488376 Sun Feb 10 18:56:08 -0800 2008 7 41 Cookware 0 3384136 On these cold days of winter (think Chicago, north shore, over a foot of snow on the ground, 40mph winds and below zero temperatures today) it is nice to be able to pick herbs from your kitchen counter. After waiting six weeks, the AeroGarden is providing this for me. I consider it a luxury. But so is massage, a trip to Europe or dinner at a special restaurant. The Garden cost $159.00 plus tax, the herb kit cost $55.00 plus tax. The kit I am growing contains seven herbs. I have yet to know how long the herbs will keep growing. But it works. The good...no trip to the grocery store. Easy set up. Fresh herbs at your fingertips. Bonus the bright light may even be a help for people with SAD (seasonal affective disorder). The bad if it only last a week of harvesting--I am spending about $500.00 for an ounce for herbs. The jury for me is still out. So far...so good. Have you tried it? What are your experiences? Is it worth the price? Has anyone used it for anything besides herbs? For a progress report on my AeroGarden since its inception go to http://garden-goddess.blogspot.com or http://thesavvyconsumer.blogspot.com Sun Feb 10 18:56:08 -0800 2008 163827 carole1 1 3385739 I'm also in Chicago and my AeroGarden hit 6 weeks on Saturday. So far, I've been able to harvest chives, cilantro, and dill, but only in small quantities. The slow growth is probably due to the fact that I have the unit in an area that gets fairly cool (55 degrees) at night. My cilantro and dill are growing the best so far, I'll need to harvest some this afternoon to prevent them from growing in to the lights. Most likely they are doing best since there is some natural light hitting the garden on that side during the morning. My unit was purchased at Bed Bath and Beyond, they accepted a 20% off coupon so the final price was $120 plus tax (in KY, so less than it would have been in Chicago). An herb kit was included in the box and additional seed kits can be purchased at BB&B for $19.95. I do find that the herbs I have harvested have had a much better flavor than "fresh" herbs purchased at the grocery store. Over time I am certain that my AeroGarden will prove cost effective, especially if I can find alternatives to purchasing new supplies from AeroGrow. I'm going to stop by Brew and Grow this weekend to see if they have nutrients I can use to keep these herbs going after the fertilizer tablets that came with the kit are all used up. Mon Feb 11 10:11:10 -0800 2008 3384136 73013 LabRat 2 3387950 $19.95 for a seed kit from BBB is a considerable savings from the $55.00 from AeroGarden--also since I'm into organic gardening I'm looking for a way to grow my own seeds--has anyone tried that? So far so good with my garden. My kitchen faces north and gets very little natural light but the herbs are thriving. It is also cool at night probably around 60 degrees. I keep moving the lights up and the herbs keep growing. The dill and cilantro are going crazy and the rest are doing well. Hopefully it will be cost effective--especially if I fine some alternative place to purchase supplies. No matter--it really is nice to be able to have fresh herbs available in the middle of winter. Mon Feb 11 18:51:04 -0800 2008 3385739 163827 carole1 3 3388987 This blog has a brief description on how someone made her own seed pods... http://blog.junglin.com/my-homemade-seed-kit-for-aerogarden There are more out there but most of what comes up in the first two or three pages of a web search are retail outlets. The bulbs were manufactured with a custom base, so when you need to replace them you have to get the ones from AeroGrow (which are also available at BB&B at $19.95 for a two-pack). Other than that, I think most of the other consumables can be replaced with less costly alternatives. Tue Feb 12 07:11:39 -0800 2008 3387950 73013 LabRat 2 3400112 Lorraine here, from AeroGrow. Just noodling around and found your post, and wanted to let you know that I usually get 4 to 5 months of continual harvest from my herbs. I’ve had an all-cilantro crop producing in mine since mid-December, and it shows no signs of letting up. And - this isn’t a sales pitch, just wanted to address a misperception - seed kits directly from AeroGrow are the same price as from BBB - $20. Blessings on your harvests – looking forward to hearing how it’s going. Fri Feb 15 06:58:02 -0800 2008 3385739 166261 aerogrowlorraine 3 3402786 So far so good--I am really enjoying my herbs. I began harvesting at week six and am coming up on week eight with everything looking healthy and growing well. I am tracking the progress of my indoor herb garden on two blogs: http://garden-goddess.blogspot.com and http://thesavvyconsumer.blogspot.com Fri Feb 15 18:10:04 -0800 2008 3400112 163827 carole1 4 5079998 these guys have diy seedpods and a liquid nutrient that is more balanced and longer lasting than the pellets http://www.hydroponic-home-garden.com/aerogarden-seed-kit-details.htm Mon Oct 05 09:36:21 -0700 2009 3402786 1113851 Delphina 1 5081726 I love my Aerogarden- it was a gift from my husband almost one year ago, to the day. It was $140 and came with the seed kit. Additional refills are $20 for me. I love being able to snip a little of something (thyme, basil, dill). It's such a drag to spend the equivalent of almost $60/lb for those little packets of herbs at the supermarket.... Mon Oct 05 21:53:34 -0700 2009 3384136 108820 QSheba