ChatGPT transformed my backyard.
Golf course green lawns thanks to ChatGPT? Anything is possible.
If you’re like me, you follow a handful of content creators across several different platforms who consistently share their findings on these tools.
The most recent batch of content around how conversational ChatGPTo has been is incredible.
This week, I'd like to share how I am nerding out with ChatGPT to help me flip my busted yard into one I actually love.
Starting with the problems to solve.
In September 2023, I moved into a beautiful new house in the suburbs of metro Detroit. I loved everything about the inside of the house, but the outside - specifically the landscaping and hardscaping - needed to be brought from 1950 to 2024ish.
I worked with a company in the late winter/early spring to draw up all the plans, which they implemented in early April. It went great, but it left me with a new set of problems that I didn’t really bake into my plans.
So, I started brainstorming how I could make the project feel “final” as it transitioned from beta to alpha.
How do I grow a bunch of grass quickly in a variety of temperatures, lighting, and water situations?
I now have an outdoor patio. What are some ideas of configurations for the furniture I’d like to have in the space?
How much storage do I actually need for all these new couch cushions I’m about to order for the new furniture?
Problem 1: Growing Grass in Different Conditions
After all of the construction was done, I had huge gaps where I needed to start growing right away to ensure I could establish grass before summer hit.
Since the image/word recognition is incredible, I decided to use ChatGPT to analyze grass seed labels, estimate water needs, and calculate the amount of seed required to get ahead of things.
This saved me a ton of time and ensured I had accurate information tailored to my yard's specific needs.
We’ll check back in later in the year to see how we did, but so far we’ve had some great results.
Problem 2: Visualizing Backyard Layouts
I knew roughly what kind of furniture I was going to start with on my patio, but based on the setup, I needed some creative recommendations on how to arrange things.
This would help me decide on the sizes to order to ensure everything worked out in advance.
To brainstorm furniture layouts for my backyard, I took pictures of rough sketches and measurements and used ChatGPT to generate various design ideas.
This helped me visualize multiple setups and choose the best one.
The biggest takeaway: Test out using AI to turn your sketches and ideas into visual representations. This can apply to interior design, event planning, and more.
Problem 3: Estimating Storage Unit Sizes
I wanted to get a separate storage container that would sit alongside my house, but I wasn’t sure what size I could get. Anything too big might look awkward, but I didn’t want to go so small that I couldn’t fit everything in.
I used ChatGPT to estimate storage unit sizes by comparing screenshots of my outdoor cushions (including the sizes above) with product images and details for storage containers online.
This helped me find the right storage solution without endless searching and measuring.
Side Note: This is probably overkill for some, but if you know me - you know this is 100% the type of thing I would do.
A few extra nuggets (aka think outside the box)
AI tools are as good as the prompts you give them.
Rather than sticking to predefined queries, you might stumble across them online. The above examples are ones where you can start to think creatively about how you can use AI to solve your unique problems.
A few other related ideas for you include:
Home Improvement - Use AI to plan your landscaping projects, estimate material needs, or brainstorm design ideas. For example, you can get advice on the best times to plant different species, what plants to choose based on your local climate, and what temperature ranges to be cautious of.
Daily Planning - Ask AI for personalized schedules and timelines for your gardening activities. It can help you structure when to plant, water, and fertilize to ensure the best growth conditions.
Learning and Development - Use AI to understand how combinations of products can support the growth of your plants. For example, you can learn about the benefits of using certain fertilizers with specific types of plants and how to create an optimal growth environment.
Don’t be afraid to experiment. The best way to discover the full potential of AI tools is to try different prompts and see what works for you.
If one approach doesn’t give you the results you need, tweak your input and try again.
If you're planning a garden, ask for advice on plant selection, layout design, and care tips, then adjust based on your specific conditions and preferences.
Final Thoughts
AI tools like ChatGPT offer endless possibilities for enhancing your daily experience.
Thinking creatively and experimenting with different prompts, you can unlock new ways to solve problems and improve your projects.
Don’t just rely on predefined searches—explore, test, and find what works best for you.
Thanks for reading Product Party.
Drop me a message, and let’s talk about product things.
Did you set up a Kanban board for the work to be done? What are your leading metrics? It seems that you have a vision already - your roadmap has goals instead of deliverables on it. Well done :-)