Each year the Oxford Dictionary comes out with a list of words that they have added to their publication. Words such as pneumatologically, studerite, and waterly were added the dictionary in 2015. Way back in 2001, the word āappā was added. It is defined as āa self-contained program or piece of software designed to fulfill a particular purpose; an application, especially as downloaded by a user to a mobile device.ā Even though it has been officially recognized as a word for 5 years, I donāt use many apps on my own smart phone. In an effort to embrace new technology, I did a bit of research on apps specifically designed for gardening.
For those of us that are planning a garden, Garden Squared assists its users with laying out vegetable garden plots. It is a free app. Another free app is Homegrown with Bonnie Plants. It is a virtual diary allowing you to take pictures and document your gardens progress. Sprout it is a free app that helps you pick out what you would like to grow and includes step by step directions. It also provides recipes for your crops. iGarden is an app that includes quite a bit of information on vegetable gardening including advice on how to combat insects and other pests. It costs $4.99.
The ID Weeds app allows you to take pictures of a weed and assists you with identification. It is free.
Garden Answers Plant also assists in identification. Their site has plant recognition technology that will help you figure out the name of flowers, shrubs or trees. This is a free app.
MyGarden is a free app that is similar to Facebook. It is a social network that allows you to keep track of your plants progress by sharing your pictures with friends and family.
Organic Gardening Magazine app is the digital version of paper magazine. The stories include how to combat insects and diseases without using chemicals. It is available for $3.99.
Mother Earth News is another great app that offers do it yourself tips on organic gardening, living green and renewable energy. This is free.
A great app for reference is the Landscaperās Companion. It includes information on more than 26,000 plants. It does cost $4.99.
Gardening Reference Guide is another gardening reference app. It is free gives you information regarding common and botanical names, environmental growing requirements and lots of gardening advice.
Wanting to take a few minutes to relax by looking at pictures of beautiful gardens? Try the Celtic Garden Free. It shows peaceful gardening vistas. Tea Garden Live features a relaxing Japanese garden scene including a waterfall.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company.Ā She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or tgsinc12@msn.comĀ Have a gardening question?Ā Please contact her.Ā She will address it in an upcoming column.
