3D Visualization
Experience your garden designs in stunning 3D. Navigate through your garden space, see realistic plant positioning, and watch your design transform through the seasons.
What is the 3D View?
Think of the 3D view as a window into the future — it shows you how your design will look in real life. After placing plants in your 2D layout, use the 3D view to stroll through your garden virtually. See plants at their full size, see how they'll look in different seasons, and spot any spacing issues before you plant.
📸 Screenshot: 3D view showing a colorful garden with seasonal blooms
Getting Around in 3D
- Left-click and drag to orbit around your garden
- Right-click and drag to slide the view (pan)
- Mouse wheel to zoom in or out
- Hold spacebar for temporary pan mode
- Reset button to return to starting view if you get lost
Plant ID: Click on any plant to see its name appear in a tooltip.
📸 Screenshot: 3D navigation controls highlighted in toolbar
Seeing Different Seasons
Here's where the 3D view really shines: you can instantly switch between seasons to see how your garden changes throughout the year. Spring might show early bulbs and fresh green leaves, summer reveals peak blooms and full foliage, fall brings color changes and late flowers, while winter shows the garden's bones with evergreens and bare branches.
This seasonal preview is incredibly useful for planning. Understand what will bloom together so you can coordinate color schemes and plan for year-long interest.
📸 Screenshot: Same garden view in spring and fall showing seasonal differences
Plants only show flowers when they actually bloom in real life, and herbaceous perennials will disappear during their dormant periods. This accuracy helps you understand the rhythm of your garden throughout the seasons.
For a deeper dive into seasonal planning, see the seasonal planning guide.
A Note on the Art
Curious about how we render the 3D images of so many plants? Designing the art was the most fun part of this project.
I have a design background and enjoy drawing and painting plants. But as much as I'd love to, there aren't enough hours in the day to draw a picture of every plant out there. To represent as many plants as possible, flower shapes are divided into about ten categories (daisy, plume, trumpet, etc.). Same with foliage (round, palmate, oval, and so on).
The textures for each of these categories are hand-drawn by me, then digitally colored and sized to match each plant's characteristics. The coloring and positioning are controlled by the code and happen when the 3D scene is rendered. There's a little bit of randomness in the flower positioning, so no two plants are exactly alike.
This covers a wide variety of plants surprisingly well, but nature has endless variety and there are many special cases. Irises, for instance, have a pretty unique flower shape that doesn't fit neatly into a category. I have a list of these special cases and am continuously adding new art to make the garden renderings as lifelike as possible.
If you encounter a plant that looks funny or unrealistic, please let me know and I will add it to the custom artwork list.
What to Look For
Use the 3D view to spot potential issues before you've committed to purchasing plants or digging holes.
Size
Check if plants might grow too close together. Make sure pathways won't get blocked as plants mature.
Color
Coordinate your color palettes however you like. Since different plants will bloom throughout the year, you can shift your garden's colors with the seasons, or keep everything cohesive.
Optimize for year round blooms, or design a seasonal garden with maximum impact at a certain time of year; just check the seasonal preview to see what's in bloom when.
Balance & Flow
The 3D view is also great for checking your garden's visual balance. Try viewing it from different angles — does one side feel heavier than the other? Are there enough tall elements to create visual interest? Does the design flow well from different viewpoints?
📸 Screenshot: 3D view highlighting spacing and accessibility considerations
Quick Reference
Navigation
- Left Click + Drag Orbit around garden
- Right Click + Drag Pan view
- Mouse Wheel Zoom in/out
- Space Hold for pan mode
Plant Interaction
- Click Plant Show plant name
- Click Ground Clear selection
- Reset Button Return to default view
If Something's Not Working
If the 3D view feels slow or choppy, try zooming in to show fewer plants at once, or close other browser tabs that might be using graphics resources. If plants aren't appearing, check your internet connection and make sure you're not viewing them during their dormant season.
Got lost in the view? The reset button is your best friend — it'll bring you right back to a good starting perspective. If plants look unexpectedly large or small, you've probably zoomed too far in or out, and reset will fix that too.
3D Performance Note
Garden Sketchbook's 3D visualization works best with modern browsers and decent graphics capabilities. Performance will vary based on your device and garden complexity, but we're continuously optimizing to make it smooth for everyone.
Next Steps
Now that you understand the 3D visualization tools, explore these related topics:
- Learn seasonal planning to create gardens with year-round interest
- Perfect your 2D design skills for more effective 3D results
- Explore the plant library to understand seasonal characteristics
- Export your 3D views for presentations and client review