Five o f the best

We recommend the best smart gardening gear to get you started

1 blossom smart watering controller $199/$99 (12/8 ZONES ) myblossom.com

> This Wi-Fi connected box hooks up to your existing watering system and accesses real-time weather analytics to produce the perfect watering schedule for your garden’s individual areas, controlled via an app. The 12-zone version is also rated for outdoor installation, if necessary.

2 Parrot Flower Power $60 parrot.com

> Parrot’s Flower Power is one of the less costly plant sensors on the market, partly because it only uses Bluetooth for wireless connectivity, so you need to be nearby with your iPhone to get information from it. However, it’s a quick and easy way to check the water, temperature and fertilizer levels of precious plants.

3 Robomow RS630 $2,099 robomow.com

> The Robomow is a real beast, with a price to match, but it can cover more than 30,000 sq ft, and will last around an hour from charge. Its TurboMow option can tackle even the toughest lawns, and its app lets you divide your garden into zones, with separate schedules for each, to better manage your greenery.

4 Melnor Wi-Fi Aquatimer $150 melnor.com

> Like the Flower Power, this is garden technology on a slightly more affordable scale… While this isn’t an all-ecompassing smart sprinker system, the AquaTimer fits onto your existing faucet to offer four watering outlets, and you can control the unit from your iOS device.

5 Seneye Pond Monitor $169 seneye.com

> Seneye makes sensors for small fish tanks and large aquaria, plus this floating pond monitor for outdoor use, which checks water temperature, acidity and ammonia levels. It can send notifications to your iPhone if conditions in your pond seem likely to harm your fish, or other wildlife you like to attract.