Growing Fresh Herbs and Salad Greens Indoors | Gardening Advice

In winter there’s nothing I miss more than fresh herbs and salad greens from my summer vegetable garden. How difficult is it to grow them indoors? M.L., Narragansett, RI “Not that difficult!” says Ethan Holmes of New England Hydroponics. His best-selling countertop garden, the AeroGarden from AeroGrow, is always on display in his Southampton, Massachusetts, store. Thanks to this compact system (16×10.5×21 inches), you can easily grow fresh herbs, salad greens, and tomatoes all year round. The basic AeroGarden (white or black dome) sells for $149.95 and comes with simple, complete directions: Pop preseeded pods into growing holes, fill the chamber to the water line, add nutrients, and in about a month you’ll have fresh herbs, which you can harvest for three or four months. After that, you can switch to growing your own lettuce or vine-ripened tomatoes. A sensor tells you when to add nutrients and more water, and the built-in timer regulates light cycles (16 hours on, 8 hours off). For more information, visit: nehydro.com — Polly Bannister, Yankee Home Editor