People grow their own vegetables for a variety of reasons. We want to limit the amount of pesticides and other chemicals that we may ingest from commercially grown produce. We want to have fresh produce available at a moment's notice. And then there are those of us, of whom I'm one, who love digging around in the dirt because it brings out our inner child!
I loved growing my own veggies last summer and will be doing so again this year. Lettuce, tomatoes, green beans, cucumber and an assortment of herbs were ready for picking at a moment’s notice. The actual work involved was manageable, and got me off the couch and into the fresh air.
Unfortunately, those who live in a northern climate with a growing season that's only about four months long have limited options during the cold winter months. We envy our neighbors to the south their ability to grown produce year round as we browse free internet dating sites and go online shopping.
It was during one of those online shopping ventures that I discovered an intriguing product called an Aerogarden. It's promoted as an indoor hydroponic gardening solution, although the name itself is a bit misleading since the plants actually do come into contact with water and nutrients, and not a misted solution; “aero” is Greek for air, “ponic” means labor. However, given that space in my house is at a premium, I thought this small unit could be just the thing to satisfy my fresh tomato craving in the middle of February! Although I have a knack for outdoor gardening, that trait appears to stop at the front door. I've tried indoor gardening before and it was a total failure. I either gave my plants too much or too little water, too much or too little fertilizer, and then they became bug infested at which point I just threw the whole thing into the compost bin and gave up!
Once it arrived it took just minutes to set up and another couple of minutes to prepare the pods from the seed kit (I choose garden herbs) which included parsley, two types of basil, chives, mint, thyme and dill. Everything sprouted right on time and within weeks I was harvesting my home grown herbs to use in cooking and baking. It couldn't have been easier. When the herbs were finished I started a lettuce kit and was able to eat fresh home grown lettuce every day for months! Although the kits are not cheap, they do include everything such as growing medium, nutrients, seeds and step by step instructions that one needs to grow herbs, tomatoes, lettuce, even petunias and more.
If you're like me and love home grown produce year round and have little indoor space, the Aerogarden might be just the thing!
