraw supports all common scales and even lets you change the scale at any time.

Landscape Design Scale

Easy to Work With Other Apps

SmartDraw is easy to work with no matter what other apps you use. You can add landscape designs to:

  • Microsoft Office®
    • Word®
    • PowerPoint®
    • Excel®
  • Microsoft Teams®
  • Google Workspace
    • Google Docs
    • Google Sheets
  • Atlassian apps
    • Confluence
    • Jira

Easy to Save to Your Existing Storage Solution

SmartDraw works hand in glove with most file storage systems. You can save your landscape plans directly to:

  • SharePoint®
  • OneDrive®
  • Google Drive
  • DropBox®
  • Box®

There is no need to create a parallel set of common folders and permissions, SmartDraw can just save files directly into your existing set up.

Easy to Share

Share your landscape design with anyone, even if they don't own a copy of SmartDraw, with a link. You can also easily export any diagram as a PDF or common image formats like PNG or SVG.

Easy to Share

Easy to Get Help

Have a question? Chat or email us. SmartDraw support is in-house and free!

Easy to Get Help

Easy Collaboration

SmartDraw lets you visualize your plans and share them. Whether you're a DIY homeowner or a professional contractor, you can share your landscape project and let others offer feedback or make modifications.

SmartDraw makes it easy to spec out a project for a client or create inspiration for your team. You can share your design via email or collaborate in Teams, Slack, or Confluence. You can also work on the same file via shared folders in SmartDraw or your preferred file sharing app.

Collaborate on Landscape Design

Our Landscape Design Software Features

  • Landscape templates
  • Patio and deck templates
  • Plant and structure symbols
  • Easy-to-apply patterns
  • Photo-realistic textures
  • Built-in scales
  • Ability to define a custom scale
  • Ability to add layers
  • Scale independent annotation layer
  • Shape data
  • Export a manifest
  • Export as PDF, PNG, or SVG
  • Works with Google Workspace
  • Works with Microsoft Office®
  • Works with Microsoft Teams®
  • Works with 3rd party storage providers

How to Design Your Landscape Online

Step 1

Set the Scale

Each landscape design template is set to a default scale of 1 inch = 8 feet. You can change the scale at any time from the SmartPanel to any standard scale or set your own custom scale.

Step 2

Create the Outline

A landscape plan should begin with a broad overview of the project area. This is your basic outline to which you can slowly add elements. Decide on the area to be depicted in the drawing. Begin by drawing boundaries of the area. It might be the edge of a garden, the end of the yard, or a fence.

Step 3

Add Existing Features

Add any rocks, waterways, buildings, poles, slopes, and other features that cannot or will not be moved during the landscaping process. Be sure to use the correct symbols and colors for these as well. You may also want to note North on your design to help you understand how the sun and shadows may change the landscape.

Step 4

Add New Landscape Design Elements

Add plant life such as shrubbery, trees, and flowers and draw in walkways and stairs. Add any lawn furniture, pools, sheds, gazebos, buildings, and fountains that you plan to install.

Step 5

Add Colors and Textures

Add colors and photo-realistic textures to show an area meant to be used for grass, bricks, paving stones or whatever surface your plan calls for.

Step 6

Export and Share

A You can export your landscape as an image file like a PNG or SVG or save it as a PDF. You can also share your landscape design with anyone with a link.

Landscape Design Templates and Examples

SmartDraw comes with templates to design both residential and commercial landscapes. You'll also get templates for decks, patios, gardens, and more.

Why SmartDraw is the Best Landscape Design Software

SmartDraw makes it easy to design any outdoor space for your home or commercial building. You'll get dozens of templates and examples that you can quickly customize or you can design your plan from scratch.

It makes no difference whether you're a novice or a seasoned landscape designer. SmartDraw combines ease of use with a robust set of design features.

With SmartDraw, you can quickly design and share your plans without having to learn difficult CAD software.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Landscape Design

How do I design my own landscape?

Landscape design software lets you quickly visualize what your final backyard or garden project may look like. It's an easy way to sketch out your plans to hand off to a professional contractor and make sure your vision for your outdoor space is effectively communicated.

Elements of Landscape Design

In order to have a well-designed outdoor space, you'll need these elements in your landscape:

  • Focus
  • Balance
  • Proportion
  • Texture
  • Color
  • Line
  • Unity
Can I import images?

You can easily import photos to create texture or add more detail to any design. You can even import an image of an existing landscape plan if you want to draw over it in more detail or make notes to share with your team.

How do you plan a backyard layout?

Think about a focal point like a seating area, outdoor kitchen, fountain, or pool. Add shade through umbrellas or pergolas. Your space should be relaxing and protected from the elements. Always leave enough room around patio furniture to avoid the look of an overcrowded space. Sometimes less is more. Finally, think about the colors and timing of any blooms, so your garden has a changing look and feel throughout the seasons.

The Benefits of Landscape Software

Landscape design software lets you visualize a plan before spending money or even hiring a contractor. You can fully consider different landscape elements and design options, rearrange structures and plants and make sure your vision will fit your space.

Can you change scale?

With SmartDraw, you can change the scale of your landscape plan at any time. You can flip between standard and metric scales at will. You can also define your own scale if it is not among the standard scales offered.

Does SmartDraw import Visio files?

To help you move away from legacy software, SmartDraw can import and edit Visio® diagrams and stencils. See how good SmartDraw's Visio import is.

How easy is landscape software to learn?

Depends on the software. Traditional CAD software has a reputation for being too complex and difficult. SmartDraw on the other hand is easy whether you're a beginner or a seasoned professional. SmartDraw offers tutorials and videos to make designing even easier. Learn how to make a landscape design here.

Can I lock a part of my landscape?

Using layers in SmartDraw allows you to group and separate items like your irrigation system and lighting so you can show and hide details or prevent editing of specific layers as needed. Learn more.

SmartDraw is Used by Over 85% of the Fortune 500

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3M logo
Amazon logo
AT&T logo
Cisco logo
Honeywell logo
Intel logo
Johnson and Johnson logo
Mariott logo
Abbott Labs logo
Motorola logo
Northrop Grumman logo
Oracle logo
Pfizer logo
Thermo Fisher Scientific logo
Verizon logo
Wells Fargo logo

Try SmartDraw's Landscape Design Software Free

Discover why SmartDraw is the best landscape design app today.