A few months ago, I came across a video that was quite inspiring. It was about a California family who decided to take control of one of the most important aspects of their lives: their food. Rather than rely entirely on the grocery store (and the unknowns of how everything was grown, raised or packaged), they transformed their backyard and front yard into impressive food gardens – well, more like food jungles.
Take a look at Homegrown Revolution for yourself.
Now, you might watch that and be all inspired to even just do a mini version, but you have one major obstacle stopping you: Laziness.
My dear lethargic, couch-loving friends, we’ve found a product that will let you skip a few steps in the gardening process and still make you look like you have a green thumb after all.
Amber’s Garden Mats are “pre-planted vegetable gardens” that appeal to the gardener who likes the concept of a “no digging, no thinking” garden. Amber’s Garden Mats are pre-seeded vegetable garden mats made of Raylene – a material made of plant fiber & burlap that is 100% biodegradable. The seeds are woven into this material and specially spaced out to give them the best chance to grow. The mat material also acts as a weed barrier for the first 8-10 weeks.
Basically, you choose your area for gardening, be it a large pot filled with soil or a sunny patch of dirt (of course, the better the soil, the better the results) and place one of Amber’s Garden Mats on it. You can even cut the mats to fit your space. Cover the mat with soil and water it – and done! You have a garden just waiting to happen! Simply follow the instructions to learn how frequently you need to water your would-be garden, and then just sit back and let those veggies grow!
Amber’s Garden Mats come in an array of varieties. From the website, you can order (in various sizes) an Asian Garden blend (edamame, snow pea, asian radish, pak choi and oriental cucumber), Herb Garden blend (basil, oregano, cilantro and thyme), Pumpkin Patch, Rainbow Root blend (two types of beets, two types of carrot and turnip), Salad Garden blend (radishes, snow peas, carrots, tomatoes, and spring mix lettuce), Salsa Garden blend (tomatoes, chili peppers and cilantro) and a Summer Crop blend (corn, beans, tomatoes, carrots, radishes, basil and rosemary).
Who’s hungry for some home-grown veggies? Amber’s Garden Mats range from $9.99 for small plots (18 inch circle) and $18.99 for large plots (6 feet x 14 inches).