Best apps for gardening and DIY

Handyman DIY - £1.49
iOS
Any good decorator or builder will tell you that preparation is the key to successful DIY. This app lets you create a list of all the rooms around your home, with all the various measurements of doorways, floors, windows and walls. You can then list different tasks that need doing with notes on materials and products you have to buy. Then once you've begun, tick each job off as you go along.

iHandy Carpenter - £1.49
iOS
For all those wood-based and building jobs, this app is a must. It features five different virtual tools to assist you. There's a Plumb Bob to check vertical lines, a flat surface level, a spirit level, a protractor to measure angles and a rule with inches and centimetres - all using tools within the phone such as the accelerometer to measure super-accurately. Unfortunately, it won't get rid of splinters.

                                [Related: Is Sugru the future of DIY?]

MagicPlan - Free
iOS
If you're planning a massive round of home improvements then it's always best to know what you are doing and where. Take pictures of the rooms you're working in and this app will measure out floor plans out directly from the photos allowing you to create a proper and precise plan to work off.

Screwfix Toolbox - Free
iOS Android
For many men, the Screwfix catalogue is a must-read. This dedicated Toolbox goes one better. It will help identify exactly what products are needed for the jobs you're doing and how much of each you should buy. There are also 400 demonstration videos and a handy virtual spirit level.

B&Q/Homebase - Free
B&Q iOS 
B&Q Android Homebase iOS

There will be queues down the aisles in the UK's DIY stores this weekend. So get one step ahead with their apps. They'll give you details on the products you need as well as How To videos and guides to some of the most common tasks. You can also reserve items to pick up in store.

RHS Grown Your Own - Free
iOS
The Royal Horticultural Society know all there is to know about plants and gardening. So if you've a bit of spare time this Bank Holiday you could turn your backyard to your advantage by growing your own fruit and veg. Not only will it save you money in the long-term, it could well be healthier too. This app runs down the 20 most common items to grow with extra paid-for downloads adding to the library with additional produce. If you're an Android user check out Fruit Garden or Veg Garden which both offer similar advice.

Home DIY with Craig Phillips - Free
iOS
The former Big Brother winner was a builder by trade before winning the reality show. And since taking home the top prize on the first ever series of the Channel 4 hit, he's gone on to become a celebrity builder on TV. This app includes how to guides to all of the common DIY tasks, which provide a useful starting point before you attempt them off your own back.

Garden Plants Growing Guide
Android
With 75 different types of plants and foliage to go through, this Android app will help you identify what's growing in your garden and how to care for it. From an Iris to a Dahlia, you'll soon turn those patches of barren earth into blooming areas of colour.

Garden Plan Pro - £6.99
iOS
If you're looking to start a big landscaping project out the back of your home then this iPad specific app might be worth its hefty price-tag. As well as giving details and care guides for all sorts of plants, herbs, fruit and veg, it includes a planning function to design where they are going to go. Sketch out your garden and move elements such as beds and hedges around until you're happy with how it should look. Then cross those green fingers and hope the reality eventually matches up.