It’s Earth Day, so, if nothing else, it’s a good time to experience a bit of the great outdoors. Alternatively, you could start growing your own flora, an ideal strategy if you live in a city and the closest forest or grassy knoll is farther off. Of course, not everyone has a green thumb, and many may have no idea where to start when it comes to creating a home garden. We’d recommend first buying a few tools of the trade so, if nothing else, you’re able to properly dig, pot and harvest your herbs, fruits and vegetables. Here, seven stylish pieces (and a few shortcuts)—including trowels, watering cans and planters—that will set you up for botanical success.
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Modern Sprout Garden Jar
Image Credit: Neiman Marcus OK, so this is cheating a bit, but for those who’ve never planted a single seed before (or never done it successfully), some training wheels may be more than welcome. The jar allows you to grow basil hydroponically, meaning you won’t need any dirt to get the job done—just put it somewhere with some sunlight and watch its passive system bring water and nutrients up to the plant’s roots. If you’d prefer a different herb, mint, cilantro and parsley are other options.
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Sophie Conran Ultimate Tool Set
Image Credit: Williams Sonoma Home For home garden neophytes, it doesn’t get much better than this. Altogether, the kit includes a trowel, fork, compost scoop, dibber, weeder, twist cultivator, hoe, rake and secateur. All (except for the secateur) feature gorgeous, Forest Stewardship Council-certified beechwood handles, plus brass ferrules and stainless-steel heads. As good-looking as they are, you’ll want to put them to use right away and get straight to digging.
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Tiffany & Co. Herb Markers
Image Credit: Tiffany & Co Gardening is fun and all, but most will have other, more important things on their mind. Keeping track of which plant is which once you’ve already put it in the ground, then, can be a challenge if you’re new at the whole gardening thing. And why not add some style to your efforts? Invest in a set of plant markers, like this sterling silver set, before you start.
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Williams Sonoma Tool Basket
Image Credit: Williams Sonoma Home It may be jumping the gun a bit, but at some point in one’s career as a gardener, you may have a ton of harvested plants to carry around—plus the tools you’ll need to harvest and care for them. It’s a good idea to invest in a basket with some extra pockets, then, at the start. This one is made of natural rattan that’s both sturdy and easy to maneuver.
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Design Within Reach Tess Planter
Image Credit: Design Within Reach Small pots are great, but it’s good to have a few larger planters, too, so seeds have a bit more room to put down their roots. Design Within Reach’s offering has pleated sides, so if you buy more than one they can be slotted right into each other, creating a larger garden system. It’s made of aluminum and fully recyclable, too, so it’s a good Earth Day pick in more ways than one.
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Ichendorf Milano Watering Can
Image Credit: Design Within Reach Obviously, you’ll need a watering can, but something a bit more interesting than a run-of-the-mill tin one. Ichendorf Milano is renowned for creating top-notch borosilicate glass, and rendering it in simple, classic shapes. This watering can is remarkably sturdy, considering it’s made of such a notoriously fragile material, so you won’t have to be too gentle with it—and it can easily double as a tabletop water pitcher too.
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Bloomist Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree
Image Credit: Bloomist Growing a plant from scratch is fun, but can be intimidating—and frustrating—for those who’ve never done it before. A better starting place could be taking care of one that’s already full-grown, like this fiddle leaf fig from Bloomist. Bonus: It comes in an elegant terra cotta pot that looks great on any windowsill or balcony.
