Verti Garden

“Verti Garden” is a concept for a home food education system designed to integrate edible plants into everyday family life. By planting, observing, tending to, and harvesting herbs, children can make the connection between the food on their plates and the time, water, light, and care required to produce it. Shared kitchen activities make this connection tangible: children harvest the ingredients, and parents incorporate them into meals they prepare together.

The design addresses a practical challenge: how to maintain meaningful engagement within the constraints of limited household space and care conditions. Supplemental lighting and nutrient delivery systems are designed to support plant care, while removable planting cups provide children with opportunities to interact with the plants, observe changes, and take on daily tasks. Technology supports daily routines that families can maintain together.

The vertical planting tower features 24 staggered planting stations within a compact footprint. Each removable planting cup is equipped with a ring-shaped handle for easy placement, removal, and inspection. Planting stations at varying heights allow family members to divide tasks and work together: children can care for plants within a comfortable, reachable range, while adults assist with plants in higher positions and perform routine maintenance. The mushroom-shaped canopy integrates supplemental lighting and an information display. The base incorporates a built-in nutrient reservoir and features a counterweight and non-slip design to enhance stability.

The device’s display and accompanying app combine growing conditions with care guides and food education. Families can track the growth timeline, discuss the plants’ needs, and explore learning activities related to ingredients. Easily recognizable herbs, such as basil and mint, stimulate sensory exploration through differences in leaf shape, texture, and scent; they can then be harvested and used to prepare familiar dishes.

Currently in the conceptual design and prototyping phases, Verti Garden proposes an ongoing food education practice centered around living plants. It is designed to provide children with repeated, hands-on experiences of growing edible plants from seed, thereby fostering food literacy, cultivating a sense of shared responsibility, and deepening their understanding of the resources behind their daily meals.