A Bumper Crop of Garden Apps to Make Your Neighbor's Yard Look Like Scrap

My first experience with gardening was as a kid back in the '70s when my grandmother joked about the crazy neighbor lady who always snooped into her business. "I see her over there with her binoculars," she'd say, "spying on my garden!" My nanny cracked me up. Talk about competitive! Too bad Nanny didn't have all the boss (a word we used back then) garden apps out there today. I've weeded through them to get to some of the coolest. These garden apps will give you flower power that's outta sight! Can you dig it? I knew that you could!

1. Grow Planner - 9.99
Make a virtual blueprint of your garden before you put on your gloves! This interactive app allows you to choose rows, blocks, square foot, or raised beds, and you can add or remove as you go. It even calculates how much you can fit in your chosen planting area.
2. Gardener - Free
A Bumper Crop of Garden Apps to Make Your Neighbor's Yard Look Like Scrap"Gardener" - couldn't have said it better myself. This app keeps track of what you've planted and when it will be harvested. Add pictures of what you plant as it grows.
3. Garden Compass/Disease Identifier - Free
With this app, you simply take a photo of a plant that stumps you and then submit it to their team of horticultural experts who'll identify it for you. They'll also provide recommendations on resolving any problems with it.
4. iGardenUSA - 4.99
This one is great because it includes planting information specific to your climate zone. It's good for fruit and vegetable gardens because it gives the best days to harvest and includes information about insecticides for anything you want to grow.
5. Leafsnap - Free
Developed by leading researchers at Columbia University, Smithsonian Institute, and University of Maryland, Leafsnap does just what its name implies: It allows users to identify a leaf simply by snapping a photo. This app furnishes high-resolution photos and information about the leaves, seeds, bark, and fruit, giving users broad knowledge of a species.

6. Rain Harvest - Free
This one is unique because it allows you to calculate how many gallons of water are collected on your roof (or other surface). With this valuable information, you can determine how much water you can collect from these surfaces and use it to water your organic garden!

7. Flower Kidz - Free
This app is cool because, as the name suggests, it's made just for kids. It teaches children about flowers with three levels of matching games. The app even speaks the names of the flowers to your kids, so they can learn how to pronounce them.

8. Garden Plan Pro - 9.99
This app is for serious vegetable, herb, or fruit gardeners looking to obtain the best harvest. This one adapts to your specific location, gives you planting reminders, and even includes specialized email support from their pros.

9. Foolproof Plants for Small Gardens - 2.99
This app made my list because it's great for beginners who have limited space to garden, like a small yard or a balcony. It focuses on plants that stay manageable in size.

10. Dig My Garden - 2.99
I chose this one 'cause it's cool. Besides, I like the corny - get it, corny - name. This one, like some others, gives you the ability to design different garden sites. It's different, though, because of the "Bloom Bar" tool. It's a kind of a garden gate that, when you drag it, the flower colors change just as they would with the different seasons of your garden! Need more apps? 10 Handy Gardening Apps We Really Dig!