New technology makes ‘smart garden of the future’ a reality

Lockdown forced crowded families to re-evaluate how they use their homes, with three fifths (59%) of Brits using their gardens more than ever before. Nearly half used it as an entertainment space (47%) whereas nearly two thirds relied on it for relaxation (60%).

In fact, adults across the nation have spent up to £6 billion upgrading their gardens and outdoor spaces during the pandemic.

Upgrades included finally sprucing up the borders (46%) to creating home entertainment (13%) or exercise areas (14%), installing garden offices (12%) and even creating online gaming areas (11%).

Network data from TalkTalk shows that internet usage increased by 40% during the pandemic as people spent more time at home than ever before. Yet currently, for two fifths of Brits, poor internet connectivity is stopping them from getting the most out of their garden/outside spaces (41%), with a third claiming they’d use their outside spaces even more if Wi-Fi connectivity wasn’t a challenge (34%).

A quarter (25%) would use their outside space to watch TV, films and sport, one in five (22%) said they’d use their garden for work if their Wi-Fi reached that far. A fifth would do their online shopping al-fresco and almost one in six (15%) would do online workouts – some Brits would even game amongst the gardenias (12%).

Smart Garden For The Future

In response to these findings, connectivity provider TalkTalk has partnered with tech expert, Jason Bradbury, to create the ‘Smart Garden of the Future, showing how our gardens can be

made just as clever as smart homes thanks to the rollout of full fibre and ever-increasing innovations in Wi-Fi technology.

The futuristic garden was designed to reveal how the whole home (indoors and out) can be amplified through TalkTalk’s new ultrafast, ultra-reliable Future Fibre and eero mesh Wi-Fi systems, making it simple to help connect water sprinkler systems, robot mowers, plant sensors and lighting systems from the comfort of your armchair, office chair or deck chair.

Using the power of Wi-Fi 6 technology, eero mesh Wi-Fi routers (additional eero devices recommended for larger homes) work hand in hand with TalkTalk’s full fibre connectivity to deliver the UK’s fastest, most reliable broadband, with great Wi-Fi coverage across the home and garden2.

Alongside Jason Bradbury, creative garden designers RebelRebel, brought the Garden of the Future into bloom, setting the smart tech against a beautiful backdrop of sunflowers, cosmos, tagetes, hydrangea, marigolds, geranium and ivy.