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YOUR HOME YOUR WAY n THE BRANDON SUN n SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
Intelligent Watering INVITE HOME AUTOMATION INTO YOUR GARDEN!
Home automation is a modern technology that allows you to control various systems in your home using your smartphone. It’s an efficient way to save energy and money. If you have a garden, it’s a great idea to consider home automation for optimizing plant watering and conserving drinking water. HOW DOES IT WORK? Using a watering timer and several sophisticated sensors and algorithms, the system detects numerous data points and variables in real time, such
as soil moisture and weather. Based on these readings, the system can adjust the irrigation in your garden to provide your plants with the precise amount of water they need, and only when they need it. This means no more wasting water. Moreover, you can also program the system to water your plants at the best times, such as early in the morning. Depending on the system you choose, you may be able to connect it to other sensors, such as a sunlight sensor and your rainwater collector or well. This allows you to set up personalized water ing programs for different areas of your yard. Talk to local home automation com- panies to learn more about designing a connected and sustainable garden.
How to make your yard an eco-friendly haven
Diversify your lawn Grass is commonly used as ground cover. However, this monoculture re- quires a lot of water and sometimes pesticides, which can limit biodiver- sity. Instead, plant drought-resistant plants such as clover and thyme that Many foreign plants don’t have natural competition in your local ecosystem and can quickly become invasive. Choose species adapted to your local climate to preserve the na- tive flora and fauna. Use rainwater Install a rain barrel underneath your gutters and use the collected water to give your plants a drink. It’s a simple and inexpensive way to save precious drinking water. feed pollinators like bees. Choose native plants
Make your soil permeable Consider transforming a section of your concrete driveway or walk- way into porous tiles or crushed gravel. This will enable rainwater to seep into the ground, reducing run- off and preventing soil erosion. Ad- ditionally, this helps minimize the number of pollutants in your local water treatment plant. Grow a vegetable garden Emissions linked to transporting food are a significant source of pollu- tion. Tackle this problem head-on by harvesting cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce directly from your garden. Creating an eco-friendly yard may seem long and arduous, but the benefits are worth it. Plus, it requires less maintenance in the long run.
The impacts of climate change are already evident, and it’s essential to take action to reduce them. One way to start is by making your landscaping more environmentally friendly. How can you make your yard green? Here are some principles to follow.
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