Every Tool You Need to Start a Lush Indoor Garden

Gardening season is upon us! Whether you’re cooped up in quarantine and want to grow your own herbs and vegetables indoors, or are just looking to get a leg up on your outdoor garden by growing seedlings, these tools will give you everything you need to get started.

What you’ll need:

• Seedling starter kits. Kits are a no-fail way to get your indoor garden started. These all-in-ones include soil, seeds, compostable pots, and plant markers, and thorough instructions. Even those of us who are “black thumbs” can’t mess them up!

• Grow light planters. Different plants require different amounts of sunlight to grow. If your space is windowless or the room doesn’t see direct sunlight, an LED grow light is a good investment. Unlike regular LED lights, grow lights produce more color which plants need for photosynthesis. They’re simple to use, too. Once you’ve started your indoor garden, use the light in accordance with your plants’ light requirements. Many are built right into the planters, so you won’t have to make a separate purchase.

Best Indoor Garden Starter Kits

Spade to Fork Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit

$26.96, Amazon

This herb kit has everything you need to grow your own herbs. Each kit contains Italian large leaf basil, coriander cilantro, peione parsley, broad leaf sage and thyme. All seeds and peat pots are Certified USDA Organic and Non-GMO, and include rich potting soil discs; five custom wooden plant markers, and a growing guide.

One Amazon reviewer wrote, “I’ve never been more excited to open an Amazon package as I have been for this one! The moment I opened the kit, I knew I was going to be impressed with everything in it! The simple artwork and presentation alone are well thought out. The creative way the herbs are stored was a nice surprise! The instructions are simple, detailed, and easy to understand. A link was also available for those who wanted a step by step how-to video.”

MIXC Seedling Starter Tray

$29.99, Amazon

This tray doesn’t include soil and seeds, but it does provide a perfect environment for growing seedlings indoors. The lid vent allows you control the humidity, so your plants won’t be affected by room temperatures. Clear plastic trays make it easy to view your plants’ progress without interrupting its growth.

One Amazon reviewer wrote, “I grow plumeria from seeds and was looking for a good seed starter. These are perfect for me. They are well made, yes plastic but it is nice and sturdy. I love the ability to be able to control the humidity and air flow to the seeds/seedlings. Each seed starter has drain holes, the cover fits nice and snug as well as the humidity controller. I am very happy with them, would buy again.”

Avocado Starter Kit

$10.59, Amazon

This pretty little grower is perfect for all ages. all you need is an avocado seed (that hard kernel inside your avocado), water, and some patience. In 3-6 weeks, you’ll have an avocado tree!

One Amazon reviewer wrote, “I have been trying to grow an avocado tree for a while and finally got this to help. So far my avocado seed has split and the roots are starting to come down towards the water. I am very excited! It looks really cool too. I only wish I could fit more than one seed in it so I can test out a few at a time. I’m looking forward to seeing it continue to grow.”

Herbal Tea Starter Kit

There’s nothing more organic than making your own tea leaves. This kit includes seeds for growing peppermint, mentha piperita, chamomile, matricaria chamaemelum, lemon balm, Melissa officinalis, lavender, and lavandula angustifolia. It also includes burlap grow bags, peat potting soil discs, pruning shears, a stainless steel tea infuser, bamboo plant markers, and a beautiful wooden gift box.

One Amazon reviewer wrote, “I have never gotten a set as cute and complete as this one. The large wooden box that is comes in is beautifully made. … You can’t go wrong with this adorable set. It would make a great gift for tea lovers, herb lovers and gardening lovers.”

Best Grow Light Planters

AeroGarden Black Harvest

$128.37, Amazon

This grow light planter requires no soil, just water. Add the six pre-seeded pods to the water, turn on the grow light, and watch your plants grow! The control panel tells you when to add more water, and the light automatically turns on and off so you can rest easy knowing your plants are growing as they should.

One Amazon reviewer wrote, “Awesome, my wife loves it, she is very experienced, she has a huge rose garden and many house plants. This gives her the opportunity to grow and care for plants through the winter. She also can start seeds growing to move outside later. It’s very simple to use but high tech, I see her checking out her plants multiple times a day even though she doesn’t need too, she really enjoys using this item and she doesn’t like technology, new phones or computers, lol, worth every penny.”

Indoor Hydroponic Unit

$335.99, Wayfair

This grow light planter doubles as an end table, so you can save on space while growing your favorite leafy greens, vegetables, and flowers. Requiring no soil, plants grow quickly via the water-based system, which helps nutrients go straight to the roots (and makes it less messy for indoors).

One Wayfair reviewer wrote, “This unit is exactly what I was looking for. My plants [grow] very fast and look fantastic even after a couple days. I don’t need to use a light in my kitchen because it lights up the whole room.”

AeroGarden 45w LED Grow Light Panel

$129.95, Amazon

This versatile grow light planter rotates a full 360 degrees and can be hung from above or tilted, sunning your plants from every angle. The energy-efficient 45 Watt LED lasts up to 30,000 hours.

One Amazon reviewer wrote, “Bought this for when I brought my window boxes in for the winter. In previous years I’ve used CFL grow lights and while the plants survived until spring, they didn’t thrive. So far this season I have put my strawberry plants under this light and they have already bloomed more than they ever did outside.”

Torchstar LED Indoor Garden Kit

$39.99, Wayfair

This pretty planter’s grow light can be switched to a lamp by the touch of a button. It requires no soil — just water — and is perfectly compact to fit on any countertop. The light lasts 50,000 hours, and is safe to operate with low, eco-friendly voltage.

One Wayfair reviewer wrote, “I love love love these. … Thank you for making these, I have two now.”