The ideal accompaniment to that perfect home you just bought or renovated is a thoughtful garden. Your parents and grandparents probably had an enviable array of flowers, greenery and even an organic herb and vegetable patch. But what if you want the beautiful, big garden that your folks always had but have no idea where to start? Never fear, the Internet is here! We have hand-picked a bunch of the best gardening apps for you to always have in your back pocket. You’ll be giving Don Burke a run for his money in no time.
Like That Garden
This app is pure genius – let me explain why. The first step of putting together your ‘Better-Homes-Esque’ garden together is research, right? But if you don’t know what you like, walking through a nursery can feel like a huge mission. That’s where Like That Garden comes in. Simply take a photo of flowers you come across on your daily grind and the app will tell you what it is and give you some information about it.
iScape
This app is designed around the gardener that is equally obsessed with looks as functionality. iScape allows you to visualise the end result of your garden around your house’s exterior long before you even go to the nursery or start planting. Take a photo of where you’re planning on landscaping and add ground fills, textures and plants from a huge database to construct the yard of your dreams. The best part is that once you’re happy, you can take the final image to the nursery and get a professional to help you with everything you need to make it happen.
Sprout it
Once you’ve established the types of flowers, plants and veggies you’d like to grow, you need to download Sprout it. This app will give you advice on whether the plants you’ve chosen to add to your garden are the right ones. It will give you information on how to plant, nurture and how often to water. It will also tell you handy things like what type of weather and level of sunlight is optimal as well as when to harvest!
Once you’ve mastered your crop, Sprout it also has some suggestions for how to use your ingredients. Unbelievably, all of these resources are also free.
Garden Compass
While your mini-farm is taking off, there is a maintenance app that must be a part of your now growing ‘gardening app folder’. Garden Compass will make you feel like you have a team of nursery experts at your fingertips to help you with any irregularities or diseases that might find their way into your plants. Simply snap a picture of any area that is abnormal and submit it to the team of horticultural experts who will tell you exactly what the issue is, how to treat it and tips for preventing further outbreaks.
Garden Tracker
Last but certainly not least, this app is all about the long run and making sure your excitement about having an amazing garden isn’t short lived. This gem will help you keep track of what you’ve planted where and then help track things like, days left til harvest, days since you watered and fertilized each plant. It will also give you information on a selection of 50 common yard plants and even has a sunset and sunrise calculator.
With all of these amazing tools available on your smartphone, you’ll have the best garden and the greenest thumbs on the block in no time at all.
