Airgarden brings space gardening down to earth

A vertical, soilless gardening system that uses revolutionary NASA-developed technology is putting farms into the hands of urban dwellers for the first time.

Airgarden allows anyone, from novice to green thumb, to sprout five times more home-grown produce, three times faster, with 95% less water, taking up just 1 m² of space.

Inspired by their passion for sustainably grown produce that doesn’t harm the environment, siblings Tom and Prue Bauer set out to find an easy, sustainable solution to grow food at home, regardless of living space.

“The idea stemmed from wanting to grow fresh produce that was good for us, and the environment, while living in the inner city,” Co-founder Prue Bauer said.

“We were sick of throwing out so much of what we bought and wanted quality produce that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. More and more people are thinking about what they are putting in their bodies and the cost of organic food was unsustainable long term so we knew there has to be a better solution.”

The pair discovered horticulturist-approved aeroponics technology, used by NASA to grow plants in space, and began repurposing it to allow everyday people to grow their own urban farms with no digging, weeding or watering required. Airgarden is owned and produced in Australia, keeping the company’s carbon footprint low in line with their ethos. Budding gardeners can sprout up to 150 different types of fruits and vegetables and feed a family of four weekly — a shop-in-one garden, and a great way to slash grocery costs.

Knowing the challenges of growing greenery for even the most seasoned gardeners, the pair made gardens low maintenance, with no soil and a self-watering system. Airgarden boasts a 99% success rate, making it virtually impossible for novice gardeners to fail to produce a lush, leafy green food bowl.

“Everyone is haunted by memories of failed veggie gardens and dying herbs after hours of watering and digging, so we decided to make growing your own produce at home easy, cost-effective and healthy,” Bauer said.

“Most other urban gardens require three times more space, multiple bags of soil and plenty of water. Airgarden caters for people who are a little older or aren’t able to get into the garden and dig and bend over to tend to their garden. If you’re renting then it’s no drama, pick it up and take it with you.”

Airgarden use at Halcyon House restaurant Paper Daisy.

Since launching during COVID, the Queensland-founded brand has continued to grow roots and is widely used in several restaurants across Australia, including award-winning Halcyon House’s Paper Daisy restaurant, Manly Boathouse and Wild Canary. It’s a favourite of restaurants, foodies and the sustainability conscious as the garden allows users to only pick what they need, creating zero-waste recipes for a true farm-to-table experience.

Main image caption: Aigarden Founders Tom and Prue Bauer.