How (and Why) I Use Smart Cameras to Monitor My Garden
While most people think of smart cameras as just one part of their security system, they are also a good way to keep an eye on what’s growing in your yard. In most cases, the cameras you already have installed for security can do double duty by monitoring what’s going on in your garden.
I believe we are on the cusp of smart cameras becoming a much bigger part of gardening. Smart birdhouses have become very popular in the last few years. One such company, Bird Buddy, has released a whole new line of cameras specifically for micro-surveillance in the garden. Their Petal cameras, which are expected to go on sale next year, are designed to sit closer to the ground than most security cameras and are designed to capture bees, insects, and butterflies, as well as the growth of your plants. Using AI (as a subscription service), the camera will allow you to name your plants and even communicate with them. However, there is a lot you can do with security cameras that are already on the market.
Remote monitoring
In a perfect world, you could pack for a vacation and your yard would take care of itself — but a smart camera can let you remotely monitor what’s going on and track any damage. What impresses me is how well my solar-powered cameras stay connected, even in freezing temperatures and freezing rain.
Cameras allow you to actively monitor your yard . Not only will your security camera let you know if your trusted waterer stops by while you’re gone as promised, but you’ll also be able to see how your plants are doing and if they need extra help. I’m always amazed at how good the zoom is on the cameras I use in my yard; I can actually tell if a tomato is ripe or if the broccoli is ready to be picked.
Last year when I couldn’t go outside due to a sprained ankle and someone was helping me in the garden, being able to see what they were doing and communicate with them via my CCTV camera was invaluable. It’s much more effective than trying to describe what you need or want.
Catch pests
Garden pests are annoying for a number of reasons. Firstly, you often don’t know what kind of pest you’re dealing with, and catching them in the act is nearly impossible. Smart cameras are ideal for this because they give you the ability to passively observe what’s going on. Motion detection does most of the work for you.
My security camera told me I had raccoons in my yard last winter. They weren’t causing any damage (yet), but it helped me influence how I design my garden and chicken coops. The cameras identified a cat that had chosen my garden as a litter box, checking every night around 1am. I’ve been chasing a rat for the last two weeks, and the cameras are doing a fantastic job of recording his activity, telling me where to add traps, and what I can do to allow him to do it.
Other Uses for Smart Cameras in Your Yard
The most invaluable service I have received from my cameras is how I use them to monitor my backyard pets. I couldn’t figure out how my newly adopted Doberman was escaping the yard , so I installed security cameras and found her climbing a five-foot chain-link fence. I have three cameras in my chicken coop , and they tell me when to grab the eggs, if a hen starts broody, if everyone is in the coop at night, and if that pesky rat has broken into the chicken feed. When I first got chickens, I couldn’t figure out which bird was laying what color eggs, but the cameras helped. And now that I have a hive, being able to see what’s going on inside and outside the hive is helpful for monitoring its health, and if any rodents try to get in, I’ll know right away.
How to Choose a Camera for Your Yard
I’ve tried smart cameras from almost every major brand, and I’ve learned a few things. First, in almost all cases I want a PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) camera. These allow you to use your phone as a remote control and rotate the camera, often nearly 360 degrees, to get a closer look at what you want. This is much better than a fixed-range camera. It’s just annoying when something happens outside of your camera’s range and you can’t do anything to adjust it remotely.
I also look for an app that makes it easy to view clips. While I think Reolink cameras are affordable and feature-rich, their app forces you to watch a horizontal clip on a vertical screen, so the details are incredibly fine. The Ring app has a lot of bloated features, bringing notifications about neighborhood alerts to your phone. I like the Aqara , Switchbot , and Eufy apps for quick and easy access to video.
Finally, as you add cameras to your collection, being able to stay free of subscription costs is a real bonus. For this reason, I’ve mostly switched to Eufy cameras, which — when connected to Home Base — don’t require a subscription.
What I use in my yard:
Where to place the camera
All security cameras are either wired or wireless. You may already have external floodlights on your home, and wired security cameras can use these connections to replace the lights (many units come with floodlights). In this case, your connection is likely high up and not easily moved. As long as it is high up, you will likely have a good view of your yard, but be sure to consider the plants that grow in the summer and whether they will block your view.
If you don’t have these connections and don’t want to pay an electrician to install them, you need wireless cameras. But I actually prefer my wireless cameras.
First, the solar power on most of them is amazing. I live in the Pacific Northwest where it’s dark for seven months, and my cameras always stay charged. Second, the wireless means you can move the camera around to find the perfect spot. Usually, all you have to do is screw the base to where you want to mount the camera. Don’t be afraid to try different spots, when I was stalking my dog, I had to keep moving the camera around. I attached the camera to a 2×4 and moved the tree around the yard, leaning it against anything nearby until I found the right viewing range.