Tina Chen

    A GARDEN in your home will no longer be the exclusive preserve of those who can afford a penthouse with a roof.

    The E-Garden, shaped like a refrigerator, allows people to grow vegetables in the comfort of their own home. Costing 65,000 yuan (US$9,700) and developed by a Beijing firm, the e-garden takes just 20 days to grow vegetables from seed to harvest.

    On show at the Ministry of Agriculture’s exhibition area at the China Hi-Tech Fair, the machine has a glass door behind which vegetables are planted in rows of boxes, layer by layer.

    A nutrient liquid is automatically supplied to plants and LEDs provide artificial sunlight. A range of fruit and vegetables can be grown in the machine, including cabbages, potatoes, melons, cucumbers and tomatoes.

    The innovative soil-free machine attracted crowds of visitors. “I’m longing to own a garden,” said Li Qing, a visitor at the fair. “I don’t trust the vegetables in the market as they are usually grown using harmful chemicals or pesticides.”

    The company is also offering a more basic version of the e-garden for 2,500 yuan.

    One shelf with three layers of planting boxes can house 50 plants at a time. “The e-garden also provides fresh air to one’s home,” said Liu Yi, product manager of Beijing Zhonghuan Yida Co., which invented the device.

    It is the first time the Ministry of Agriculture has taken part in the China Hi-Tech Fair. The ministry is exhibiting 250 projects.