For some, gardening is a way to escape from the endless buzz of technology. Texts, emails, and work notifications can easily disturb the peace that comes with cultivating your own flowers and produce. On the other hand, technology has been a great aide to gardeners, allowing them to schedule, plan, and keep track of productivity with ease. So, while “app” and “gardening” may seem like polar opposites, gardening apps are becoming increasingly popular with (I think) good reason. Smart gardening apps can help gardeners maximize the peaceful, fun aspects of gardening while minimizing stress. If you’ve yet to give them a try, it’s worth a shot. I know there’s a lot of choices out there (there’s an app for everything, after all!) so here’s a list of starting points. Who knows, some of these might just change the way you garden forever!
Leafsnap
Have you ever used the song identifying app “Shazzam?” This is a lot like that, except it’s for trees and shrubs instead of songs. You simply pluck a leaf from the tree or shrub you’re trying to identify, photograph it against a white background, and then the app will show you what kind of plant the leaf came from. This is especially useful for gardeners who get major “garden-envy” when they’re trying to plan next year’s plantings.
Perennial Match
Perennial match is an app that helps you plan before you plant. It can tell you what kind of plants do best when grown next to each other, what kind of plants thrive in your climate zone, and it will even take into account height preferences and shade tolerances! It’s basically a little encyclopedia of plant knowledge that you can carry in your pocket.
Garden Compass Plant and Disease Identifier
Pest and disease identification and treatment is one of the hardest jobs a gardener has. This app makes it significantly easier to get your plants the help they need, fast. If you notice any strange ailments in your garden—curling leaves, discoloration, dry spots—you can use this app to snap a picture and send it to an expert who will diagnose the problem and offer a potential solution. It’s not foolproof, but it certainly cuts down on time spent troubleshooting on google!
Life Diary
This simple app is a great organization tool for busy gardeners who have trouble keeping up with all their day-to-day tasks. With Life Diary, you can log when you water, fertilize, and add new plantings to your garden. The app will also map your gardens growing progress for you, so you can spend more time doing and less time wondering what you’ve already done!
Garden Squared
Garden Squared allows you to virtually lay out gardening plots and try out different bed dimensions before you begin building. You’ll never have to deconstruct a poorly-planned garden bed ever again!
Landscaper Companion
True to its name, this extensive gardening app is the ultimate companion for both amateur and professional landscapers. With detailed information on more than 26,000 plants, Landscaper Companion is the ultimate resource for just about anyone who spends a lot of time in nature. Even casual hikers could benefit from having this virtual encyclopedia close at hand. After all, nobody likes finding out a plant is poisonous after they’ve touched it.
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