Hydroponic Garden Towers

Joy of Chapala Gardens sells her greens from her
hydroponic tower gardens at the Goleta Farmers' Market.

We saw these neat little inventions all over the place in Santa Barbara, on the central California coast. It's what happens when you combine northern California's hydroponic marijuana-growing wizardry with southern California's venture capitalist ingenuity.

The plastic towers circulate water to feed the plants that grow in little side openings along the tower. We were pretty impressed by the size the health of the greens, which thrive on the nutrient solution in the water. Another plus is that you can have an entire garden of 20 plants or more in a 2 1/2-foot square area - perfect for tiny balconies or even indoor spaces with some supplemental lighting.

The kits come with full growing instructions and some nutrient solution, but here's the downside: They start out at $500, with additional cost if you want to extend your tower to accommodate up to 28 plants. You also have to buy the plugs to start new plants in once you harvest your crop.

Also, don't expect to grow any root crops in these space-age gardens, but we're told greens, peas, herbs, vining plants like tomatoes and even squash will do well.

What do you think? Would you buy one of these things, or would you rather stick with good-old fashioned dirt? Comment below.

More info: Tower Garden Vertical Garden.