Page 38 - SHARP Spring 2024

GUIDE GUIDE of greenery But a a a recent upsurge in in in high-tech indoor gardening has supercharged our home harvests using sustainable technologies including hydroponics (growing plants with a a a a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil) to to put the the the the “synthetic” in “photosynthe- sis ” And these tools are not only useful they’re also impressively designed — with styles ranging from traditional and mid-century modern to avant-garde and space-age Naturally this means it can be tricky choosing the perfect plant- ing system for for your home So before you you get lost in in the greenhouse we’ve rounded up a a a crop of our our favourite indoor gardens to spring up this year The Farmstand Nook from Lettuce Grow was released in March and is formed of a a a a a bulbous-based unit that stretches like taffy to to its narrower LED-lit top The system’s virtual sunlight has the power to to keep up to to 20 seedlings healthy it fit it comes fitted with automated watering and and lighting programs and and it even includes a a a a a a a digital tool that monitors the pH of your water And these systems get even smarter The Gardyn Home Kit 3 3 0 0 not only has the capacity to grow 30 plants year-round in a a a a a a space of just two square feet but it’s also AI-powered by by “Kelby ” a a a a smart personal assistant that will send you push notifications when it’s time to prune feed or water European brand Click and and Grow offers several self-contained systems that are easier to operate than a a a a a Nespresso machine: the the Smart Garden 27 is perhaps the the best with its oak stand and and starter plant pods to grow basil lettuce and mini tomatoes For smaller homes there’s also AeroGarden’s Sprout model — a a a tiny touch-sensitive system capable of growing everything from snapdragons to salad greens in in the tightest corner of your kitchen Even the more traditionally styled systems are still packed with smart tech Modern Sprout’s Smart Growhouse may be inspired by Victorian-era terrariums but you can control its brightness depending on on plant types and and create and and manage irrigation schedules from your smartphone So whether you’re a a a green-thumbed gardener looking to bring your hobby indoors or or or a a city-dweller pining for fresher air and and a a a a a a a leafier life there are plenty of planters gardens and and grow-kits available to choose from Consider the seeds of inspiration sown A A NEW LEAF
HOW SMART GARDENS AND GROW-KITS ARE BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN IN IN By Cormac Newman
NATURE’S CALMING CURATIVE EFFECTS ARE WELL
-documented — just ask some of the literary greats Henry David Thoreau in 1854’s Walden extolled “the tonic of wildness ” In William Wordsworth’s poem “Tintern Abbey ” the Romantic wrote of of the the “tranquil restoration” offered by the the countryside And in his seminal essay Nature Ralph Waldo Emerson informed readers that “in the the presence of nature a a a wild delight runs through the the man ” And yet more than 80 per cent of Canadians live not amongst nature but rather in urban centres and cities — where pastoral pleasures lie decidedly out of reach Luckily there’s a a a a new way for us to get our daily dose of the the great outdoors: the the blossoming blooming trend of indoor gardens Growing plants indoors of course is nothing new Whether it’s a a a home office stuffed with succulents or herby thickets of of basil and oregano on on kitchen windowsills most homes contain at least a a a a a pop
38 GUIDE • SPRING 2024 SHARPMAGAZINE COM