Ikea launches hydroponic indoor gardening kit for green fingers whatever the weather

With a pretty shoddy climate, rain in the summer and snow at Easter, the UK seasons are unpredictable to say the least.

But fear not, Ikea has come up with a solution to beat those water-logged rose beds and frost-bitten bushes - grow your own indoor garden all year round.

Growing delicate herbs and tropical plants has never been easier thanks to Ikea's new range of hydroponics - a method of growing plants in water, without soil, from the comfort of your warm home.

Think of them as mini greenhouses for your desks, side tables and window ledges.

So, how does this work?

Choose from 18 different seeds, available in store, and with the right nutrients and light, your Ikea hydroponic will allow you to garden indoors all year round.

Start by picking your seeds and planting them in trays full of moistened stone wool - no soil equals no mess!

Once you start to see a few sprigs of life you can move your young plants into pots with pumice stones that hold water and oxygen to support the toddler leaf - and after 7 weeks you have a fully matured plant.

Easy!

The Ikea kit includes everything you need to get green-fingered without the fuss, and cultivation units in matte metals or bright white trays allow you to move your lush plants into fashionable surroundings and dot them around the home.

Ronnie Runesson, senior product developer at IKEA says: "What we wanted to achieve was finding a solution so that our customers could grow their own herbs and vegetables 12 months a year.

Whether you live in the northern parts of Sweden in the wintertime, or if you live in Singapore, China or North America, wherever you are you should find a solution at IKEA."