Have you ever had trouble growing plants? Forgotten about them, perhaps, and found them dead and shrivelled up on a too-dark shelf somewhere? I think we’ve all been there. Well, help is now on the way in the form of a clever device called Pico. This colorful little box has an impressive claim to fame; it has enjoyed the most funded plant campaign in the history of Kickstarter, with more than $2 million raised by 18,000 backers. (Note: The campaign has now transferred to Indiegogo, but it’s the same one.)

Why do so many people love it? Because it’s a mini farm that can fit in the palm of your hand! It has an embedded multi-spectrum LED light in a stainless steel arm that extends upward as the plant grows, allowing you to put it anywhere in the house, even away from a window.

“It is the same light that indoor food farms and professional growers use to grow their plants but in a convenient miniature size… These powerful LEDs are chosen to support a wide range of plants and each color wavelength stimulates a specific biological function in plants.”

Pico is self-watering, requiring you only to add a cup of water once a week, which is then released to the plant according to its needs: “It involves no motors or pumps, instead relying on capillary action and gravity to give your plants exactly the water they need.” And it attaches to anything – a fridge, a wall, wherever you’d like to have some living greenery or fresh aromatic herbs.

“Pico will always be at your side. You can stick it on your fridge and grow your next salad’s fresh cilantro, or place it on your desk to always have enchanting roses nearby. With interchangeable mounts, you can customize your Pico to make sure it fits your needs and lifestyle.”

It does sound wonderful, and obviously we are fans of anything that makes growing one’s own food more accessible and successful. I am always a little leery of high-tech solutions to simple tasks, so I can’t help feeling skeptical about all the upfront resources required to make a fancy self-lit, self-watering, chargeable gizmo when a clay pot next to a window and a bit of daily watering diligence could work just as well, but I do realize that some people need a gateway of sorts to get into gardening and perhaps Pico can be that for them.

Pico was created by Altifarm, which has already run two successful campaigns for larger urban gardening setups, so it’s a company that knows what it’s doing. You can still order your own Pico here, and the first round of shipments is going out this month.

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