Envelope-sized container takes guesswork out of urban gardening

Patch is a self-watering herb planter that makes urban gardening projects easier, delivered through the letterbox.

The grow-your-own trend is one that’s really taken off in recent years, and while startups such as the UK’s Allotinabox have provided homeowners with the basic materials to start their own home gardening projects, our latest spotting goes that little bit further. Patch is a self-watering herb planter that makes urban gardening projects easier, delivered through the letterbox. Now seeking funding on Kickstarter, the 12 x 6 x 6-inch device is made of Tyvek – a type of recyclable paper-like plastic that can be folded into an envelope shape for easy delivery. Once assembled, users can fill it with soil, plant their desired seeds and load the water reservoir. A wicking mechanism means that only the right amount of water is made available to the plants and the device needs filling just once a week. Currently designed to hold herbs and leafy greens, Patch hopes to expand its range in the near future to include devices suitable for growing other vegetables such as peppers and cucumbers. Patch planters retail at CAD 39.95 and come in three different designs – plain white, gray and patterned. The video below shows the planter being assembled: With more than half of the population of the world now living in urban environments, innovations such as this could help encourage city-dwellers to rely less on supermarkets and be able to know exactly where their food comes from. How else can the urban gardening revolution be supported?