In the last couple of years, I've seen several tabletop gardens at trade and garden shows, but few have really looked appealing to me until I saw the LED Mini Garden by Tucker's Pride®. For one thing, it takes up less room than most tabletop gardens that have light systems built in. (14.3″ wide, 15.4″ high, 7″ deep)
I also like that it's a complete system, you just supply the plants. The frame is made of anodized aluminum, and there's a high-quality acrylic tray for holding the pots.The LED light strip is slim, because the lights are so powerfully bright, and they use just 17 watts of power. The AC adapter is included, as well as a timer for automatic off and on. And I just think it's an attractive system - very sleek and contemporary looking.
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| Photo ©Tucker's Pride® |
The lights are bright enough that you can grow plants from seed - both edibles and flowers - and they'll have enough light for sufficient healthy growth, in fact, the LED lights promote faster growth than natural light. I haven't tried any seeds yet, but I have no doubt it's bright enough to do it. It puts off a very small bit of heat, which can't hurt the growth either.
I wanted live plants in the eating area of my kitchen, but up until now, I couldn't have them there. Why? There are no windows in that room and the only natural light comes from adjacent rooms. It isn't nearly enough to grow anything well, not even low-light plants.
Right now, I have three African violets (Saintpaulia sp.) growing under the lights and they seem perfectly happy. And so am I. :-)
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| The violets are actually purple, but my camera is reading the color as blue. It may have something to do with the LED lighting; in reality, they do look purple. |
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Would you like to try an LED Mini Garden for yourself? Tucker's Pride has graciously allowed me to give one away to one of my readers!
All you have to do is this:
- Leave a comment to this blog post and include a way for me to contact you, should you win.
- Tell me what you'd like to grow in the LED Mini Garden if you win it.
At midnight on Sunday, March 3, 2012, I will use Random.org to randomly choose a winner from all the eligible entries. You must live in the U.S. and Tucker's Pride will be sending the LED Mini Garden ($129.00 value) directly to the winner.
Good luck!
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Thank you to Tucker's Pride and Garden Media Group for the opportunity to try an LED Mini Garden at no charge. I was not required to blog about this product, but I like it and wanted to tell my readers about it. All opinions are my own.
"Bejeweled"
78 comments:
I am so interested in Led light for african violets... mine are not looking the best right now.. i would really enjoy this..
Connie Miller.. tcmiller03@charter.net
I would love to try this! Our house is very dark, even though we added windows and skylights when we renovated. I think we still have too much shade from the forest blocking the windows, making it tricky to grow indoors. I love the sleek design.
I would love to win an LED Mini Garden. I have never been able to grow African Violets, so that would be my first try.
Great giveaway! I rarely enter them but this, I cannot pass up! My favorite house plants are African Violets, you can never have too many of them. I'd love to have this Mini Garden for my favorites!
Mysterytops@yahoo.com
I also LOVE this. I keep my violets alive by setting them under an average table lamp just like shown in your picture. Thanks for sharing your new idea. (I can't seem to get the sign in to work, so will just leave my email.) roadendranch_1@hotmail.com
How adorable -- a mini version of my seed-starting lights! I would use it at work at the university. I have a large window, but it faces north, overlooking a large parking lot. It'd be perfect for growing lettuce ('Little Gem' comes to mind) for sandwiches, since I usually brown-bag it!
Heather Downey here from Facebook. African Violets were grandmas favorite flower and I have tried to grow them for so many years, but I live in a small cottage under huge laurels, so my light is very low. This would allow me to grow our favorite flower and feel her close to me. Yours look amazing! This is a great idea~
I would start some seeds--nasturtiums, marigolds, and petunias, probably. I've just been trying to figure out where I could rig up a light for that very purpose. This would be wonderful!
Contact me at linnaeharper [at] hotmail [dot] com
Thanks for the chance to win!
I have always wanted to grow fresh herbs in my kitchen, which is also dark with only 1 tiny window. this would be perfect!!
suzanrust@yahoo.com
I'd love to try growing salad greens in one. I've never had enough light to grow them indoors.
My African violets seem to do very well under my regular lamp lights - blooming all winter long.
Wow! Love the Mini Garden! I am not sure...Love the African violet idea for growing...but I wonder if I could grow a bonzi in it? I have various size bonzi's all over my house and my littlest one isn't doing so well. He did great outside in the summer, but through this past winter he has just about hung on. I would try him in it. :) If I am chosen to win, please contact me at: micky1717@gmail.com
Thanks and God Bless,
Michelle Hoffman
How neat! I think I would like to try to grow some succulents in it. To grow something in a spot in my house where I would normally not be able to grow anything is very appealing! :)
I have inherited two African violets when my mother passed last year. Like you, there is little light in my kitchen. This looks like the perfect solution for these plants to continue to live and bloom in memory of my mom. Thank you for sharing.
I would love to win this, and I'd use it to grow herbs. Thanks.
I was not aware that LED lights promoted plant growth. I wonder why?? I am sure someone will study this phenom and tell us why if they haven't already. I would like to give this a try. Please throw my name in the hat.
