What the AI tab does

The AI tab is part of the Visual Designer. It works from your design's background photo and reimagines the space, so you can go from a bare yard to a picture you can point at in seconds.

AI is a speed multiplier, not magic. It handles the tedious first pass. You stay in control of the final design.

What AI is great for

Working on your background photo, AI can:

• Prepare the site. Clear out things you don't want in the picture, like an old shed, a parked car, or a tired fence, so you're designing on a clean slate.
• Block in beds and borders. Add empty planter beds and shape the layout of the space.
• Add hardscapes. Bring in patios, walkways, retaining walls, and other structural elements.
• Fill it with plants. Populate a bare yard with a photo-realistic planting design.
• Envision what's possible. Try a whole new look, test a bold idea, and experiment without committing to anything.

And there's more you can do as you get comfortable with it. The point is to get to a strong starting picture fast.

AI first, then drag-and-drop

The two ways of designing work together:

• AI gives you a fast first pass on your actual photo. Great when you want a strong starting point in seconds.
• Drag-and-drop gives you complete control. Place a specific plant, move an item exactly where you want it, swap something AI chose, or add a detail it missed. Best when you want to take the wheel.

Most designs are a mix: let AI rough it in, then make it yours by hand.

Two ways to run the AI

• Pick a design style and template (the quickest way). Choose a style like modern, cottage, desert, or tropical, then pick a ready-made AI Template inside it. Click, and AI applies that look. No writing needed.
• Describe your own idea. Type a prompt in your own words ("clear the old shed and add a stone patio with a fire pit") and AI interprets it. You can also start from a template and refine it with a prompt.

What to expect

• Results vary. The same style, template, or prompt can produce different looks each time, so generate again for more options.
• AI reimagines the whole scene. It creates a new image of the space rather than nudging one item, so fine details can shift.
• It's a picture, not a plant list. An AI result is an image. To build a tagged plant list, place plants by hand in the Visual Designer.
• The photo matters. A clear, well-lit photo taken from the angle you want to design from gives AI the most to work with.
• Your original stays put. Every result sits next to the photo it started from, so you can compare before and after.

Related

• Ready to try it? See Generate a design.
• Swapping the background photo with AI is also covered under Managing Background Images.