Plantory vs DreamYard: Which AI Garden Design App Is Right for You?

Quick Comparison

Feature	Plantory	DreamYard
AI Design Visualization	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Speed	30-60 seconds	30 seconds
European Climate Zones	✅ Köppen Cfb, Dfb, Csb	❌ USDA zones only
European Plant Database	✅ 3,000+ EU species	❌ Primarily US plants
Post-Design Care Guidance	✅ Season-by-season	❌ No care features
Long-Term Garden Management	✅ Tasks, reminders, tracking	❌ Visualization only
Disease Diagnosis	✅ AI-powered	❌ Not available
Community Features	✅ Regional groups	❌ Social sharing only
Languages	FR, PL, DE, CZ, EN	EN only
Free Tier	3 designs + care calendar	3 designs
Paid Tier	€9.99/mo (Starter)	Unknown
Best For	European gardeners who want design + long-term success	US homeowners who just need quick visualization

The Core Difference: Visualization vs. Full Lifecycle

DreamYard: Beautiful Pictures, Then You're On Your Own

What DreamYard Does Well:

Upload a photo of your yard
AI generates 3 stunning landscape designs in 30 seconds
Photorealistic rendering (looks professional)
Share with family/friends for voting
Fast, simple, impressive

What Happens After: You love the design. You show it to a contractor or start shopping for plants. Then reality hits:

Plant availability: Half the plants aren't available at European nurseries
Climate mismatch: The app recommended plants for USDA Zone 7 (mild US climates), but you live in continental Prague with harsh winters
Zero guidance: You have a pretty picture, but no idea WHEN to plant, HOW to care, or WHAT to do when problems arise

The Problem: An architect doesn't just give you a picture. They give you a plan that actually works for your site, climate, and budget. DreamYard gives you a picture.

Plantory: Design + Ongoing Intelligence

What Plantory Does:

Phase 1: AI Design (Like DreamYard)

Upload photo or start from blank canvas
AI generates garden designs in 30-60 seconds
European climate intelligence built-in
Plants recommended based on YOUR specific conditions (Köppen zone, soil, sun exposure)

Phase 2: Long-Term Care (Unique to Plantory) After you approve a design:

Personalized care calendar: Week-by-week guidance on what to plant, prune, water, fertilize
Weather integration: Adjust planting dates based on actual spring frost risk
Disease diagnosis: Upload a photo of a struggling plant, get AI-powered diagnosis and treatment
Progress tracking: Document your garden's growth season-by-season
Community support: Connect with gardeners in your region for local advice

Why This Matters: Your garden doesn't end when you finish planting. Plantory stays with you through droughts, pest infestations, seasonal transitions, and year-over-year improvements.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

1. Plant Intelligence

DreamYard:

Uses USDA hardiness zones (designed for US climates)
Plant database heavily weighted toward North American species
No consideration of summer rainfall, humidity, continental climate, or local nursery availability

Example Fail: DreamYard recommends Buddleja davidii (Butterfly Bush) for a Prague garden in "Zone 6". Technically correct for winter temps. But Prague's Zone 6 is continental with -20°C winters and dry summers. Buddleja struggles without consistent summer moisture.

Plantory:

Uses Köppen climate classification (Cfb, Dfb, Csb, etc.)
3,000+ European species database
Considers summer heat/rainfall, humidity tolerance, continental temperature swings, and regional nursery availability

Example Win: Plantory asks for your city (Prague) and automatically filters for plants that survive -20°C winters, tolerate dry summers, and are available at Czech nurseries. Recommendation: Syringa vulgaris (Lilac), Viburnum opulus, Cornus mas - all cold-hardy, drought-tolerant, locally available.

