Alexa makes voice the future of the smart garden

Award Winning App SmartPlant is now live on Amazon Alexa to help anyone, anywhere keep plants alive 

Over the past few years the gardening industry has embraced a glistening array of innovative gadgets and gizmos, but attaching a bespoke green fingered guru to each sale who can tell new plant owners what to do and when to do it is the thing of dreams. Until now. 

Today the award winning app, SmartPlant, has announced it is now live on Amazon Alexa, resulting in a few people to dub SmartPlant as the ‘future of gardening'. Breeders, growers and retailers can now communicate on going care instructions to plant owners on a monthly basis. Users Simply say "Alexa, ask SmartPlant what I need to do with my magnolia?" or "Add snake plant to my garden” and your plants will have a voice. 

Alexa is fully integrated with SmartPlant's barcode-scanning technology at its retailers across the UK and will enable users not only to receive in-app plant care in real time but care information will automatically be uploaded onto Alexa. SmartPlant is enhancing the customer experience, product expectation and ultimate success. Like the kite-mark the addition of recognised and respected expertise allows everyone to shop and care for their plants with confidence. 

Commercial partnerships with SmartPlant are enabling a new engagement with loyal and new consumers alike. Basic communication channels are evolving in several ways to propel interaction between retailers and users. Retailers can benefit from a deeper understanding of purchasing patterns and plant preferences from monthly data reports, this gives the opportunity to tailor their offering to the exact needs of their customers. New or related products and offers can be directed to specific demographics of consumer groups from local stores, and as a software and service it is establishing itself as a interactive digital loyalty plug-in. 

In addition, SmartPlant's recently upgraded app performs plant and pest identifications, live expert advice, bespoke monthly care reminders and the opportunity to learn about new plants and build the perfect digital garden. It's geo-mapped to take into account user's location, climate, and premium membership allows the user unlimited questions, plant and pest IDs and access to a personalised plant care calendar. 

SmartPlant is transforming and demystifying the traditional world of gardening by making it easier and more accessible to everyone. It is adapting to consumer thirsts not least for product provenance and the additional dimension of bringing locality, origin and heritage to the forefront, noticeable in their partnership with renowned dianthus breeder Whetman Pinks.

In an industry that was once aimed at the 50+ age group, there are now over 400 million plants sold in the UK a year to a burgeoning millennial population. As houseplants get hip for a younger generation of planty people and the number of older adults using smartphones increases, SmartPlant is demystifying the world of plants. 

Breeders, growers and retailers have the ability to present and market plants with an interactive edge and teaming up with the UK's largest plant labelling company Hortipak is providing a strong platform for this. The pulse of digital innovation is waiting for no seed, plug or plant.

CEO and Co-Founder George Williams, 27, said “Plants have long been the fancy of the time rich and experienced horticulturalist, we want SmartPlant to be the digital companion for every plant, and give plants a place in the Smart Homes of the future.” 

Features: 

• Live on Amazon Alexa
• Hundreds of horticultural experts available for instant advice, help and guidance Quick and accurate plant and pest identification.
• Over 20,000 plants to search through in-app for inspiration
• Deep content including video's, images and general plant care information.
• Plant recommendations, so you can learn about plants and find what you love! Free monthly plant care for all your plants
• SmartPlant barcode scanning technology at retail partners offers automatic care notifications for plants you buy
• Premium membership allows the user unlimited questions, photo IDs and access to a personalised garden care calendar 

About SmartPlant 

SmartPlant has created technology that enables every plant around the world to speak to its owner, telling them exactly what care it requires to thrive. Plant care is often over complicated and aimed at enthusiasts and the modern plant owner wants simple and easy to follow advice, a centralised management platform and the confidence to grow the plants they want. SmartPlant's straightforward care calendar, plant and pest identifications, detailed database and live network of hundreds of experts make this possible and have allowed SmartPlant to capture a new generation of plant owners, with an average user age of 25-35 years old, as well as catering for the more experienced gardeners. 

Current Partners Include:

• Whetman Pinks 
• Arboretum 
• Longacres 
• Minnikin 
• The Telegraph 
• The Palace Gardener 
• Burncoose Nurseries 
• Orchard Supply Hardware
• Dura ID
• Tregothnan