SMARTEN UP THE GARDEN
As the weather warms up, these hi-tech buys could do the hard work to help create a relaxing haven in your own back yard
SPRING, it would seem, has finally sprung… at least in some parts of the country.
And with that in mind, a lot of us will be getting out into the garden to spruce things up ready for summer.
I can’t help with the weeding, or scraping the winter moss from the garden furniture… but I can help you make the most of your time and space once everything is shipshape.
Hopefully we won’t have to spend quite as much time in our outdoor space as we have over the last couple of years, but we still need to make the most of it when we do.
Robomow RT300
They say: The RT series complements our range of robotic mowers with particularly compact models that impress not only with their user-friendliness, but also with their excellent capabilities on slopes of up to 30%.
We say: If, like me, you have deferred the indoor vacuuming to a robot, you will know the many pleasures of having a tiny helper to keep your floors clean. Why, then, are we still pushing a lawnmower round the garden when we can get a robot to do that, too?
Meet the Robomow RT300, a sophisticated machine that offers many advantages, aside from the obvious, to the manual method. It’s quieter, for a start. And it never misses a spot. All you have to do is press go and put your feet up.
■ From £550 at robomow.com
Wi-fi camera bird box system
They say: With its pre-installed HD camera for quick and easy setup, our new bird box with WiFi camera allows you and your family 24/7 access to unseen, close-up
HD views and audio of your nesting birds on your smartphone or tablet via a secure app.
We say: How about your very own garden Springwatch? This camera allows you to see what’s going on inside your bird box via a wi-fi connection to your smartphone. So, while your robot mows the lawn (quietly) you can keep up with the comings and goings of your feathered friends. £179.99 at gardenature.co.uk
Smart watering system
They say: The smart sensor control system from Gardena allows fully automatic, optimum and ondemand watering of your garden. We say: It’s hard to imagine a time when you’d need to water the garden when we seem, at the moment at least, to have too much, rather than too little, water. But that time may come sooner than you think.
Be ready with this sensor-driven system from Gardena. It’ll monitor the moisture in your soil and let you know when things are getting a bit dry… and the smart water control that attaches to your outdoor tap will give your carefully curated border plants exactly the right amount of moisture to stay healthy in the dryest of conditions.
■ From £75.95 at amazon.co.uk
MEGAFEIS Smart Padlock
They say: Made of aluminum alloy and stainless steel, with an excellent tamper-proof modification. Dust-proof, anti-corrosion,
IP65 waterproof. Suitable for outdoor use. The rechargeable battery can support up to 2500 unlocking operations.
We say: Once you’ve got all your fancy kit, you’ll need to keep it safe. But obviously a simple keybased system won’t cut it for us. This smart biometric padlock will secure your shed with a fingerprint. The battery lasts for six months, and you can control it all from your phone. And you won’t be able to lose the keys, either.
■ £65 from amazon.co.uk