GardenCAD is a free, browser-based planning tool for residential
gardeners. Lay out beds and structures on a scaled grid, fill them
with real plants, and model the sun for any date at your latitude:
live shadows, shade maps, and your hardiness zone tell you what
will thrive where.
Draw any-shape regions (polygon, rectangle, or circle), then
mark each as a planting bed, a shadow-casting structure, or a
tree canopy whose shade floats above the trunk.
Real sun & shade
Set your latitude and the editor models the sun for any date
and time. Watch hard shadows update live, or overlay shade-
and heat-contour maps to site each plant by the light it
actually gets.
Plant with intent
Pick from a species library with mature size and spacing,
queue up what you mean to plant and track placed-vs-planned,
then auto-arrange a whole bed at the right spacing in one click.
Dimensions that hold
Drop measurements that snap to vertices and edges. Lock one to
an exact value and the geometry follows, so your beds stay the
size you meant.
Know your season
GardenCAD estimates your USDA hardiness zone and frost dates
from your latitude, so the growing-season window lines up with
what you're planting.
Yours first, accounts optional
Gardens save right in your browser, so you can start planning
instantly with no account. Sign in with your EdQuest account to
sync across devices and keep a backup. It's an optional
convenience, not a requirement. Export or import JSON, or print a
clean plan anytime.