Spring is the perfect time to try your hand at the edible garden – the sun is shining, but it’s still cool enough to be comfortable outside. Fortunately, growing herbs or even a whole salad mix can be done in any area you need to work with. Whether you have a large garden with multiple raised beds and herb pots or live in a tiny city apartment with limited space, there is a garden kit for you.
The Shop TODAY team has put together our favorite selection for rooms of all sizes. Most come with everything you need to get started, like soil, seeds, and containers. Most of the picks require some assembly, but we promise it’s worth it if you’re eating fresh vegetables you’ve grown or topping dishes with freshly picked herbs.
Indoor and countertop kits
1. Herbal Tea Indoor Garden Seed Starter Attachment Kit
This is for the herbal tea lover (or mixologist). With this kit you can make your own mixes with peppermint, lemon balm, chamomile and clover. The kit includes soil washers, biodegradable pots, plant markers, a tea strainer, scissors, and instructions on how to grow and care for each plant.
2. AeroGarden Black Harvest Indoor Hydroponic Garden
With this gadget on the countertop, it is child’s play to grow your own products for salads and sandwiches. You can grow up to six different plants at the same time. Since there is no soil, there is no chaos when planting. Instead, you just slide the pods in and the hydroponic light will help it grow. The control panel also tells you when to add more water to the base. This is a helpful addition for the forgetful gardener.
3. AeroGarden Gr Harvest 360 with Heirloom Salad Greens Seed Pod Kit
AeroGarden also has a more compact option. While it will still grow six different plants, the rounded base is only 9 inches in diameter so it won’t take up much space in your kitchen. The kit includes the salad bowl, but can also be used with other branded vegetable or herb pods. With the garden on your countertop, you don’t have to worry about the weather outside or animals getting to your freshly grown produce.
4. Window Garden Self Watering Herb Starter Kit
If you have a windowsill that gets a lot of sunlight, consider this herb garden kit. It includes five self-watering planters, plant markers, soil and herb seed packets for basil, parsley, sage, chives and dill, and instructions. Just be careful not to fill past the water line in each pot to prevent soil and water from overflowing.
5. Back to the Roots Organic Mushroom Growing Kit
If you’ve ever seen beautiful oyster mushrooms in the farmers market and wondered how to grow them yourself, this kit is a good place to start. It comes with soil that has already mushroom spawn mixed in. This kit requires extra care by spraying the plant twice a day, but it’s worth it for delicious home-grown mushrooms.
6. Lettuce grow the yard
For a garden set that doubles as home decor, this expensive choice is perfect. The eye-catching vertical grower comes in three sizes – extra small, small, and medium – and can grow between 12 and 30 plants. The self-watering tower fits in any sunny corner of your home or outside. It should be noted, however, that the seedling pods are sold separately.
Patio and balcony kits
1. Organic Vertical Hanging Herb Garden Planter Kit
Vertically hanging gardens take up little space and are great for balconies or outdoor patios if you live in an apartment or house with a small yard. Just hang it up with a few heavy duty screws and you’re ready to grow. The kit includes the hanger, ground, and basil seeds, but other seeds are also available. Once your herb is ready to be harvested, the culinary options are endless.
2. Starter cultivation kit for exotic vegetable seeds
Growing vegetables may seem daunting, but this kit makes it easy and fun. There are five different seed packets that come with vegetables like watermelon radish, rainbow chard, and lemon cucumber. The biodegradable planters are just the right size for an outdoor patio or garden. As soon as the plants get bigger, they can be repotted in a raised bed.
3. Herb Garden Starter Kit
This kit contains six different herbs, pots and soil. Set it on an outdoor windowsill or balcony where the sun shines on the plants for part of the day. Keeping herbs alive can be difficult. So watch these carefully as they grow to make sure they get enough sunlight and water.
4. Herb Garden Seed Starter Kit-Herbal Tea Growing Kits
If you really want to take your herbal tea to the next level, this garden kit includes four different types of tea, four linen sacks to grow your plants, soil washers, a teapot and much more. We like this for outside because the plants in the linen bags get quite large and can quickly take over a countertop.
5. Buzzy Organic Grow Kit
This can be used outside or inside. The kit comes with an 11-inch galvanized sink, ideal for an apartment balcony or larger window sill. The kit contains three different herb seeds that will grow quickly with proper sun exposure and watering. One unique thing about this kit is that it also includes recipe ideas for the herbs to take the guesswork out of meal times.
6. Plant Theater Funky Veg KIT gift box
For those looking for a little more variety in their gardening kits, this funky veggie kit is just the thing. It contains seeds for purple carrots, yellow zucchini, striped tomatoes, red Brussels sprouts and rainbow chard. Each seed is given its own biodegradable pot and marker so you know what is growing. (They also have a pepperoni kit for those who like the heat.)
7. Garden pepper seed starter kit
People who love spicy dishes will love this pepper garden kit that has everything you need. Each kit contains four different pepper seeds, scissors, wooden planter box and drip tray, plant markers, cloth bag and instructions. We love that once the plant is too big for the pouches, it can be easily moved to the box planter. You will be growing habanero and jalapeño peppers in no time.
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