When I bought my hydroponic system, I half-expected it to become expensive decor. Instead it became the hardest-working corner of my kitchen. Right now it’s holding lettuce, kale, feathery dill and the biggest basil leaves I’ve ever grown — all under one warm grow light, all in water, no soil on my floors.

What I’ve learned: start with greens, because they forgive beginners. Check the water level every couple of days, snip from the outside leaves so the plant keeps producing, and don’t be precious about it — a harvest you eat beats a perfect plant you only photograph.

My favorite part is dinner. Walking three steps, cutting what I need, and tasting something that was growing an hour ago never gets old. If you’re plant-curious but short on space, this is your sign.