Oh WOW...I'd love to have one of these!!! What would I grow? The possibilities are endless but I guess the first thing would be get my herbs started for the spring!!
cwdresmker@aol.com
This is so cool! I like the idea of going violets or kitchen herbs in it. I don't have very good luck with plants in the house. Maybe this is what I need to be successful! lacottrell66@gmail.com
I would love to grow lettuce like they show or maybe some flowers in the winter. So nice looking too
vickie
vmorgan456 (at) yahoo (dot) com
How cool is this? Like everyone here we all have somewhere we don't have very good light that we would love to grow something!
I would love to win this also! I can't do African violets because of poor lighting but also was thinking of how fun it would be to start some seeds with it.
cbejger@frontier.com
Just beautiful, my late mom used to grow them with such ease but alas I have not been able to (light or no light) I can't grow anything in my family room as it is very dark, would love to try this.
Wonderful blog....
golubsemail at gmail dot com
This is great. I have very little light in my house. I would put this on my kitchen counter and grow basil and thyme with it!
Thanks for the opportunity.
Heather McKenzie
heatherwilliamsmckenzie@gmail.com
How cute! This is the perfect size for my living room or bedroom. Both could use some greenery but there isn't enough natural light for house plants. I could see this also with herbs in my kitchen.
Jfairlamb@windstream.net
I would love to grow herbs indoors but we don't have enough light in our house. LED mini garden would solve the problem!
Thanks for the giveaway.
Anya @ SAS-does
sas.does@gmail.com
I love your violet garden. It gives color and cheer any where you put it.
Joyce.beeman@verizon.net.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to participate in this fabulous offer. I will start off growing some herbs in mine.
lmillsSDMT@gmail.com
Love this idea! I live on a very woodsy lot and have no sunny windows in my house. I have absolutely no indoor plants. If I had this garden, I would love to grow mixed greens and maybe an herb or two.
Thank you for your honest appraisal of the LED mini garden. If I won this item, I would give it to my husband for his Mach birthday. He could start some of the garden plants indoors until they were ready to go outside. Then I would put my one African violet under it and find more to join it. :)
Becky
becky@penn.com
This would be great in my apartment! I don't have any sunny windows for plants. I would start some tomato plants from seed, then later I'd use it to keep my geraniums going year round after the summer! :-) cekfraun at aol dot com
What a great system - I too love the contemporary looks. I think I'd like to try some indoor salad items, like a tray of lettuce or spinach for the winter. Leslie sagebrushlessons.com
I'd plant lettuce in it so I'll always have something to put on my sandwiches!
I would love to give this a try. The back of my house is so dark and there are a few rooms that would benefit from a little nature.
Rebecca
mikereb1998@yahoo.com
I'd like to grow African violets if I won this tabletop light. I don't have enough light in our house currently to grow them so this would be a nice way to have some floral color in the house.
Kylee I have a seed station in the basement for lots of seed growing for the veg garden and some annuals as well, but I would love to either grow, in the kitchen, lettuces for salad all winter or herbs I bring in from the summer to still use all winter....this would be especially nice since our winter is long...up to 14 feet of snow this winter so far.
Great review and wonderful giveaway....
I always enjoy your blog. I think this would be good for seasonal plants. For example Shamrocks around St Patrics day.
I'd sure love to try growing a few herbs with this. :-)
I could certainly find a spot for this, Kylee, as my office desk hog our sunniest windows – and, sadly, water and computers don't mix. Wish me luck.
Heck, I'd grow some prairie grass to use in my lawn conversion. bervogtATgmail.com
Hi, Kylee. That is such a cute idea. I like it. I would probably try the African violets, maybe my mini-orchids. Lots of little guys would like that design. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Jeavonna Chapman
@jchapstk (twitter)
This is an amazing idea! If I don't win one I may just have to buy one.
This is the perfect answer to rooms with low lights! I like the African violets...nice colors to sparkle up a room.
I like the small footprint of this light set up. I would love to grow orchids other than phalaenopsis indoors but haven't enough light. This would be perfect for some of the mini dendrobiums and cattleyas that I love (and used to grow when I had a greenhouse). Great post. @fraserlandscape (twitter)
Wow, never seen such a nice looking little grower - I'd love to try orchids; I've never been successful at it, but maybe this will do the trick!
evelien.josselin at gmail dot com
i'd definitely use this for my African violet! beatriz bry 2 at aol dot com
I would love to have this indoor grower to grow lemon verbena. During the summer my family enjoys my homemade lemon bread, but the verbena needs to be brought inside at the end of the summer. As I don't have the right amount of light, it dies and we have to wait until summer for the delicious lemon verbena bread again. It would definately solve my problem. Very nice grower. Michele email: thepearls@comcast.net
I think I would grow herbs- maybe basil, my husband keeps trying to grow it, and it dies. I told him to give it up, but if I win I will let him give it a try!
kellywcu8888ATgmailDOTcom
Oh, Kylee!
