I used to spend a fortune on fresh basil - but this £99 device has turned my kitchen worktop into an indoor herb garden

I've learned that pretty much any dish can be improved by the correct accompanying herb. But while I love keeping my fridge healthily stocked with basil, parsley, and the like, remembering to pick up all the necessary herbs I need at the supermarket (let alone the cost) has always been a downfall of mine.

That's why, as Ideal Home's kitchen gadget reviewer of the best air fryers and more, I liked the sound of testing out Veritable Indoor Garden (£99 from Amazon). Not only does a little indoor garden offer me the opportunity to see some greenery in my garden-less flat, but it's also persuadingly marketed as 'self-sufficient'. That means growing herbs should be easy, even for a novice like me.

Here's a look at how this planter works, and why (even though it's pricey) it might work as a tiny source of flavour and joy in your home.

How does a self-watering indoor herb garden work?

I already know what you're thinking. Any herb plant at your local supermarket costs a maximum of £1.50 and once you've learnt how to grow something like basil from shop bought for yourself, that small sum essentially unlocks unlimited amounts of it in your home.

This is true. But it's also true that growing a herb requires both a sunny spot in your home and far more TLC than the Véritable garden advertises. If you live in a flat like me, the best enviroment for propogating might be hard to come by.

Véritable proposes that with this planter, all you'll need to do is insert the included compost pods (which contain the herb seeds) and allow the automatic watering and lighting system to take the reins.

The particular model I'm trying out at home came with four Lingot pods, which contain seeds and nutrients ready to sprout into basil, parsely, chives and thyme.

The set-up of the unit was astonishingly easy. All I had to do was plug in the box, install the two LED lights that stimulate the growth of the plants and fill the reservoir with water. After I'd popped the four pods into the slots, there was nothing else to do but wait for my herbs to sprout.

The planter works by systematically dangling roots from the pods into the water reservoir below, which must only be refilled every 4 weeks. It also uses energy-efficient lights to mimic the day and night light cycle and supercharge growth to be far quicker than if you plonked a shop-bought basil plant on your windowsill.

The included seed pods from this particular brand should offer you 4-6 months of harvest each and cost around £4-5. You can grow anything from strawberries to lettuce in these little planters, with a whole host of seed options available on Amazon.

I'm at the very beginning of my journey with this clever little planter, so the jury is still out until my full review of this indoor garden. But as far as sparking my enthusiasm for growing plants indoor goes and for total ease of use, I have to say that I'm impressed so far.