Thinking about starting a garden but want to keep it simple? It doesn’t get much easier than the Sprout plantable pencil from Democratech.

Starting a garden can be a daunting task if you’ve never tried it before. That’s why I’m in love with any gardening gadgets and tools that can simplify the process. Normally I don’t go for the “set it and forget it” lifestyle, but when it comes to gardening, I’m all ears.

I’ve always loved a good writing implement. Even though I spent most of my time pounding away on a laptop keyboard, I still brainstorm and make to-do lists on paper, so pens and pencils are necessities. Now I’ve discovered that my favorite pencil can also be a strategic tool for starting a garden (and I don’t just mean in the planning stages)!

The Sprout from Democratech is a plantable pencil. Made out of sustainably grown cedar, the pencil conceals a hollow chamber that contains a water-activated seed capsule. As the pencil is used and sharpened and used again, the stub slowly transforms into a ready-to-plant seed pod. When it comes time for starting a garden, just shove it base-down into some soil. When the base is submerged in soil and watered, its capsule will break down, freeing the seeds!

Sprout comes in many different varieties: basil, calendula, cherry tomato, cilantro, dill, marigold, mint, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Sprout multipacks of herbs and flowers are also available. If you’ve got a house (or perhaps a classroom) full of kids who use pencils all the time, these plantable pencils are the perfect way to demonstrate the concepts of sustainable design, recycling/upcycling, and of course, the joys of starting a garden!

And don’t worry about eating foods that sprout out of a used pencil: the Sprout is 100 percent non-toxic and made right here in America.

Find Sprout around the world at these retailers, or purchase Sprout Pencil Herb Packs for $19.95 on Amazon.

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Images via Democratech

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Thanks to the UrbMat all you need to start growing vegetables is a thumb (and it doesn’t even have to be green!).

I know it’s freezing cold outside, but now is the time to starting thinking about growing vegetables. It’s extremely rewarding to cook a meal made with stuff grown in your own backyard. Unfortunately more than a few of us find home gardening confusing and often unsuccessful. And if you live in an urban area, good luck finding the space.

For us lazy gardeners, high tech tools for growing vegetables are extremely attractive, but few will take you from seed to sprout faster than the UrbMat from grow-it-yourself social food company UrbnEarth. This plug-and-play gardening system makes it possible for anyone to start growing vegetables immediately–so you can get past the “am I doing it right?” phase and on to the “look how awesome gardening is!” phase.

Designed for use by families, educators and kids (aka gardening novices), the 3′ x 2′ UrbMat looks like a miniature Twister mat. Only the colorful dots aren’t for your left arm or right leg–they’re for 12 different types of non-GMO herbs, vegetables, and flowers. Just roll it out on top of the soil or in a raised bed. Press the seedball starters (a mix of chili powder, compost, worm castings, clay, and non-GMO seeds) into the correct circle on the mat, and you’re done. The UrbMat has a weed-control layer and a hose-ready irrigation system for care of your growing vegetables.

Among the veggies and herbs, you’ll notice marigolds and catnip, which are included as natural pest repellents so your UrbMat can remain organic. “Marigolds and catnip not only look pretty, but are also some of nature’s best pest-control agents. Marigolds deter nematodes and worms that will feed on your plants roots. Catnip attracts lacewings, which feed on aphids and mites,” explains the UrbnEarth website.

And for every mat purchased, the company gives two meals to kids suffering from hunger in the U.S. Meals are donated in partnership with 2 Degrees Food and Feeding America.

Related on Ecosalon

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All images via UrbnEarth

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They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend. And for the organic gardener, it may just be luxury garden tools (and diamonds, too, of course).

 It’s official. Gardening is now as popular in urban settings as, well, overpriced luxury items. It was inevitable that the two eventually collided. You can’t stop progress. Especially when there’s fertilizer involved.

But still. It didn’t make this story in the June issue of Modern Farmer any less confusing. It appears that whether you’re a full-on kale and tomato-producing organic gardener, or just host a casual array of houseplants, there are luxury garden tools and gear just for you. If you also like absurdly expensive things, that is.

While none of the items appear to contain any diamonds—even despite the probability that a diamond-crusted shovel would give any noisy auger a run for its money—some can cost you about the same as a little sparkly piece of bling.

The article reports that West Elm now sells potting soil called “Brooklyn Blend Potting Soil.” They mean Brooklyn, New York, right? Where exactly does the dirt come from? The A train? The soil costs more than twice as much as regular potting soil from Home Depot, probably due to the hours it must take to find real dirt in Brooklyn. I’d actually pay a good amount of money to go on that excursion.

Williams Sonoma got in on the action, too, with a compost sieve that will set you back $195. It’s made from redwood. Should we be surprised that there are no consumer comments on the product’s page? I just imagine a bunch of gardeners with their $2 garden gloves in their wide-open mouths as they stare at the price tag. Any organic gardener or composter knows you can get a good sieve for under $20, or make your own for even less. They’re still suggesting we use it to filter food waste, right?

Don’t get me wrong. I’d proudly display a $345 Hermes hand spade, scraper and garden fork set like the bling it is…behind the glass door of a curio, or the locked one on my safety deposit box. You know, after I used it to plant some really nice tulips. Or, actually, dig for gold…

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Top image: Jill Ettinger

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