To buy: $599 with coupon (was $799); amazon.com. Sure, this is certainly more pricey than some other kitchen gadgets, but it’s a worthwhile investment if you’re interested in keeping fresh vegetables on hand at all times with little to no effort. The vertical garden is completely self-sustaining and uses automated watering and lighting systems to grow. Each Gardyn kit comes with everything you need to get started: a base, growing towers, LED lights, and 30 seed cubes. The instructions are detailed and easy to follow, so even a first-time hydroponic gardener like myself could figure it out. The Gardyn only takes up 2 square feet of space, but you’ll need to select a location that’s close to an outlet and is WiFi-accessible. Once the structure is set up, just fill the base with water, pop in the seed cubes, and download the Gardyn app. Gardyn’s smart assistant, Kelby, will automate the lights and water, and it’ll even notify you when it’s time to refill the base or trim the plants. Once it was set up, I never watered the garden or touched the lighting system—Kelby did the work for me. When I was away from home for a few days, I could check on the garden from my phone using the built-in cameras and live view function in the app. Within days of setting up my unit I saw sprouts begin to grow, and Kelby notified me when it was time to add plant food and trim excess leaves. After about a month, I had a lush bounty of romaine, arugula, kale, cilantro, dill, and even cherry tomatoes. I even managed to keep it alive in the days and weeks following the birth of my first child, which any first-time parent knows is no easy feat. I love that I have fresh vegetables and herbs on hand whenever I want them, and I love that it doesn’t take much effort to maintain them. The only challenge I’ve found is being able to keep up with the amount of food it produces. But who said too much salad was a bad thing? Just like any garden, trimming the leaves is essential to preventing overgrowth, and you’ll want to trim this garden every few days to keep it looking fresh. Though it is a bit pricey, the amount of fresh vegetables it produces makes the Gardyn a worthwhile kitchen addition, and you can get it for $200 off right now.
