If you have been following me for the past 3 years or so you have watched me go from only a couple of AeroGardens on the console table in my family room… to having a few pots on my outdoor patio… to adding a few more on AeroGardens metal stands… to a full blown outdoor garden full of raised beds… to me creating a lovely hydroponic garden room in my basement.
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I caught the bug and I caught it bad! I have slowly added on…. and added on… Ok… maybe not so slowly. HA! But, I have to say… being here in the Chicago area where winter is very long and very cold… it helps my sanity, and brings some sunlight and color into my home.
I mean… I absolutely positively LOVE my outdoor garden. But, once that is closed up for the season if I did not grow inside I would be relying on the grocery store for all of my fresh produce, and I would miss the pretty plants. It’s nice to have the option to just walk down to my basement and harvest a few things. And sorry… I am not one of those people that is going to put up a cold frame to keep growing outside. I AM NOT GOING OUT THERE! At the time of writing it’s -9 degrees with a windchill of -34, and it’s staying there all day. And then there’s the snow. I’m not getting bundled up to walk out to a greenhouse in several inches of snow to grab greens. I will put on my slippers, walk to the basement, look at my pretty basement garden, and harvest a few things thank you very much!
Pictured here is my Lettuce Grow Farmstand. It’s full of Bok Choy, Tatsoi, collards, lettuces, and more. I am loving it! This one currently has 5-tiers. You can safely add on one more tier and take it to 6. That means you can grow a whopping 36 plants in only 2 feet of space.
As you can see that one has been growing a while. Fast forward a few days after I started writing this post and I have added a 2nd Lettuce Grow!!! I was toying with the idea of doing it much later, but I saw a Marketplace deal that I could not pass up! Seriously, I would not have slept well if I let that deal pass me by.
Sure, if you live in a much milder climate you can continue growing outside. If you do not mind the cold and you are willing to use cold frames or heat a greenhouse, go for it. But, the our weather is set up I prefer to stay warm and toasty inside.
Want to chat with me about growing inside? Join my Facebook group, AeroGarden, Kratky, and Gardening Fanatics.
By now you know that I love my truly love my AeroGardens. They are what got me started in hydroponics and I will never let them go. However, in a quest to help people save money in the long run, grow more food inside, and to grow larger food myself I have added quite a bit to my hydroponic gardening arsenal. I have either purchased a few, or been blessed to be gifted a few for review.
Without getting into exactly how many hydroponic units I have (I plead the fifth on that), let’s talk a little about the brands and what I will be featuring in the coming months.
I now have a combination of brands – AeroGarden, iDoo, LetPot, JustSmart, Mars Hydro, Click & Grow, Lettuce Grow, Gardyn, and more! I enjoy testing out new systems and finding what works best for me… and passing that info on to you. If you want to get started cheaply, you can get started with some things around your house. Invest just a bit in a great grow lights or other materials, and you are set. If you are not the DIY type, or just prefer to buy a ready to go system there are many options.
Please check out my latest YouTube video pointing out what has been added to my space and what is coming up on my channel.
Love your set up! I am doing something similar in my basement. I want to keep growing food all year round! You’ve given me so much more inspo.
WOW! Kris, that’s gorgeous. What a blessing to have that room to escape to during a Chicago winter!
Yes, it is. Thank you for the comment. 🙂