Garden Sketchbook
gardensketchbook.com
What it is
Garden Sketchbook is a browser-based tool for designing gardens to scale and previewing them in 3D across the seasons. Its 2D drag-and-drop editor lets users arrange plants, while the seasonal view shows how the garden and its colors change through the year. Filters cover hardiness zone, sun, soil, bloom season, color, deer resistance, and drought resistance. Plants are sized automatically, and users can trace a floor plan or aerial photo while drawing beds, paths, and structures. The library contains hundreds of plants with growing information and specific varieties; custom varieties can be made by changing size, color, and bloom time. The software runs in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge without installation. The 2D planner works on any device, but the 3D seasonal view requires WebGL. The free demo needs no account, though gardens expire after 24 hours. Gardener costs $39 a year after a 14-day free trial and saves up to 10 gardens. A one-time $9 add-on provides PDF export in the free demo.
Spec sheet
- What it does
- Garden Sketchbook is a browser garden-design app combining a 2D planting canvas with 3D seasonal visualization.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Purpose
- Garden Sketchbook is a browser-based sketchbook for designing gardens to scale and previewing them in 3D across the seasons.Read 9 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Audience
- The maker describes the product as suitable for beginners and experienced gardeners.Read 9 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Support
- The maker directs users to contact it for questions, feedback, refunds and account deletion.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Maker
- The site identifies the maker as Fablehenge Software, Inc.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- 2D and 3D design
- Users can arrange plants in a 2D drag-and-drop editor and see the design in 3D.Read 9 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Account and garden limit
- The free demo requires no account, but gardens expire after 24 hours; the Gardener plan saves gardens permanently and allows up to 10.Read 9 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- API and SDKs
- The Garden Sketchbook pages opened publish no public API, SDK, webhook or developer documentation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Automatic saving
- Signed-in gardens save automatically without a Save button.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Browser support
- The app runs in current Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge without downloading software.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Commercial-use restriction
- The terms prohibit commercial use without the maker’s express written consent.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Company headquarters
- Fablehenge says its team lives in New Brunswick, Canada.Read 15 Oct 2026 · fablehenge.com
- Company origin
- Fablehenge says it began as a hobby project during the pandemic.Read 15 Oct 2026 · fablehenge.com
- Company size
- Fablehenge describes the Garden Sketchbook roadmap as maintained by a one-person development team.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Company team
- Fablehenge identifies Jennifer Phillips and Dusty Phillips as its founding team and says Jennifer studied English while Dusty studied computer science.Read 15 Oct 2026 · fablehenge.com
- Creator
- Jen Phillips is identified as the gardener, developer and creator of Garden Sketchbook.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Custom varieties
- Gardener subscribers can create plant varieties by changing a library plant’s size, color and bloom time.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Data and security terms
- The terms say users retain ownership of their garden designs and grant the maker a limited license to store and display them to provide the service.Read 9 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Data ownership
- Users retain ownership of garden designs while granting Fablehenge a limited license to store and display them for service delivery.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Demo limit
- Demo gardens remain in the browser session for 24 hours and do not move between devices or browsers.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Developer model
- Fablehenge says the PWA approach lets its small team maintain one application across Android, iOS, ChromeOS, Windows and macOS.Read 15 Oct 2026 · blog.fablehenge.com
- Documentation depth
- The maker provides FAQ, quick-start and printing documentation covering workflows, account behavior, device support and export steps.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Export
- The free demo offers a one-time $9 add-on to download a planting plan and shopping list as a PDF.Read 9 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Independent demo listing
- TryDemo describes the product as a functional browser garden designer with no signup, 2D-to-3D seasonal views and a five-minute-plus interactive session.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trydemo.tech
- Independent demo score
- TryDemo lists a 95.5/100 demo-fidelity score for Garden Sketchbook.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trydemo.tech
- Interactive design
- Users drag plants into a 2D layout and see the design update in 3D.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Licence
- The terms identify the original service content, features and functionality as owned by Fablehenge Software, Inc.; no open-source licence is published.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Mobile requirement
- The maker recommends at least 4 GB of RAM for the best mobile experience.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Mobile requirements
- The 2D planner works on any device, and the site recommends at least 4 GB RAM for the best mobile experience.Read 9 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- No native apps
- The FAQ says there is no iOS or Android app; the product runs in the browser.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Offline limit
- Garden Sketchbook requires a network connection to load gardens and save changes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Plant library
- The curated library has about 500 plants with growing information and region and hardiness filters.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Plant search
- Search filters cover hardiness zone, sun, soil, bloom season, color palette, deer resistance and drought resistance.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Printing
- Printable plans include numbered plant callouts, a plant list, quantities and a scale legend, and can be printed or saved through the browser dialog.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- PWA architecture
- Fablehenge explains that its web application caches software locally and can continue running offline after initial loading.Read 15 Oct 2026 · blog.fablehenge.com
- PWA installation
- Fablehenge says its progressive web app can be installed from a browser onto computers, tablets and home screens.Read 15 Oct 2026 · blog.fablehenge.com
- PWA sync behavior
- Fablehenge says subscriber data syncs to the cloud when the connection is idle and that first-login synchronization can take up to a minute.Read 15 Oct 2026 · blog.fablehenge.com
- Regional coverage limit
- The library emphasizes temperate North American, UK and cooler European plants, with weaker subtropical and tropical coverage.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Release history
- Release 1.0 dated April 30, 2026 added mobile navigation, custom plants, shape tools, updated artwork and 2D background uploads.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Roadmap status
- The roadmap lists a 3D photo backdrop and expanded plant library as in progress, with garden templates and AI plant suggestions planned.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Scale and tracing
- Plants are automatically sized, while users can draw beds and paths and trace a floor plan or aerial image.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Seasonal planning
- A season control shows bloom, foliage-color and dormant-period changes across the year.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Security disclaimer
- The terms provide the service as available and do not promise uninterrupted, error-free or completely secure operation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Self-hosting
- The Garden Sketchbook pages opened provide no self-hosted deployment option.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Structures
- Build mode supports building footprints, wall heights and roof sections, but is desktop-only.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- Subscription lapse limit
- After cancellation or lapse, gardens become view-only and editing and printing are paused.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
- WebGL requirement
- The 3D seasonal view requires WebGL, while the 2D planner works on any device.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gardensketchbook.com
Plans and prices
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Plans gardens to scale in 2D and previews them in 3D.
- Includes filters for growing conditions and plant traits.
- Can trace floor plans or aerial photos.
- Gardener saves up to 10 gardens permanently.
- Runs in major web browsers without installation.
Limits
- Free-demo gardens expire after 24 hours.
- The 3D seasonal view requires WebGL.
- Gardener costs $39 a year after a 14-day trial.
- Free-demo PDF export costs a one-time $9.
Who it suits
It suits beginners and experienced gardeners who want to plan a garden layout and preview seasonal changes. The free demo offers a short-term way to work without creating an account; Gardener is for people who want to keep up to 10 gardens.
Verdict
Garden Sketchbook combines scaled layouts, plant filtering, and seasonal 3D previews in a browser-based planner. The free demo has a 24-hour garden limit; Gardener costs $39 a year after its 14-day trial.
Where Specifiction places it
- 3D Landscape Design Software#5 of 308.8
- Landscape Software#3 of 188.9