Dottie's Garden — frequently asked questions
Reminders
How do watering reminders work in Dottie's Garden?
Each plant has its own watering interval. When you tap "watered," Dottie counts the days until the next one. Every morning she checks your garden; if anything is due, you get one notification — for example "3 plants need water today." If nothing is due, you get nothing.
What time does the reminder arrive, and can I change it?
8 AM in your local time zone by default. Change it under Account → Watering reminders; options run from 5 AM to 8 PM.
Do I have to turn reminders on?
No. Reminders are on from the moment you add a plant. If you haven't allowed phone notifications, Dottie emails you instead on watering days. You can turn either off any time.
Does Dottie skip watering when it rains?
Yes, for outdoor plants. Dottie checks the local forecast; if it just rained enough or frost is expected, the outdoor plant is skipped for that day with a note explaining why. Indoor plants are never affected by weather.
Will I get a reminder every day?
Only if something is due every day — which only happens with a lot of thirsty plants in summer. Most gardens get a nudge two or three mornings a week.
Plant Partners (shared watering)
Can someone else water my plants while I'm away?
Yes. Under Account → Plant Partners, create an invite code and send it. Your partner installs Dottie's Garden (or opens it in a browser) with their own free account, enters the code, and sees a "needs water" list with a one-tap "Mark watered." You see exactly what got done and when.
What can a plant partner see?
You choose. "Watering only" shows them just the plants that need water, their photos and watering notes. "Full access" shows your whole garden and lets them log any care task.
Does my partner need to pay?
No. Plant Partners is free for both sides.
How do I stop sharing?
Account → Plant Partners → remove the partner. Access ends immediately. Invite codes also expire after seven days on their own.
Zones and weather
How does Dottie know my USDA zone?
From your ZIP code, which you enter once. Dottie maps it to your USDA hardiness zone and uses it for planting suggestions and seasonal advice.
Does it work outside Texas?
Yes, anywhere in the United States. Dottie was built in Houston (zone 9a), so Gulf Coast advice is especially well tuned, but zone and weather lookups work nationwide.
Platforms
Is there an iPhone app?
Not a native one yet. The web app at app.dottiesgarden.com works on iPhone and iPad in Safari — tap Share → Add to Home Screen for an app icon. Reminders arrive by email on iPhone until we ship a native app.
Is there an Android app?
Yes, free on Google Play: search "Dottie's Garden" or use play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.auralen.dottiesgarden.
Pricing
Is Dottie's Garden free?
Yes. Unlimited plants, Today's Plan, morning reminders, weather alerts and Plant Partners are free. The free plan includes one plant identification and five Dottie chats per week.
What does Plus include and cost?
Unlimited plant identification and chat, full care history, and multiple gardens, for $5.99 a month or $29.99 a year with a 7-day free trial.
Your data
Where are my plants stored?
On your device, and backed up to your account so a reinstall or a new phone restores them. Account → Garden backup shows when the last backup ran and lets you restore manually.
Do you sell my data?
No. See the privacy policy at app.dottiesgarden.com/privacy.
What happens if I delete my account?
Your plants, photos, care history and backups are deleted. There's a delete-account option in the app.
About
Who makes Dottie's Garden?
Auralen Holdings LLC in Houston, Texas — a small company founded by a nurse who kept killing her own plants. Dottie the bunny is the mascot.
How do I get help?
Email support@dottiesgarden.com. A person reads every message.
Want zone-specific reminders and planting tips all season long?
Try Dottie's Garden Free →