With modern society’s inclination towards living a healthier, greener lifestyle, it’s no surprise that nature-related activities like gardening and hiking are gaining popularity, especially in urban communities. Apart from spending more time engaging in outdoor activities like forest bathing – the Japanese culture of spending time surrounded by trees – or hiking, many people have also started to take up gardening. Whether they’re tending to a full-sized farm, a small terrace house garden, or even a tiny plot in a community garden, growing your own flowers and vegetables has never been more popular, at least not in Malaysia.

So, if you want to get on this green bandwagon and start your own little home garden a la Jamie Oliver’s window sill herb nursery, here are some home garden starter kits that could work for you:

1. City Window Farm by City Farm

This farm in a jar concept is perfect for apartment dwellers with limited space. These handy jars are based on the hydroponics method where plants are grown with only water, not soil. The City Window Farm is perfect for beginner gardeners and comes with everything you need to start growing your own vegetables including seeds, pebbles, germination sponge, and fertiliser. For more advanced gardening, you can opt for their City Balcony Farm and grow enough greens for the entire family whether its lettuce or a myriad of herbs.

Price: RM13.90 for City Window Farm, RM249.90 for City Balcony Farm
Website: cityfarm.my

2. Leev Home Kit by Plant Cartridge

Plant Cartridge is inspired by the plug-and-brew concept of modern coffee machines. Instead of coffee grounds, Plant Cartridge fills their containers with seeds. The Leev Home Kit comes with eight cartridges and nutrient-rich plant food. Designed to be fuss-free, all you have to do is put the cartridges in the container provided in the kit, peel off the tab and make sure that your plants get enough sunlight (and climbing support, if you have creeper plants). It’s really that easy.

Website: fb.com/plantcartridge

3. Grow Box: Starter Edition by Eats, Shoots & Roots

Eats, Shoots & Roots have been in the urban farming scene for a few years now and they’ve built up a community of gardening enthusiasts through hosting workshops and spreading good green vibes. There are several home garden kits available on their online store including the Grow Box. The Grow Box includes three themed seed boxes (Curry, Ulam, and Stir-Fry), 12 seed jars, and one instructional book about gardening. The seed boxes come with seeds for several plants, peat pellets, plant markers, and a manual. So, you can actually plant these seeds in your home garden or put them in jars to make your own window sill garden that’s easily accessible when cooking. If you want, you can even purchase just a seed box or mix and match your own seed selection.

Price: RM180 for Grow Box, RM29 for individual Seed Box
Website: shop.eatsshootsandroots.org 

4. The Gumball by Poptani

With a vision to get one farm in every home, Poptani was set up by a team of environmental-conscious individuals who were worried about the food crisis and environmental degradation the world is facing. Poptani focuses on the aquaponics system in which plants and fish thrive in a mutually beneficial set-up. The Gumball is basically a fishbowl with one fish and a plant lid. The system utilises a pump to gently circulate water in the bowl so that both fish and plant can get the nutrients they need. It’s actually quite ingenious. The fish feeds the plant while the plant keep the water clean for the fish beneath. You can also opt for a simpler system without a pump in the form of a jar, or a slightly more complex system for an aquarium.

Price: RM199 for The Gumball
Website: www.poptani.asia/shop

Bonus:

Free Tree Society

Free Tree Society aims to grow and give away as many plants as they can. They collect seeds, sprout them, nurture the seedlings, and then give away healthy little plants for free to encourage the love of nature and improve the suburban and city landscape. They also host workshops to spread their knowledge on proper plant care and increase awareness about the environment. Free Tree Society announces tree giveaway days on their Facebook page, so be sure to follow them to find out when you can collect your own free tree and kick start that home garden!