What Is a Smart Yard?

It’s 2024, and just about everyone has welcomed a smart device or two (or 20!) into their home. Modern tech like daily Alexa weather reports and automated lighting have given us a level of convenience that was once the stuff of dreams!

The future of smart home is right outside your door

While smart home products continue to find their way into each room of the house, most homeowners have only just begun to include their yard and outdoor spaces in the mix. But there’s real potential for smart yard products to automate tasks, save you time, and even save you water!

What is a smart yard?

Whether you’re in the market for a robot lawn mower, intelligent weather monitoring, or a better way to keep your plants fertilized and watered, smart yard products can help you get the landscape you’ve been dreaming of with a lot less time and effort.

Check out these smart yard devices that can save you time, money, and more.

Smart yard: health & security

• Smart delivery boxes are great for secure package receiving (goodbye porch pirates!)
• Smart air quality monitors have features like unhealthy air alerts and air quality forecasts
• Home security monitoring (like smart locks and doorbells) keep an eye on your home and your loved ones
• Smart weather systems

Smart yard: entertainment

• Some speakers, smart TVs, and audio equipment are specifically designed with weather resistance in mind for outdoor use
• Automatic bird feeders with identification features can keep you abreast of all the feathered friends visiting your yard with delightful video clips and notifications

Smart yard: time-saving

• Smart living walls can automate your indoor plant care and bring greenery to any room in your home
• Automated pool cleaners take the brunt of pool maintenance so you can relax poolside
• Sprinkler controllers and smart hose timers automatically water your plants the right amount, whether you're away from home or just hanging in the hammock

Watering smarter

A truly smart yard doesn’t just boast clever tech and voice control; it also uses that technology for good by saving water where possible.

Watering efficiently and without waste should be a priority for every homeowner, regardless of where you live or what water challenges you might face. All of the products below use innovation to make the most of the water used in your yard. A mix of high-tech Internet of Things (IoT) devices and thoughtfully designed tools, they can be combined in your outdoor space for some serious water savings.

• Root Quencher Spike revolutionizes garden bed watering by allowing targeted, automated water application right at the roots.
• Root Quencher uses the same below-ground approach to watering to save up to reduce water waste up to 50%. Use it to keep your trees and shrubs hydrated, or try Root Quencher Jr. for smaller plants.
• Rain sensors detect rain or temperatures are detected in your yard and can adjust your watering according to on-the-ground moisture.
• Adjustable sprinkler nozzles from Hunter and K-Rain can give you more uniform watering coverage with lower flow rates.
• Smart Hose Timers and Smart Sprinkler Controllers are a tried-and-true way to make a big difference in your outdoor watering efficiency. Grab one from Rachio.com, starting at just $99 for a limited time only!