Garden irrigation
Once the irrigation valves are connected, the garden is split into zones and each zone runs on its own schedule. The lawn is watered early in the morning, the flower beds in the evening. Add a rain sensor or weather data and the system skips watering on rainy days, so you are not watering the garden in a wet week.
The pool
The pool pump, filtration times, pool lights and any heater can all be automated. On a time-of-use electricity tariff, the pump can run during the cheaper hours, and the pool lights come on with the evening garden scene. Some chlorine and pH monitoring equipment can share its readings too, depending on the make and the connection options.
Outdoor lighting
When the garden path, tree uplighters, facade and pool surround are on separate circuits, they can come on in sequence at sunset, with only the path lights left on after midnight. Motion sensors light up the relevant area when someone walks through the garden at night. See smart lighting control for more detail.
Cameras, gates and the front door
At a villa, the perimeter matters more than it does in a flat. Cameras along the garden wall, a video doorbell and motor on the gate, and a smart lock on the front door can all work as one system: the bell rings, you see who is there, you open the gate, and by the time the visitor reaches the front door the entrance lights are already on. Opening the garage and gate from your phone as you drive up is part of the same flow.
