The Future of Landscaping: Integrating Technology into Your Outdoor Space

The future of landscaping can be summed up in three words: functional, convenient, and sustainable. Advanced landscaping technologies mitigate the laborious, inefficient nature of the current landscaping industry and use robotic, AI, and sustainable practices to solve our problems. Read on to learn how you can leverage advanced technology in your landscaping strategy.

Smart Irrigation System in Landscaping

Smart irrigation technology uses current weather, local climate, and real-time soil moisture data to determine the landscape’s irrigation needs and adjust watering patterns accordingly. It maximizes efficiency by conserving water while lowering maintenance costs and maintaining plant health and quality. Specifically, smart irrigation systems will include weather-based controllers, soil moisture sensors, and automated sprinkler systems. The controllers monitor weather conditions like temperature, humidity, wind, and sunshine to adjust watering schedules. Soil moisture sensors measure the moisture content at the root level and transmit that information to the controller. The automated sprinklers adjust their schedules based on that data. Smart irrigation systems may also consider site-specific variables like soil type and sprinkler application rate. For example, sandy soils need more water than clay soil, so these systems will adjust accordingly. Many systems also often come with their own smartphone app so homeowners can input their own data, track their irrigation in real-time, and manually adjust watering if need be.

Automated Landscape Lighting

Many apps have been developed that allow you to control your home’s lighting and other electrical fixtures from an app, smart speaker, or other smart device. With the rising outdoor living trend, those apps have been adjusted so homeowners can also control their outdoor lighting. These apps will let you schedule lights to turn on and off at certain times or based on motion sensors or other triggers. You can even adjust the brightness or color of some lights. Many also integrate your landscaping lighting with other smart devices like security cameras, sensors, and alarm systems.

Landscaping Lighting Products that Help with Automation

Transformers and smart lighting bridges are two products that may help you automate your landscaping lighting. Transformers help by converting the higher voltage levels from your home to the lower voltage levels required by landscaping lighting. You may even be able to set up multiple zones for independent control. Lighting bridges are devices that connect smart lighting products to a home’s WiFi network so you can control your lighting from a smartphone or other device. This bridge also enables communication between the lighting products, allowing you to control groups of lights at once.

Robotic Lawn Mowers in Landscaping

A robotic lawn mower is exactly what you think it is: an autonomous robot that can automatically cut and maintain your grass. They can be programmed to mow based on customized or regular default settings like specific days or times. They can also work in wet weather conditions, though they work best in dry weather.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, robotic mowers are more energy efficient and environmentally friendly because they’re battery-powered and produce no gas emissions. Some older models may require a perimeter wire to help them locate the boundaries and recharge the dock, but most modern designs have GPS-assisted navigation and built-in sensors to navigate.

Some other features of robotic lawnmowers could include:

• Larger Wheels: This helps them mow on slopes
• Smart Home Integration: The ability to connect to a smartphone like other smart landscaping products
• Voice Control: For controlling the mower with a single command
• Obstacle Avoidance: The ability to automatically avoid obstacles
  App Control: The ability to control the mower using an app, similar to other smart landscaping products