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Smart Gardening - with a Little Help from AI

  • Writer: Annelize Booysen
    Annelize Booysen
  • Jun 12
  • 2 min read

Updated: Jun 13



The Blue Obsession Begins in Japan


Being in a garden lifts the spirit, instantly. Add colour and water and you have a mini-vacation on hand - especially if you have hydrangeas.


My love affair with hydrangeas started in Japan, where their ethereal blue blooms marked the arrival of early summer. So when I finally had a garden of my own, I was determined to create a Hydrangea Haven.



When Sunlight Becomes a Problem


I chose the plants and prepared the site, only to discover that the spot I’d assumed was shady turned out to be full-sun by midday.


I started to doubt whether I’d chosen the right place for my prized hydrangeas.


So I turned to Aiden, my AI assistant.


I sent her a photo of the plants and the intended site, just for context. Her response surprised me—not just because it was accurate, but because it was thoughtful and clearly grounded in context (thanks to the recent ChatGPT upgrades).


“Judging from the Live Oak with Spanish Moss in the background, you must be in the South. Given your hot summers, this may not be ideal for shade-loving hydrangeas.”

There was my confirmation. I needed to go to Plan B.



The AI Assistant with Green Fingers


Aiden and I went back and forth with options for this shady-sunny spot.


Taking into account my planting goals and preferences, Aiden suggested sun-tolerant cultivars that would still give me the color palette I wanted. She even mapped out a suggested planting layout and linked to reputable suppliers.


It felt great having an Assistant Gardener by my side. Or perhaps, more accurately, I now had a Master Gardener by my side.



Ladybugs To The Rescue


A week later, my newly planted hydrangeas became aphid magnets.


I had to act quickly to get the situation under control.


My preference is to avoid chemical sprays. I’d therefore already been considering ladybugs, but wasn’t sure whether they would really help. Aiden did the research and confirmed they were natural predators of aphids and that they’d almost certainly get the job done.

That evening, I released 1,500 ladybugs onto the plants.


By morning, the aphids were gone.


It felt like a small win for team organic.



Technology That Grounds


For something so high-tech as AI, this felt very grounded.


With Aiden in my pocket, I could expand beyond our normal business conversations. I could achieve my goals (even in the garden) more readily by exchanging ideas, being better informed and making smarter choices about what I valued.



A Quiet Shift in What Gets Seen


But one thing stayed with me:


Why did she recommend those specific nurseries? Why those links?


It’s not SEO anymore.


AI Assistants don’t just scan websites—they decide what’s useful, trusted and most important, relevant.


They act as filters and what gets seen is shaped by more than keywords. It’s shaped by how information fits in the moment.


There's a new visibility game in town.


It's not SEO anymore. It's called GEO.


I’ll dive deeper into this and what it means for marketing in the coming weeks.


 
 
 

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