If you’ve always considered gardening an analogue activity, uninterrupted by the technological advances that have taken over so many other activities, then it’s time to discover a whole new way to grow. Our smartphone-enabled modern world doesn’t have to always be at odds with the beauty of nature, sometimes it can actively help to enhance it. We’ve discovered five brilliant apps that are changing the way we grow things, and this short guide will demonstrate the simple steps that you can use them for to create a modern, flourishing garden.
Step One – Ideas
Like That Garden
Maybe you’ve spotted an interesting looking plant or a particularly beautiful flower while out and about that you’d like to add to your own garden. Or maybe you’ve planted a seed mix and have no idea what’s sprouted in your flowerbeds, or how to care for them. LikeThat Garden solves your horticultural mysteries by identifying plants instantly from your smartphone. Simply use the app to photograph a flower and its smart visual search engine will tell you what that flower is called and how to best care for it. It will even offer details of similar plants to help you discover a variety of new ideas for your garden.
£2.29 for iOS on the app store
£2.49 for Android on Google Play
Step Two – Tips
RHS Grow Your Own
Everyone knows that the perfect garden takes work, but it isn’t all just digging flowerbeds and pruning branches. There’s a lot of preparation, planning and essential knowledge that goes in to achieving a perfect bloom. Fortunately accessing expert knowledge is easier than ever with the Grow Your Own app developed by the Royal Horticultural Society. An encyclopaedia of specialist advice and ideas is made easy to navigate, and is broken down in to various levels of gardening expertise. It will recommend the best plants and vegetables to grow in your own garden, as well as providing local frost and drought notifications, watering reminders and calendar alerts to get the very best results.
Free for iOS on the app store
Step 3 – Planning
Garden Plan Pro
Before diving straight in to the dirt and planting blind, use the Garden Plan Pro app to properly plan where, what, and how. Use the flexible drawing tools to create a map of your own garden and digitally fill it with a variety of plants. The app features detailed information on a huge range of vegetation, including the best places to plant them, the best conditions for growth and how much space each one requires. Plus it uses weather station data to adapt to your location for personalised growth advice.
£5.99 for iOS on the app store
Step 4 – Recording
Life – Smart Gardening Journal/Diary
See exactly how your garden grows by logging it down in the smart gardening journal, Life. Stay organised by noting down when and where you’ve added to your garden, and keep track of your watering and fertilising cycle. Add photos to keep a visual record of your flowerbeds in bloom. More than just a way to keep track of the changes in your garden, the information you log will become invaluable for future seasons.
Free for iOS on the app store
Step 5 – Sharing
GrowIt!
Social media for gardening. Yes, it exists. With GrowIt! you can share photos and updates with other gardening enthusiasts in your local community. Swap tips, ideas and plans with others in your area for a crowd-sourced database based on experience in similar conditions.
Free for iOS on the app store
Free for Android on Google Play
Have we missed any? Let us know of any other apps that are currently helping you create a more vibrant, varied garden.
