FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Product

What is Gardinova?
Gardinova is a PWA and backend solution that manages every garden, tree, and bed as a digital twin with a fully traceable history — built on an append-only, bitemporal event store.
Who is Gardinova for?
Landscaping businesses (Business mode), ambitious private gardeners (Garden mode), and permaculture practitioners (Permaculture mode). Municipalities are our customers' clients, not a target audience of ours — Gardinova does not sell directly to municipalities.
Does Gardinova work without an internet connection?
Yes — field capture works offline and syncs automatically once a connection is available again.
What does Gardinova cost?
Garden mode is free. Business mode starts at CHF 1,450 per year. Details and pricing bands are under "What We're Building".

Legal & compliance

Is Gardinova "court-proof"?
No, this term is deliberately not part of our communication (Art. 13a UWG) — a court always freely evaluates evidence (Art. 157 ZPO). Gardinova provides a fully traceable, hash-chained history that can support that evaluation without pre-empting it.
Where is the data hosted?
In Switzerland or the EU, compliant with the revFADP and GDPR.
What is the difference between an inventory and a formal inspection?
An inventory documents what stands where. A formal inspection under the Swiss tree inspection guideline specifically checks traffic safety and requires a qualified, credentialed person. Conflating the two can create a false sense of safety.

Tree inspection

Who is liable for a falling tree in Switzerland?
In principle the owner under Art. 58 OR or Art. 41 OR/Art. 679 ZGB, if a breach of the duty of care exists. Details in the article on owner liability.
What inspection frequency has the Federal Supreme Court recognised as reasonable?
In the winter-service ruling BGer 4A_114/2014, a documented routine with a 1- to 3-hour frequency under snow and ice conditions was recognised as reasonable exculpatory evidence.
Is there a Swiss standard for tree inspection?
Since 1 January 2026, there is the Swiss tree inspection guideline from BSB, JardinSuisse, and VSSG. An SIA standard or an official INTERLIS data model, however, still do not exist.

Invasive species & reporting

Where do I report fire blight?
At the cantonal plant protection office of the location where it was found — the complete list of all 26 cantons is in the Knowledge hub.
May I use herbicides against invasive species on paved surfaces?
No, on paths and paved areas the use of plant protection products is generally prohibited under ChemRRV Annex 2.5.

Employment law

Does winter service on Sundays require a permit?
No longer for pure salting and snow clearing, since 1 April 2022 (Art. 51b ArGV 2) — for other activities by the same crew on the same day, a permit requirement may still apply.

Funding

What is Adapt+?
The BAFU funding programme for climate-adapted green spaces, with funding rates from 25 to 40% (plus a 10% bonus, 50% maximum). Details on deadlines and criteria in the corresponding article.

Technology

What does "bitemporal" mean?
A bitemporal data model distinguishes when something actually happened from the point at which it was recorded in the system — important for offline capture synchronised later.
Does a hash chain prove data was correct from the start?
No — it only proves integrity from the point the chain began, never retroactively for the period before.