Be Smart

These plant examining glasses bring technology developed by NASA and the Department of Agriculture and brings to your humble backyard. Put these on and you'll be able to see areas of your lawn that may need a little help long before you'd observe the problems with your naked eyes. The lenses block out the green reflected by chlorophyll in the healthy areas of your lawn and garden, causing those areas to show as black or gray. Any unhealthy spots, deficient in chlorophyll, will show up as pink, red or coral colors. It's the plant equivalent of full-body MRIs that detect problems before their symptoms surface. So what if you look like Rick Moranis in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, surveying your backyard in these dorky glasses that look like they came out of a box of kids' cereal? Your verdant backyard will thank you for it.

Available from environmentally friendly online gardening store, Clean Air Gardening, for $49.99.