Not sure about most of you but I’m anxious for Spring to come.  I’m really tired of seeing snow, shoveling snow and hearing about more snow coming.  The main reason that I’m anxious for Spring is that I’m looking forward to starting my new garden in my new yard.  When I lived in the Midwest I started my seeds in February but here in Upstate NY it seems like I have some time to wait.  That’s where my secret weapon comes in….

… the Aerogarden, a hydroponic system that comes complete right out of the box with the motor, the grow light and the water reservoir.   You basically take it out of the box, fill it with water and plug it in. The Aeogarden comes in different sizes –6, 7 and the 3 pod shown at the left.  Its great for growing herbs and also for growing lettuces.  They offer pods that allow you to grow not only herbs and lettuces but also tomatoes, peppers and even flowers.
I can only tell you about what I have done with the Aerogarden so far and from personal experience — I LOVE IT!  I love it so much that I bought 2 of them.

I especially like it for growing herbs.  They grow quickly and the varieties that they offer are wide although not exotic.  With a 6 or 7 pod you can start the  tried and true like Basil (which comes in 6 varieties), Oregano and Parsley and then if you are more adventurous you could try Savory, Sorrell or Chervil by using their customized seed kits.

There really is nothing like cooking with fresh herbs, even if its just some fresh flat leaf parsley thrown in at the end of dish or some fresh basil torn up into a pasta sauce or salad.

 If you’d rather buy a kit that is already packaged and ready to go (no decisions necessary) then you can pick one of their herb seed kits which also come in different varieties like Pesto Basil, Gourmet, Italian herb or even Catnip.  The seed kits come with the pods that will allow you to harvest herbs for up to 5 months and you can start harvesting in about 3 weeks!  This system is simple — a no-brainer and it even looks nice.  They fit perfectly in my bay window (although I don’t have one now I think they will still fit on my window sill) and they are fairly quiet and long lasting.  I did have to replace the motor on one of my units but getting the part was easy.  The website has replacement parts and accessories, cookbooks and other supplies you might need like nutrients and grow lights. Or if you rather you can request a catalog.
Check it out at www.aerogarden.com
I like growing herbs and lettuces in my aerogardens but what I want to try it for is starting seeds.  Since we are going to be starting raised bed gardens I would like to start with transplants, and since these are started in water I think they are going to have a strong root system.
So come one Spring!  I’ll be ready with the help of my aerogardens!