supplies for designing guilds?

Hey folks,

I would just like to start by saying, Spent a few hours yesterday reading the heck out of the forums and loving every minute Thank you all for sharing your skill-sets

My question: (after asking google to query permies.com for me for this and not finding it) Does anyone have any pointers to a good open-source/free/online landscape design software? Or, what do you use to draw up your designs? i.e. graph paper, compass, pencil etc.

Thanks for your response!

i just do a lot of research of the kinds of plants that I like and want to grow and then find the needs of each plant and then put them together in guilds of supporting plants.

i don't use any software or design programs..just common sense, graph paper, rulers and pencils..etc..

you can see a few rough drawings on my blog below

Thanks! That is what I was thinking of doing. As a matter of fact I just got back from buying a compass and some graph paper

It seems to work the best.  Just make sure the pencil has an eraser.

John Polk wrote:
It seems to work the best.  Just make sure the pencil has an eraser.

ROFL totally  

smooth board + masking tape + architectural tracing paper
make your base map in a format that is easy to photocopy (11x17), and use the zoom function to blow up areas for detail work.
Freehand is best.  The human arm has 4 points of complex articulation that are directly connected to your brain.
I often design guilds conceptually in cross section to see the layers and niches...I'll post sometime.

Awesome info Paul