The seasonally struggle to cultivate an enviable landscape and flower or food producing garden has taken new shape in this era of intelligent technology. While Saturdays of springs past were spent sweating in the hot Florida sun, we now have automated devices that will do that work for us. So let’s run through some of that technology and see how we can make our lives easier.
A Wiser Way to Water
The Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller is a highly customizable system, which constantly monitors the weather forecast. Which constantly monitors the weather forecast and can automatically adjust watering schedules on the fly. Regardless of your lawn’s size or shape, Rachio will work in conjunction with Mother Nature to keep your grass green. However, this little invention will set you back $200 – $250, but it will keep your lawn looking good!
Next, in lawn watering technology we have Edyn. The Edyn smart garden system consists of three elements. First, is the Edyn Garden Sensor, which is a solar-powered probe which tracks humidity, temperature, nutrition and moisture of your garden soil. The sensor then cross-references that information with real-time weather information, plant databases, soil science and regional data to offer advice and gardening guidance, tailored to your exact garden, via the Edyn smartphone app. In addition to providing tips for maintaining a flower bed, Edyn’s app will keep users apprised of their garden’s exact water needs and soil health, as well as any weather that could impact garden growth.
The final element of the Edyn system, the Edyn Water Valve, works off the actionable intelligence gathered by the Garden Sensor. Pairing with your existing irrigation system, the Edyn Water Valve will automatically contral water flow to plants that need it based on the deep data gleaned from the soil sensor and real-time weather reports. Surprisingly the Edyn Garden Sensor and Water Valve are available from $70- $100 and the app is free.
Automated Mowing
While some people find mowing the lawn relaxing, others find it strenuous and in the hot Florida sun it can be utter torture. Now you can enjoy the smell of freshly cut grass without the manual labor with the Husqvarana 450X Robot Automower. Which is basically a Roomba for your lawn. The Automower patrols your yard, based on a guide-wire defined boundaries, shaving overgrown grass as it makes its rounds. The cutting machine is clever enough to navigate narrow passages and difficult terrain, as well as slopes of 45 degrees. Better yet, the robot will recognize when it’s running out of battery and automatically return to its charging station. With the Automower’s app, you can control the automation from anywhere in the world, allowing you to return home to a freshly groomed yard. The Husqvarna 450X Robot Automower is available for $3,500.
Flower Power
Smart Flower is a plug-and-play solar power solution is all you could ask for in an energy provider- automated and intelligent. After an installation process that takes about an hour, the SmartFlower will unfurl its flat petals and begin storing and supplying energy, automatically tracking the sun’s movement throughout the sky and allowing the unit to generate an optimal amount of solar power.
The weather-proof device constantly monitors wind speed and will automatically fold and conceal its petals should the wind gusts become a safety hazard. This retractable process has the added benefit of automatically cleaning the solar panels. If you are interested in the SmartFlower, you can visit their website.
Concrete Jungle
The joys of gardening are not restricted to homeowners in more rural or suburban environs. The Wall Farm from Click & Grow brings fresh, healthy, pesticide – free fruits, herbs, nd greens into your urban home. This device resembles a bookshelf but for plants. The Wall Farm comes equipped with full spectrum LED lighting that encourages growth from a diversity of plant life and water tanks that are large enough to last for month-long intervals. The vertical framing solution is seeded with “Smart Soil” capsules, provided by Click & Grow, that sprout up to 51 fruits and vegetable plants across 51 spots and three levels.
Low maintenance and silent, you wouldn’t even notice that you have a green grocer in your home if not for the verdant and abundant offerings. The Wall Farm is available for $1,299. A monthly mini-subscription of $59 for 18 Smart Soil capsules is recommended.