As Life Returns to the Garden… I Point a Multispectral Camera at It (Naturally)

There’s a moment every year when the garden quietly stops pretending it’s dead. One morning it’s all “grey, damp, and existential”. The next, you’re tripping over crocuses and discovering that the lawn has been photosynthesising behind your back. So, like any sensible person, I celebrated the return of spring by doing what any normal gardener would do: I brought out a multispectral camera.

Because why simply notice new growth when you can measure it, map it, and interrogate it under infrared like a plant passport officer?

1) The visible world: “Ah, lovely… green things!”

In normal light, early spring is all about subtle optimism: tiny shoots, swelling buds, and that suspiciously confident patch of weeds that clearly trained all winter. You get colour, texture, and the basic “is it alive?” check.

But visible light is also a bit of a liar. A plant can look “fine” and still be quietly struggling—too dry, too wet, nutrient-starved, or recovering from winter damage.

2) Near-infrared: “The plants are glowing. The weeds are thriving.”

Near-infrared (NIR) is where multispectral gets properly smug. Healthy vegetation reflects a lot of NIR, so vigorous leaves show up bright. Stressed plants reflect less. Suddenly the garden stops being “pretty” and becomes a health report.

This is the point where you discover:

• That shrub you’ve been worrying about? It’s actually doing alright.

• The lawn? Patchy in ways you hadn’t noticed.

• The weeds? Absolutely smashing it. (They always are.)

If you’re generating something like an NDVI-style view (a vegetation index), you can spot differences in plant vitality before the human eye sees much change. It’s not magic—just physics and chlorophyll doing what it does best.

3) Ultraviolet: “Everything looks like it’s been dusted in secrets.”

UV can reveal surface details and contrasts that are easy to miss in visible light—think waxy coatings, residues, and certain flower patterns. It’s not necessarily a “plant health meter” in the same direct way as NIR, but it’s brilliant for texture, detail, and ‘what on earth is that?’ moments.

Also: it makes the garden look like it’s starring in a low-budget sci-fi film. Which is a strong aesthetic choice for daffodils.

4) Practical uses (beyond ‘because it’s fun’)

Multispectral imaging can actually help with sensible garden decisions:

• Watering: dry-stressed areas can show up differently from well-watered ones.

• Lawn diagnosis: identify struggling patches early (compaction, shade, poor drainage).

• Comparing beds: which areas “wake up” first and which lag behind.

• Tracking changes: repeat the same shots weekly and you’ll build a proper spring timeline.

You don’t need to turn your garden into a research paper. But it’s strangely satisfying to match what you think is happening with what the spectrum says.

5) The real takeaway: spring is returning… and so is curiosity

The best bit isn’t the tech—it’s what it makes you do: slow down, look properly, and ask questions. Why is that corner always weaker? Why is the hedge brighter in one section? Why do the weeds appear to be receiving private tutoring?

So yes, life is returning to the garden. And this year, it’s returning in visible, infrared, and ultraviolet.

Next up: explaining to the neighbours why I’m crouched near the compost bin with a camera, whispering “Show me your chlorophyll.”