Leave it to you to find this blend of beauty and practicality! My mother Fran, from Columbus, Ohio, loved purple violets and violas. Since my favorite color is purple (being a Feb. 16 baby Aquarian myself -- with an amethyst on my finger), I would plant purple violets, also. I know, copy cat (but not really).
Keep up the search for marvelous items, continue writing the interesting blogs, and displaying your scrumptious photos.
Thanks, Irene
I love this idea too. I have low natural light in my kitchen and this would bring so much cheer. The size is ideal.
Would love to put a miniature garden by my desk at work. Thanks did the great ideas and offer!!!
What a cool idea! This would be wonderful for my desk at work, since I work in a cubicle. A violet would be perfect but I would also like to try chicks and hens as well. Thank you for sharing the awesome giveaway!
It looks beautiful!
I wonder if this is the type of thing I should look into to grow some basic salad greens over the winter...hmmm
What a cute little system! The size is great--I am the owner of what they call a "one butt kitchen" so something that is compact but can bring green into that space would be very welcome! I'm thinking microgreens...or African violets as you show here. Good find!
This would be perfect for our kitchen to grow herbs. We just got a house and we are blessed with huge windows throughout but... the house is in the woods and there is only a tiny window in the kitchen so there is really not much sun shining in.
Sleepyheadedmom at gmail dot com
I would love to try the LED mini light for my African violets. I've been looking into alternate lights for my violets, we've had such a cold long dark winter they are just looking too sad!! Wish me luck!!! :)
I would LOVE one of these in my kitchen. I could get my herbs started to be put outside and in the summer heat (or cold winter) I could grow my greens right in my kitchen. That is awesome set up! skippydel thirteen in numbers @yahoo.com.
I'd love to grow some herbs like basil or mint.
madelinebrubaker {at} gmail (dot) com
Found you on pinterest! I'd love a chance to win this, love the african violets you chose with the blue tones. Would love this in the kitchen planted as you did. Thanks!
I would finally be able to start my own chili pepper seedlings! There are so many varieties I'd like to try but I've never had enough lighting.
I have my violets under grow lights in the basement--hardly the best way to enjoy them. I bring them up when blooming and then back down after. I would love to have something so attractive grow them in "upstairs".
The only room in my house with enough light for plants is my front hall. I think I would grow herbs if I were lucky enough to win.
I would love to be able to extend the growing season!
samolden@sbcglobal.net
I would love, to have this for growing, basil and dill, my two favorite herbs. I have tried growing herbs in a pot outside but didn't have much luck with them. I think it would be great to snip off a bit of herb, for your recipe, right in the kitchen. Thank you for offering this.
i love the blue flower color even though u say they are purple..lol...and i love this garden...it would be perfect for my herbs in the kitchen , the ones that i frequently cook with ....or....recently i learned that i could take the bottom of my romaine lettuce and celery stalks and place them in water and new will grow from what i use to throw out..i am so excited about this as its more less thing i have to buy at the grocery store...love your blog and i love all plants..flowers, vegetables, vines, trees..etc...thanks so much for sharing...robin leclerc 1481 sw herder road, port saint lucie, fla 34953...or 772-878-5773 and leave message if no answer
I live in the darkest house you've ever seen . I can only grow low light plants indoors without some kind of light supplementation. I would love something like this to grow plants with pleasant smells...like scented geraniums, tea rose begonias or maybe Jasmine. L.Lacey@comcast.net
Thank you for this offer.
This is neat--I would love to have some violets again so that is what I would like to try in this.
contact me at: maryjk@parlorcity.com
Thanks!!
I keep mine alive by leaving them under a lit lamp like the one in your picture. The new item is VERY handsome tho. THANK YOU! roadendranch_1@hotmail.com
I would love to grow fresh Chives to add to all our dishes. Thank you for the chance to win a wonderful splurge.
I would start seeds.
Would love this for herbs or my violets! thanks for the chance! jenni4dy@aol.com
That is a wonderful looking little system there . Would love to grow some herbs for the kitchen. wolven2000@cs.com
This is such a clever little device. I try every year to start tomatoes from seeds and almost never get them to grow well. This may do the trick this year. If it doesn't work, I'd put lettuce or herbs in it; I love flowers, and because of their small size and big floral display, African violets . Thanks for introducing us to this gem. Liz
My kitchen herbs are 'dying' for some light in the dark pacific nw winters. This might be the solution - great idea! verkert@gmail.com
I would like to grow herbs in it during the winter, my kitchen is not bright enough to grow things without lights. Emma emhwynn@gmail.com
id like to try to grow fresh herbs claire, eclairre (AT)ymail(DOT)com
I would love to win this! I would grow herbs with it. suejennings@bex.net
winning this would be a joy. It would look beautiful in my home.
Random.org picked Comment #49 as the winner: Mia Graves. Congratulations, Mia!
Thank you for entering and thank you, Tucker's Pride for making the giveaway possible!
Watch for more giveaways in the coming weeks!
Thank you, Kylee. Also a big thank you to Tucker's Pride for the wonderful giveaway......
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