Ready-to-plant mats grow into vegetable gardens

As we’ve tracked the urban gardening trend over the past few years, we’ve seen several initiatives designed to help those born without a green thumb reap the rewards of homegrown produce nonetheless. Now, California-based Amber’s Garden has taken that concept even further with a series of preseeded mats that need only be planted in order to enjoy produce grown at home. Constructed of burlap and a paper-like material made of plant fiber, Amber’s Garden Ready-to-Plant mats are designed to take the guesswork out of seed spacing, seed depth and when to plant. Packed with a variety of vegetable seeds — properly spaced and chosen in part for their similar depth requirements — the mats can simply be planted in a sunny garden spot or cut up to fit patio containers and then watered. In addition to holding the seeds, the biodegradable paper-like layer serves as a weed barrier for the first eight to 10 weeks, making the process of growing a garden as effortless and rewarding as possible; there’s not even any need to transplant once the seedlings have grown. Harvesting can typically begin 30 to 35 days after planting. Available varieties include an Asian garden mix, summer crop, salad garden, salsa mix and pumpkin patch, among others. Pricing for a 6-foot-by-14-inch mat is USD 18.99. Ease of use is clearly a defining characteristic within the urban gardening trend, and Amber’s Garden mats may just represent a pinnacle in that respect. Home and garden retailers around the world: one to get in on! (Related: Online gardening service sends seeds when it’s time to plant — Gardens for rent by the season, with vegetables pre-planted — Homegrown vegetables, no green thumb needed.) Spotted by: Audrey van Petegem