What was once one of the most low-tech pastimes is now being transformed into a gadget-filled activity with the rise of the smart garden.
Whether it’s because you didn’t inherit the green finger gene or because you simply do not have the time and your garden is currently suffering the consequences being tech-savvy in the garden may be the solution for you.
Smart gardens incorporate the latest technology gardening tools and electronics to help those on the lookout for easier, less arduous and time-consuming ways to care for their garden.
Here are 5 must-have gadgets for your smart garden:
Husqvarna Automower 430X
R40 799 from www.husqvarna.com
Sometimes all your garden needs is a mowed lawn to give it that freshly manicured look. This large size robotic mower with generous in-built competence is equipped with GPS navigation for efficient mowing of the most various, demanding grass areas. Suitable for larger areas up to 3200 m², it can handle steep slopes with an incline of as much as 45 degrees. Smart technology adapts the amount of mowing to the lawn’s growth rate which enables spot mowing of a limited area of longer grass and guides the mower through narrow passages. The intuitive menu on the large, user-friendly display allows personal settings for when you'd like the machine to mow. Polar white colour and headlights are available as options.
Parrot Pot
R1999 from www.futurama.co.za
Always forgetting to water your plants or forgetting the correct amount of water they need to flourish? The Parrot Pot is a smart flowerpot that helps your plants thrive.
The self-watering system and four built-in sensors monitor your plant around the clock. From light to temperature and soil quality, in real-time, you can learn about your plant's specific needs through customised recommendations that help you better care for your plant.
The "Perfect Drop" irrigation system waters your plant when it needs with the Parrot Pot also automatically adapting to the plant's natural life-cycle and adjusting water consumption accordingly, giving your plant just the right amount of water at the right time.
You can also avoid coming home to wilted plants after going away on holiday with the"Plant Sitter" mode that ensures up to a month of unattended care.
Brinno Garden Watch Timelapse Camera
R 2290 from www.makro.co.za
Is there a pesky unidentified insect nibbling at your herb garden or perhaps a sneaky animal has been trampling over your budding flower beds? The Garden Watch cam is designed to help you monitor what happens while you're away from your garden so that you can take better care of it.
The 1.3-megapixel camera captures the growth of your garden over time by taking high-quality time-lapse photos at predetermined times and storing them for later viewing.
The lens adjusts from 20 inches to capture close-ups to infinity allowing you to view the exact moment when a flower started to bloom. There are seven different time interval setting options (1 minute, 5 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours, 24 hours, or user-defined) and custom-designed flexible mounting stake for insertion into the ground.
Hydroponic planter
R1199 from www.yuppiechef.com
Lusting after having a garden but being unable to due to lack of space is an unpleasant reality for most city dwellers. To combat this issue, indoor gardens have grown in popularity unfortunately they aren’t always the most convenient and often struggle to thrive without certain outdoor elements.
The Hydroponic Herb Garden is a great way to grow your own herbs and microgreens indoors. This clean and compact hydroponic system takes up minimal space and it looks good too.
It is hassle-free and allows growth all year round. Each unit comes complete with a built-in LED grow light with timer, a basin body with two planting pots, two planting covers, an add water indicator, a power indicator, a plant growing medium, and fertiliser.
PlantNet
Free on IOS and Android
Ever wondered about the name of a plant you stumbled upon in your garden? I’m sure you’ve even tied to Google by typing in a list of visual features into the search box - but to no avail.
PlantNet is an application that helps people identify plants thanks to automated recognition. The system works by comparing visual patterns transmitted by users via photos of plant organs (flowers, fruits, leaves ...) that they seek to determine. These images are analysed and compared to an image bank produced collaboratively and enriched daily.
The system then offers a possible list of species with its illustrations. So now you can rid your garden of harmful water sucking weeds or properly plan out a more eco-friendly garden easily.
IOL
Feature image: Unsplash