Winner: Plantory (critical for European success)

2. Growing Calendars

DreamYard:

No growing calendar features
No planting guidance
No seasonal reminders

Plantory:

Country-specific growing calendars (France, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic)
Frost date intelligence (last spring frost, first fall frost)
Week-by-week guidance:
- "This week: Plant tomatoes after Ice Saints (May 15)"
- "This week: Divide perennials while soil is warm"
- "This week: Protect tender plants - frost expected in 3 days"

Winner: Plantory (DreamYard doesn't compete here)

3. Disease Diagnosis & Problem Solving

DreamYard:

No disease diagnosis
No pest identification
No troubleshooting features

Plantory:

AI-powered disease diagnosis
Upload photo → AI identifies issue → Treatment plan in 30 seconds
Examples: Powdery mildew, black spot, early blight, aphid infestations

Example: Your rose develops white powdery spots. Upload photo to Plantory. AI diagnosis: "Powdery mildew (Podosphaera pannosa). Spray with neem oil weekly. Improve air circulation." Rose recovers in 2 weeks.

Winner: Plantory (DreamYard doesn't compete here)

4. Price & Value

DreamYard:

Free: 3 AI designs
Paid: Pricing unclear (not publicly listed)
Value: Get beautiful visualizations, nothing more

Plantory:

Free: 3 AI designs + basic care calendar + community (read-only)
Starter: €9.99/month or €99/year
Value: Design + year-round care guidance + disease diagnosis + community

ROI Comparison:

DreamYard: Saves time vs. hiring architect (€500-2,000), but you're on your own for implementation
Plantory: Saves time + €200-400/year in dead plants (wrong species, wrong care)

Winner: Plantory (better long-term value)

Use Case Scenarios

Scenario 1: Weekend DIY Gardener (Marie, Paris)

Goal: Transform 30m² backyard from bare to beautiful.

DreamYard Experience:

Saturday: Generate 3 designs, love #2
Sunday: Visit nurseries, can't find 50% of plants (US species)
Week 2: Replant with available substitutes, garden looks different
Months 3-12: Plants die from improper care timing, no guidance
Result: Beautiful initial design, disappointing reality

Plantory Experience:

Saturday: Generate design, all plants available at local pépinière
Sunday: Plant garden following care calendar guidance
Months 3-12: Follow weekly tasks, garden thrives
Result: Beautiful design + thriving garden

Winner: Plantory (end-to-end success)

Scenario 2: Busy Professional (Tomasz, Warsaw)

Goal: Low-maintenance garden that survives harsh Polish winters.

DreamYard Experience:

Gets beautiful design with Mediterranean-style plants
Half die first winter (-20°C kills roots)
No guidance on what went wrong or how to prevent it
Result: €200 wasted, frustration

Plantory Experience:

AI detects Köppen Dfb (continental) climate
Recommends ultra-cold-hardy plants (Syringa, Viburnum)
Care calendar: "Plant after Ice Saints (May 12-14)"
Weather alerts: "Frost expected May 10 - delay planting 3 days"
Result: 95% survival rate, low maintenance

Winner: Plantory (climate intelligence + guidance)

The Verdict: Which App Should You Choose?

Choose DreamYard If:

✅ You're in North America (plant library optimized for US)
✅ You only need quick visualization (not implementation guidance)
✅ You're hiring a contractor who will handle plant selection and care
✅ Visual rendering quality is your #1 priority

Choose Plantory If:

✅ You garden in Europe (Köppen climate zones, 3,000+ EU species)
✅ You want long-term success (care calendar, disease diagnosis, community)
✅ You're a DIY gardener who needs guidance from design through maintenance
✅ You want better ROI (saves €200-400/year in dead plants)

Why European Gardeners Choose Plantory Over DreamYard

Climate Intelligence: Köppen zones vs. USDA oversimplification
Plant Availability: 3,000+ EU species available at local nurseries
Long-Term Care: Seasonal calendar, disease diagnosis, weather integration
Regional Community: Connect with gardeners in YOUR climate zone
Language Support: FR, PL, DE, CZ, EN (vs. English-only)
ROI: Saves €200-400/year in dead plants + time saved researching care

Final Thoughts

DreamYard and Plantory both use AI to generate beautiful garden designs. But they serve different needs:

DreamYard gives you a stunning picture. It's fast, impressive, and great for visualization. But it stops there.

Plantory gives you a design + the intelligence to make it thrive. It's built for European climates, guides you through implementation, and stays with you through every season.

For most European gardeners, Plantory is the better choice. It's the difference between a beautiful picture and a thriving garden.

Ready to try Plantory? Start with 3 free AI designs + care calendar. No credit card required.