These are the needs of today's gardeners, and how our online gardening community site can help meet them, making their gardening experience easier and more enjoyable!
See Greg's ideas on his blog: the other half of Team Growin' Together!
need: when should I water?
solution: insert soil monitoring device near plants in the garden, that will push information to the gardening site. It will alert you with a "ding" or some other noise when it's time to water, so you never forget!
need: landscaping my yard scares me!
solution: an interactive online gardening tool that will allow users to map out their yard, with different customizable layers of information- including where it's shady/sunny, where the elevation is lower/higher (where water will accumulate), where current trees/shrubs/etc are located, and amounts of privacy you want, and different plans for how you want your yard to turn out. There would be a 'toolbox' of all the plants that are able to grow in your climate/region, that you can drag and drop to where you want in your yard. then you could click on each element, that will tell you prices, how tall they grow/how wide, if they need shade/sunlight, and how much water they need. With every design that a gardener develops for their yard, they can post it up for other users to comment on and give advice to what's working/what's not. It will also have a tool to monitor your budget for your landscaping, and help you stay within limits, and help you fins ways to stay economical. printer friendly plans as well, so you can take them into your yard to work from
need: i wish i didn't have to deal with gardening stores and nurseries
solution: once users come up with the perfect plan for their garden/yard, or if they just need a few extra things here and there, they can order directly from the site, and have things delivered in bundles, according to what you need and when (tools and soil first, then plants/bulbs/seeds, then mulch) so items don't die from improper use.
need: too many veggies!
solution: online marketplace for local homegrown plants. also, you can enter onto the site what plants you have available, and it will formulate ideas that you can make out of them (recipes, canning, drying, decorations, etc), and tell you everything you need to make them!
need: tips for growing problems
solution: sometimes the one's handing out the tips need to see the specific problem in person, for a proper diagnosis. plants can be photographed, or troublesome pieces can be scanned, using a 'plant scanner' that will test it's pH balance, water levels, nutrient income, etc, and that data can be loaded onto the site, for the professionals to analyze and help you out!
need: i don't know how to prune properly
solution: an iPhone app that will walk you through the pruning process from start to finish so you can have the information verbally spoken to you while you're busy with your gloves and pruners.
need: rodents are eating my garden!
solution: register which plants you are growing in your garden online, so you can compare with other users who are growing the same plants, and what they are doing to avoid the pests who love eating them. (searchable by plant)
need: what can I grow with what I have (temp/weather/elevation/porch vs. huge yard)?
solution: interactive system that users can select which elements they have in their prospective gardening space, and the site narrows down the plants that would work for them from a hugely extensive database
need: I want to be a gardener, but I don't have a yard, or even a porch.
solution: an online connector between gardeners who seek community gardening areas and 'hot spot' maps to show users where they are in local cities
need: I want to grow indoors.
solution: see "what can I grow with what I have" above
need: i don't want to take care of a garden, but I do want organic veggies to eat
solution: iPhone app telling you who is selling organic foods, and where to get them
need: i want to show off my garden!
solution: online gallery, which pieces together photos, sound clips, video, and 'smell captures' to get the whole experience online, and then share with friends on the site. the smell captures happen when a gardener uses a new tool to soak up the aroma of a particular plant or area in his/her garden, and then upload it to the site. If another user wishes to smell it, then they need the proper product hooked up to their computer that will reformulate that smell, and emit it like a perfume spray for the user to smell from a completely different location than the original garden. If enough people 'digg' that scent, then it can be made into a perfume which can be sold on the site!
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