Inspiration
As a lifelong gardener, I grew frustrated tracking seasonal costs—seeds, soil, saplings—never knowing if my investments paid off. I saw fellow gardeners swap plants but lack structure, and wanted a tool to merge budgeting, plant tracking, and community into one seamless experience.
What it does
PlantBudget AI lets gardeners set seasonal budgets, log plant investments (seeds/saplings/mature plants) to track survival rates ($survival = (thriving/total)×100\%$), compare costs/yields, calculate homegrown produce value, and swap plants in a community hub.
How we built it
I started with core budget-tracking logic, then built out plant tracking and survival rate calculations. For the frontend, I used React for dynamic dashboards; MongoDB stored user data, and AWS hosted the app. I integrated market APIs for real-time produce pricing.
Challenges we ran into
Calculating accurate survival rates in real-time required refining data logic to avoid errors when users updated plant statuses. Geolocation filtering for community listings also had edge cases (rural vs. urban locations) that needed tweaking.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
The budget progress bar and over-budget alerts work flawlessly, and users love the cost-comparison tool that highlights the most economical plant purchase option. The community hub has already fostered local seed swaps!
What we learned
I mastered merging external APIs (market/geolocation) with custom logic, and learned to prioritize user experience—simplifying complex calculations into intuitive visuals for non-technical gardeners.
What's next for this project
We’ll add historical trend analysis for gardening costs/survival rates, integrate seasonal planting reminders, and expand the community hub to include local gardening event listings.
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