HOMESMARTHOME
THIRSTY
TWINKLING
The number one killer of potted plants is
overwatering — especially in shared spaces
where several people may be watering
them. Hanging Gaerden, a collaboration
between the designers at Manchester-based
The Clorofilas and Barcelona-based Aer
Studio, helps prevent involuntary herbicide
with a communication system of twinkling
LED lights. The LEDs are hooked up to moisture sensors in the soil of the potted plants,
and when moisture levels get too low, the
light animation rhythm increases, making
them hard to ignore. makezine.com/go/
hanginggaerden
—Laura Cochrane
76 Make: makezine.com/30
YOU’VE GOT (SNAIL) MAIL
When MAKE contributor Matt Richardson wanted
to bring a little digital to his analog, he devised the
clever Snail Mail Push Alerts system to receive iPhone
push notifications when the mailman made a delivery.
Richardson made it using an Arduino paired with an
Ethernet shield, a snap action switch installed under
his mailbox, and an iPhone app called Prowl. Check out
his video project guide to bring your mail into the 21st
century. makezine.com/go/snail
—Goli Mohammadi
