A new, compact Personal Garden designed to fit in small spaces like countertops and shelves – and including voice control – was launched this week at CES 2021 by Rise Gardens. The Chicago-based maker of in-home, smart hydroponic garden systems, is showcasing several innovations, including a microgreens add-on an Amazon Alexa skill that enables voice control of the garden.
The new Personal Garden includes all of Rise Gardens’ state-of-the-art lights, proprietary water flow technology, and modularity but in a smaller, more streamlined model. Priced at $279, the smart garden allows users to grow four large plants (tomatoes, peppers, swiss chard, kale, etc.), eight medium-sized plants (herbs, flowers, etc.), or 12 small plants (radishes, beets, chives, lavender, etc.).
The Personal Garden joins Rise Gardens’ popular Family Garden, a larger system with a modular design that allows for one, two, or three levels of growth at a time, accommodating greens, herbs, microgreens, tomatoes, and beets. Both systems were designed with simplicity in mind, including a mobile app that monitors water levels and plant progress. It also reminds users when and how much to water and fertilise, along with a subscription service that mails plant supplies on a regular basis.
Rise Gardens has also announced it is building an Alexa skill, which allows garden users to control the pumps and lights on their gardens and receive plant care and harvesting tips by delivering voice commands through an Alexa device.
“Ever since Rise Gardens joined the portfolio of Amazon Alexa Fund companies this fall, we’ve been excited to add voice control to our products and work with the Alexa team,” says Rise Gardens CEO and founder Hank Adams. “Now it’s even easier and more fun to grow your own food at home, year-round, even if you’ve never gardened before.”
Rise Gardens is also rolling out a host of new accessories and add-on features designed to increase the amount and variety of produce users can grow. These include a Stand Kit and a Trellis Kit that provide extra support for growing large tomatoes, peppers and eggplants – both available now.
For more information about Rise Gardens, watch this video from CES 2021.
