My Mom used to love to watch things grow. It used to tickle her to even watch a celery stalk in a glass of water get taller each day. So, when I wandered upon the Miracle-Grow Aerogarden (aka, AeroGrow) on Amazon.com, I knew I had to give it a try. And, wow, am I glad I did!
There’s no soil needed for the AeroGarden; all herbs, vegetables, and flowers are grown in water (hydroponic). And, the Aerogrow is so easy to use; all you do is add the pre-seeded pods in the slot of the base, add water from the tap and nutrients from a bottle, adjust the hood to the low position, and turn it on.
There is a grow light in the hood of the planter that stays on for a preselected time of day, giving the plants the ‘sunlight’ that they need. And, the plants, particularly the herbs, just take off! But, you’re not just limited to herbs; you can grown tomatoes (!), vegetables and any flowers in the AeroGarden. As the plants grow taller, just adjust the light hood upwards to keep the tallest plants from burning under the hotter light. Germination usually happens within a week, and harvesting is done of herbs about 3 weeks later.
The herbs you see in the picture above were harvested from our own Aerogrow after about 6 weeks. These herbs spiced up Mom’s food and encouraged her to eat. Also, never discount how important that teeny sprig of parsley might be on a plate of otherwise dull food. What an excellent present for someone in a nursing home.
AeroGarden come in 3 and 7 pod sizes. I bought the 3 pod to see if we liked it (that’s basil, parsley, and chives growing in my own system there to the right). It was obvious within a month or two that I should have gotten the largest 7 pod AeroGarden. A side benefit to getting the larger Aerogrow is that you can buy the optional seed starter insert which is a great way to start your own impatients, gerber daisies or any other flower inside for transplanting to your outdoor garden.
So, if you have an elderly loved one who loves to watch things grow, the AeroGarden is for you. Just make sure there’s someone around to ‘maintain’ it which is so easy. Trim up the herbs, adjust the lamp periodically, add nutrients and water and that’s it. Note: as the plants mature, water needs to be added about every 2 days so, if you’re giving this as a gift to a Grandmother or Grandfather in a nursing home, make sure the nurses are ok with adding water.
AeroGarden Harvest – Indoor Garden with LED Grow Light, Black
AeroGarden Harvest 360 Indoor Garden, SageAeroGarden Grow Anything Seed Pod Kit, 9AeroGarden Bounty Basic – Indoor Garden with LED Grow Light, BlackAeroGarden Harvest Elite – Indoor Garden with LED Grow Light, Stainless SteelAeroGarden Farm 24Basic, w/Salad Bar Seed Kit, Black