As the world of smart devices expands, so too does the selection of smart garden devices available. But what are they, and how can you bring a little technology into your own slice of nature? Let’s explore some smart garden devices and what they do.
1. Smart Outdoor Lighting
You can buy smart lights for the inside of your house, so it only makes sense that you can purchase ones that go outside, too. In fact, if you’re a big fan of smart lights and want something for your garden, you’re likely to see some familiar brands while browsing for the perfect light.
Well-established smart lighting companies like Philips Hue offer some outdoor alternatives. This is perfect if you already have a Philips Hue ecosystem within your home, as the new bulbs will fit in just like family. And there are some dedicated smart garden lighting companies out there that specialize in making it as easy as possible to light up your patch of land.
You’ll find the familiar features of indoor smart lights in their outdoor variants, too. They usually come with app control, which lets you toggle them on or off, set a schedule, or even change their color.
2. Smart Lawnmowers
If you wish your lawn would cut itself, a smart lawnmower is the next best thing. These are essentially the garden version of a Roomba, as they’re a small self-driving robot that patrols your lawn and cuts down any long grass it finds.
Unfortunately, smart lawnmowers are one of the more expensive tools in a smart gardener’s repertoire. Some of the best models come close to, if not at the $1000 mark. And this price point only goes up as you shop for better models.
But you do get a lot of bang for your buck. A decent smart lawnmower can run for an hour straight before it needs recharging. And it can cover around 700 square feet of grass in that timeframe. And if you get a good quality lawnmower, it’ll automatically head back to its docking station and recharge once it runs low on juice.
3. Smart Sprinklers
Getting the precise science of an ideal sprinkler system sorted can be a tricky task. How much water is too much? How much is too little? How many hours a day should you set it for, and how should you adjust it as the weather changes throughout the day?
Smart sprinklers do all of this for you and more. You can turn them on and off with an app from wherever you have an internet connection. If you’d rather let the sprinkler do its own thing and leave you be, some models let you create a schedule that turns the sprinkler on and off at set times.
If you want to get really fancy, you can purchase a smart sprinkler that is aware of its surroundings. Some can automatically download the weather data for your area and adjust itself accordingly, and some can even sample the soil around it to see if it needs water or not.
All of this is more than just a luxury convenience. By setting schedules or allowing an AI to control your sprinkler, it can help save a lot of water in the long run. And if the sprinkler can detect its surroundings, it can help prevent both dried-out and waterlogged plants.
4. Garden Weather Stations
While we’re on the topic of measuring weather, you can purchase “weather stations” for your garden. As you might expect, these are a lot smaller than an actual weather station and can sit comfortably in your garden.
A good smart weather station will let you know everything you need to know about your garden’s ecosystem, from the current humidity level to how many inches of rain fell during the day. And you can get all these readings from the comfort of your own home over Wi-Fi, so you can comfortably keep an eye on things even during the worst of downpours.
If a weather station detects that storm clouds are on the horizon, it can send an alert to your phone or device. This makes them a great way to keep an eye on the weather, even if you’re not actively looking out for it.
Best of all, you don’t need to hand over a lot of money for one. You can pick up a decent weather station for around $100-200, with the more luxurious models hitting $400. And of course, accuracy is key with smart weather stations, so be sure to read the reviews before picking one up.
5. Garden Wi-Fi Extenders
With all these smart garden devices sending data over a Wi-Fi connection, it can pose an issue if you own a particularly large garden. The further you go from your house, the weaker your Wi-Fi signal becomes until it’s either too weak for a stable connection or it peters out into nothing.
Wi-Fi extenders (also sometimes called “access points”) are handy for expanding the reach of your network, but you’ll find that they’re often designed for indoor use. However, there are special brands of Wi-Fi extenders designed to be put in the garden.
This is a handy way to ensure all your garden devices get the Wi-Fi connection they need to report back their findings. However, it’s also a very convenient way to ensure you have a strong signal when you want to watch Netflix in a hammock on a hot summer day.
When Smart Homes and Nature Combine
If you like gadgets and gardening, why not combine the two? Smart garden devices can help you bring life back to your yard, whether it’s mowing the lawn or adding some fancy night-lights. And if you’re a fan of these devices, keep an eye on future technology as companies create new ways to take care of your plants, both indoors and out.
