21.08.2023 - 12:05 / theunconventionalgardener.com / Emma Doughty
The AeroGarden originally hit UK shelves just in time for Christmas 2008, and continued to make waves through 2009. AeroGardens (there are more models available now) are automated indoor hydroponics units, designed to sit on a shelf and provide small edible plants – herbs, leafy greens, tomatoes if you’re happy pruning – with light and liquid nutrients.
I wanted one. But they were expensive, and money was tight, and dabbling in hydroponics wasn’t a priority when I had a large garden outside.
Since then, I have developed an interest in growing plants in space, and space food generally. It ebbs and flows amongst my other passions, but it’s burning bright at the moment in the run up to the 50th anniversary of humankind’s first footsteps on the Moon. I am working on a big blog event for that, and I am enjoying delving into the archives and digging out the human stories behind an event that rocked the world before I was born.
On Friday I decided the time had come for me to try space age gardening, and become what NASA calls a “pseudo-naut“, doing space-y things with my feet firmly on Earth. Since I currently know nothing about hydroponics, I wanted an easy-to-use starter kit with which I could get off to a good start. Indoor hydroponics have moved on somewhat since 2009, with various devices being brought out by other companies, and it has been possible to buy hydroponic kits from Ikea since 2016. My first thought was to buy one from Ikea, but it turns out they’re out of stock in most stores (and nearly out of stock in all of the others), and Ikea can’t tell me when they will be restocked.
I was disappointed, and a bit bemused looking through the other potential options, so Ryan took over. While he doesn’t have much interest in