diff --git a/app/models/planting.rb b/app/models/planting.rb
index 05c2a7024..c82b61fa3 100644
--- a/app/models/planting.rb
+++ b/app/models/planting.rb
@@ -53,10 +53,12 @@ class Planting < ActiveRecord::Base
     "#{owner.login_name}-#{garden}-#{crop}".downcase.gsub(' ', '-')
   end
 
+  # location = owner + garden, i.e. "Skud's backyard"
   def location
     return "#{garden.owner.login_name}'s #{garden}"
   end
 
+  # stringify as "beet in Skud's backyard" or similar
   def to_s
     self.crop_system_name + " in " + self.location
   end
@@ -64,4 +66,23 @@ class Planting < ActiveRecord::Base
   def default_photo
     return photos.first
   end
+
+  # return a list of interesting plantings, for the homepage etc.
+  # we can't do this via a scope (as far as we know) so sadly we have to
+  # do it this way.
+  def Planting.interesting(howmany=10)
+    interesting_plantings = Array.new
+    seen_owners = Hash.new(false) # keep track of which owners we've seen already
+
+    Planting.all.each do |p|
+      break if interesting_plantings.count == howmany # got enough yet?
+      next unless p.photos.present? # skip those that don't have photos
+      next if seen_owners[p.owner]  # skip if we already have one from this owner
+
+      seen_owners[p.owner] = true   # we've seen this owner
+      interesting_plantings.push(p)
+    end
+
+    return interesting_plantings
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/views/home/_crops.html.haml b/app/views/home/_crops.html.haml
index bd3690469..f3c0b8309 100644
--- a/app/views/home/_crops.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/home/_crops.html.haml
@@ -6,29 +6,12 @@
       - next unless c.photos.present?
       - count += 1
       .span3{:style => 'margin:0px; padding: 3px'}
-        = render :partial => 'crops/image_with_popover.html.haml', :locals => { :crop => c }
+        = render :partial => 'crops/image_with_popover', :locals => { :crop => c }
       - break if count == 12
 
   .span6
     %h2 Recently planted
-    - count = 0
-    - Planting.all.each do |p|
-      - next unless p.photos.present?
-      - count += 1
-      .row
-        .span2{:style => 'padding-bottom: 6px'}
-          = render :partial => 'plantings/image_with_popover.html.haml', :locals => { :planting => p }
-        .span10
-          = link_to p.crop, p.crop
-          in
-          = succeed "'s" do
-            = link_to p.owner, p.owner
-          = link_to p.garden, p.garden
-          %br/
-          %small
-            %i
-              = p.owner.location
-      - break if count == 4
+    = render :partial => 'plantings/list', :locals => { :plantings => Planting.interesting(4) }
 
 .row-fluid
   .span12
diff --git a/app/views/plantings/_list.html.haml b/app/views/plantings/_list.html.haml
index 139597f9c..bbf6323f9 100644
--- a/app/views/plantings/_list.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/plantings/_list.html.haml
@@ -1,2 +1,14 @@
-
-
+- plantings.each do |p|
+  .row
+    .span2{:style => 'padding-bottom: 6px'}
+      = render :partial => 'plantings/image_with_popover', :locals => { :planting => p }
+    .span10
+      = link_to p.crop, p.crop
+      in
+      = succeed "'s" do
+        = link_to p.owner, p.owner
+      = link_to p.garden, p.garden
+      %br/
+      %small
+        %i
+          = p.owner.location
diff --git a/spec/models/planting_spec.rb b/spec/models/planting_spec.rb
index bb5d87e0a..de2c24b65 100644
--- a/spec/models/planting_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/planting_spec.rb
@@ -148,4 +148,80 @@ describe Planting do
     end
   end
 
+  context 'interesting crops' do
+    it 'picks up interesting plantings' do
+      # plantings have members created implicitly for them
+      # each member is different, hence these are all interesting
+      @planting1 = FactoryGirl.create(:planting, :created_at => 5.days.ago)
+      @planting2 = FactoryGirl.create(:planting, :created_at => 4.days.ago)
+      @planting3 = FactoryGirl.create(:planting, :created_at => 3.days.ago)
+      @planting4 = FactoryGirl.create(:planting, :created_at => 2.days.ago)
+
+      # plantings need photos to be interesting
+      @photo = FactoryGirl.create(:photo)
+      [@planting1, @planting2, @planting3, @planting4].each do |p|
+        p.photos << @photo
+        p.save
+      end
+
+      Planting.interesting.should eq [
+        @planting4,
+        @planting3,
+        @planting2,
+        @planting1
+      ]
+    end
+
+    it 'ignores plantings without photos' do
+      # first, an interesting planting
+      @planting = FactoryGirl.create(:planting)
+      @planting.photos << FactoryGirl.create(:photo)
+      @planting.save
+
+      # this one doesn't have a photo
+      @boring_planting = FactoryGirl.create(:planting)
+
+      Planting.interesting.should include @planting
+      Planting.interesting.should_not include @boring_planting
+    end
+
+    it 'ignores plantings with the same owner' do
+      # this planting is older
+      @planting1 = FactoryGirl.create(:planting, :created_at => 1.day.ago)
+      @planting1.photos << FactoryGirl.create(:photo)
+      @planting1.save
+
+      # this one is newer, and has the same owner, through the garden
+      @planting2 = FactoryGirl.create(:planting,
+        :created_at => 1.minute.ago,
+        :garden_id => @planting1.garden.id
+      )
+      @planting2.photos << FactoryGirl.create(:photo)
+      @planting2.save
+
+      # result: the newer one is interesting, the older one isn't
+      Planting.interesting.should include @planting2
+      Planting.interesting.should_not include @planting1
+    end
+
+    it 'only gives you as many as you ask for' do
+      # plantings have members created implicitly for them
+      # each member is different, hence these are all interesting
+      @planting1 = FactoryGirl.create(:planting, :created_at => 5.days.ago)
+      @planting2 = FactoryGirl.create(:planting, :created_at => 4.days.ago)
+      @planting3 = FactoryGirl.create(:planting, :created_at => 3.days.ago)
+      @planting4 = FactoryGirl.create(:planting, :created_at => 2.days.ago)
+
+      # plantings need photos to be interesting
+      @photo = FactoryGirl.create(:photo)
+      [@planting1, @planting2, @planting3, @planting4].each do |p|
+        p.photos << @photo
+        p.save
+      end
+
+      Planting.interesting(2).length.should == 2
+    end
+
+  end
+
 end