Design and Implementation of an IoT-Based Smart Garden System for Efficient Water Management in Residential Environments

Abstract

Water scarcity and inefficient irrigation practices have become major concerns in residential and urban environments. Traditional irrigation systems often rely on fixed schedules that fail to consider real-time environmental conditions, leading to excessive water consumption and poor plant health management. This paper presents the design and implementation of an Internet of Things (IoT)-based smart garden system aimed at improving irrigation efficiency and reducing water wastage in residential gardens. The proposed system integrates soil moisture sensors, temperature and humidity sensors, rain detection modules, and an ESP32 microcontroller for real-time environmental monitoring and adaptive irrigation control. The system utilizes MQTT communication for cloud connectivity and enables remote monitoring through mobile and web applications. Experimental evaluation conducted over a 12-week period demonstrated an average water saving of 39.5% compared to traditional timer-based irrigation methods while maintaining optimal soil moisture stability and improving plant health conditions. The proposed solution offers a low-cost, scalable, and energy-efficient approach suitable for sustainable residential gardening applications.