Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Garden Apps in Full Bloom

Now that spring is finally here, gardeners around the country are looking forward to spending their days planting, weeding and tending their favorite flowers, fruits or vegetables.

And instead of picking up shovels or spades, some gardeners will start by reaching for their smartphones.

That's because there are actually a ton of smartphone apps out there that are geared specifically for gardeners, including things like growing requirements, planting and bloom times.

For instance, the Garden Pilot app for the iPhone has over 14,000 plants in its directories, covering plant diseases, fertilizers and chemicals, organic gardening and eco-friendly ideas, and shows which plants are available for purchase at local app-participating retailers.

The iPhone also has the Gardens app, which is a collection of short, informative videos about different gardening topics. There's even a Bugs & Insects app that provides info on 900 different pests.

But Apple doesn't have the garden app market cornered, because there are several Android apps for green thumbs out there, including Botanica, which pairs plants with hardiness zones, provides space for photos and journal entries, and issues alerts telling you when it's time to water.

But what I'm wondering is, how many of you actually garden with your phones on you enough to take advantage of these apps? And would you actually consult apps like these?