You Can Grow Your Own Herbs In Wine Bottles

For apartment dwellers worldwide, green space is the stuff of fantasies and gardening as out of reach as winning the lottery — but thanks to one pioneering Kickstarter it doesn't have to be. Introducing the world’s smallest garden, a handy kit that allows you to grow plants in wine bottles, literally bringing the farm to your table. The Kickstarter was launched by Urban Leaf, a new company founded by sustainable-living aficionados Nathan Littlewood and Robert Elliott, working to create a range of hydroponics products that make growing fresh food in urban spaces and cramped quarters easy and affordable.

The World's Smallest Garden is the perfect gift for lovers of wine and fresh herbs fiends alike, allowing you to grow a range of herbs and flowers in that empty bottle of Rosé you have lying around. If you are worried your plant baby will not survive the summer, there is no green thumb required. The cylindrical device, which is about the size of a large marker, utilizes hydroponic techniques (a method by which plants are grown without soil) to create "an optimal environment for seed germination" and a self-watering system. Inside the device, smart soil packed with nutrients absorbs water from the bottle and lifts it up to the seeds within. As the plant grows, the roots are sent down into the base of the bottle — making the whole thing look pretty darn cool.

Simply fill your chosen bottle with water, pop in the device, and you're ready to grow. The device is made through 3D printing and the plastic used to create it is biodegradable. The seeds take between three and 14 days to germinate, and within a month to six weeks the herbs are ready to be used in your favorite recipe. So far the World's Smallest Garden offers a number of herbs such as basil, mint, and dill, and several different lettuce varieties. Buying fresh herbs at the supermarket can get costly and wasteful, but with this petite hydroponic growing system you can harvest a few sprigs of cilantro for your guacamole or a handful of dill for your potato salad whenever you need. It's so low maintenance, all you have to do is check the water levels in the bottle once a week, and replenish it when it gets low.

The World's Smallest Garden's month-long crowd funding campaign launched May 22, and is set to expire on June 21. With just a few days to go, time is running out for the "All or Nothing" campaign to reach its goal of $40,000. Those looking to start germinating some sweet basil, mint or kale in their living room should check out their Kickstarter today and get your own tiny garden started!