FOUR OF THE BEST GARDEN GADGETS

KOUBACHI PLANT SENSOR

€120, SHOPMANIA.IE

Help is finally at hand for those who have whatever the opposite of green fingers is, and kill off their plants. The Koubachi has a sensor that pairs with an app via wi-fi, reminding users when to water their plants, and contains a light sensor and a temperature sensor so that the plants don’t go thirsty, or drown.

HONDA MIIMO

€2,789, HONDAIRELAND.IE

Robot mowers don’t come cheap, but then you don’t want cut-price circuits in an autonomous machine that reduces cuttings to dust, and which can climb 24-degree slopes on its own. You have to wire off your lawn with steel wire first, or Miimo will drive into the distance, mowing everything in its path.

OREGON SCIENTIFIC BAR 208

€70, OREGONSCIENTIFIC.COM

Previous generations had to tap at the glass on a barometer, hoping for some vague prophecy about the weather; this has an outdoor sensor and warns of coming frost (so you can protect plants). A window display unit shows you trends in pressure – and predicts if storms, fog or wind are on the way.

SHEEN X300 FLAME GUN

€200, MOWERS-ONLINE.CO.UK

We’ll admit it, there is not a single microchip inside this, nor does it pair with an app, but when it comes to redesigning a garden, no one should be without a flamethrower. The paraffin-fuelled gizmo delivers a blast of flame at 1,000°C, killing all weeds pretty much instantly.