Kitchen gardening is more than just a rewarding hobby – it reduces food waste, promotes healthier eating and creates more self-sufficient homes. Experts agree that home-grown vegetables often have more nutrients than many store-bought ones, and studies have also shown that greenhouse gas emissions can be cut by 2 kilograms for every kilo of homegrown vegetable compared to their store-bought counterparts. In short, whether you have a green thumb or not, it’s worth giving a kitchen garden a shot this year – no matter what size plot you’re working with.
Sunflower Bisque Watering Can,
Indigo
This cheerful glazed ceramic watering can has a long, thin spout that makes watering indoor plants clean and easy. It’s heavy and fragile enough that this one’s not a great choice for the backyard, but it looks gorgeous in a living room garden.
$39.50
Edible Flower Seeds – Pack of 5,
RT1 Home
Make your balcony garden beautiful and functional with this collection of organic edible flower seeds, perfect for container planting. It includes seeds for a colourful ‘Kaleidoscope Mix’, Chrysanthemum, Siberian Blue, Orange Calendula and Borage.
$16
Orte Gardening Tools,
InternoItaliano
Turn your gardening tools into décor with this beautiful set by acclaimed Italian industrial designer Giulio Iacchetti. It includes three essential tools – a rake, hoe and shovel – in miniature with a wooden display stand to keep them handy and easy to admire at all times.
$369
Scallop Cylinder Planter,
Hudson and Oak
These lightweight planters are all painted by hand (with a durable outdoor paint) in Vancouver and come in five colours: Blush, White, Lilac, Salted Caramel and Nude. There are two sizes – make sure to check the box for the optional drainage hole.
$150
Gardening Gloves,
Garden Glory
Bring a touch of glamour to your balcony garden with these fashionable and functional garden gloves from the industry trendsetters at Garden Glory. All pairs are made with a dirt and water-resistant faux leather and have an adjustable wrist strap to ensure a perfect fit on every hand.
$59
Food Banks Canada Collection,
West Coast Seeds
This line from West Coast Seeds in BC was created with Food Banks Canada, with 100% of the sales donated to support their efforts to improve food accessibility country-wide. There are three packs: Cucumber, Basil and Sunflower.
$6
Gardener’s Hand Care,
Crabtree & Evelyn
Crabtree & Evelyn might be the gold standard in gardening hand care, with two products that are consistently popular: the cleansing Hand Scrub and the Gardeners Hand Cream with soothing herbal extracts. It’s just what hands need to go from gardening mode to cooking mode.
$25+
Radius Hose Storage,
West Elm
Keep the green rubber out of sight with these sleek stone hose containers. Available in white, grey or black, they’re made with a lightweight composite that’s easy to move and feature hose and drainage holes for easy access and eliminating excess water.
$193.50
Canvas Garden Apron,
Terrain
This stylish canvas apron has a pocket for everything you could possibly need during a day in the garden – including a specially sized one to secure your phone. If you really want to be co-ordinated, check out the matching canvas combo tool-kit-slash-stool.
$38
Portside Wood Potting Station,
West Elm
Keep a tidy and trendy workspace with West Elm’s outdoor potting station, which boasts hooks, shelves and a drawer to keep all the essentials handy. The best part? Matching space-saving wall planters and plant stands are available too.
$1319
Cleaning Brushes,
Redecker
Cleanup is key in a balcony garden – it’s considerate, but the door may also be off a room that you want to be extra-careful about tracking dirt into. Germany’s Redecker makes handcrafted oiled beechwood cleaning brushes specifically for gardening, including one for tools, and a plastic-free dustpan.
Rattan Handle Snips,
Niwaki
These high-quality Japanese-made snippers feature a Wisteria rattan handle and extra-durable sharpened Japanese steel. They’re pretty enough to keep out the open and they’re sure to come in handy in any herb or veggie garden.
