Stuff Gadget Guide - UK - Issue 5 (2022-01)

● MUDDY TIPS

66

GARDEN GADGETS

In case you want to use your garden to do some, y’know, actual gardening,

this connected kit will help you live in harmony (and security) with nature

isits to the garden

centre are often a

mercy mission for

miracles to cure the greenery

you’ve left looking like Wigan’s

DW Stadium pitch after a long

season of Super League. What

you really need is something

or someone that constantly

takes care of the shrubs so

you don’t have to. What you

need is the Gardena smart

garden system, compatible

with Apple HomeKit and IFTTT.

Who’s gonna save my soil?

Among the family of connected

devices in Gardena’s system

is a Smart Sensor supplying

real-time data about current

soil moisture, temperature and

light intensity. Pair it with the

Smart Water Control attached

to your tap and hosepipe, and

you’ll enjoy fully automated

watering of your garden. Use

all that in conjunction with the

Gateway hub and companion

app, and you can pick between

watering on demand or setting

schedules so you’re not

suddenly drenched during

a hot date (unless that’s your

intention, you weirdo).

The gadgets are available

separately or as part of a

kit; and because everything

can be controlled remotely

from anywhere in the world,

Gardena has also partnered

with another smart home

brand – Netatmo – so you

can keep an eye on changing

conditions with its outdoor

security cam (see left) and

floodlight. You could even

switch the sprinklers on to

soak intruders rather than

you and your best shirt.

Water wonderful world

You can expand your Gardena

family with a compatible Sileno

robot lawnmower (see p65),

Smart Irrigation Control for

underground watering in up

to six zones, a Smart Garden

Pump for supplying your

home with rain and well water,

and a Smart Power Adaptor

for adding lights and water

features... or illuminating and

inflating your subtle 6ft-high

Santa sleigh at Christmas.

EVE AQUA

SMART WATER

CONTROLLER

“Hey Siri, turn on

the waterworks”

isn’t a prompt for

Apple’s AI assistant

to start sobbing;

instead it’ll keep

your flowerbeds

moist using this

smart sprinkler.

Just attach the

controller to an

outdoor tap.

£90 / apple.com

GARDENATURE

IP BIRD BOX

SYSTEM

If you’re after the

full ‘cam inside the

nest’ setup, these

cedarwood boxes

come with an HD

camera for colour

streaming even in

low light, plus black

and white images

at night thanks to

IR night vision.

from £145 /

gardenature.co.uk

GREEN

FEATHERS

BIRD BOX

CAMERA

This wireless Full HD

cam allows you to

watch nesting birds

on your phone,

tablet or computer.

Stream live, share

footage, or relive

heartwarming

regurgitations

stored on microSD.

from £149 /

green-feathers.co.uk

MASTER LOCK

BIOMETRIC

PADLOCK

Whether you’re

securing a gate or

shed, or performing

escapology acts

for garden party

guests, Master

Lock’s connected

padlock has

biometric security

and can store

10 different

fingerprints.

£129 / masterlock.eu

NETATMO

SMART

OUTDOOR

CAMERA

Whether you’re

using it with

Gardena’s Smart

System or not, this

waterproof Full HD

cam and floodlight

can spot intruders

up to 20m away...

and it works with

HomeKit, Alexa and

Google Assistant.

£196 / netatmo.com

BRISANT

ULTION SMART

While you’re out

vegetating in

the back garden,

Brisant’s smart

door lock is making

sure nobody breaks

in round the front.

It can even send

a virtual key to let

guests in without

you having to leave

your hammock.

from £259 /

brisant-secure.com

DON’T SOIL

YOURSELF

Need to get your

hands dirty in

the flowerbeds?

Before you get

stuck in, spray

your spade

liberally with a

silicone or Teflon

lubricant and the

coating will make

mud slip off like...

er, soil off a shovel.

BE TOP

OF THE POTS

Large plant pots

can be heavy, but

they don’t need

to be filled all the

way to the bottom

with soil. Pack the

bottom third with

biodegradable

packing peanuts

instead and add

landscape fabric

on top.

GIVE

’EM THE BOOT

If you want to

ensure plants

being brought

back from the

garden centre are

still upright when

you arrive home,

pop a ladder in the

car boot and use

the gaps between

the steps as

compartments.

GARDENA SMART SYSTEM

CAN YOU DIG IT?

WE’RE ALSO WILD ABOUT...

from £110 / gardena.com

V