Take a ceramic egg (the size of an actual egg) with seeds and soil inside, crack open the top, water it, and let it grow. Weird. Genius. The Eggling was so odd yet cute, I had to have it. I bought thyme, as I’d been wanting to grow my own herbs for a while, but was afraid.

For a garden-phobe, the Eggling is perfect. How can you screw up something clearly made for non-serious gardeners, possibly children? Quite easily, actually. I got past the first hurdle—cracking open the top—without a hitch (despite a warning that tapping too hard could shatter and ruin the Eggling), but then I assumed that the piece of paper inside the egg was like those silica gel packets inside new purses and threw it out. Bad idea, since that’s where the seeds are stored. Luckily the Eggling-makers anticipated thick-headed moves like this and included a second seed packet in the box.

Now I’ve seen the start of my first thyme sprout and can’t wait to grow more herbs! The Eggling comes in twelve herb and flower varieties: basil, parsley, mint, thyme, spicy red pepper, wild strawberry, cactus, lavender, chrysanthemum, lobelia, phlox, and petunia. A thyme Jumbo Eggling is available as well.

Pros: Cute, great for newbie gardeners, conversation-starter, everything (pot, soil) included.

Cons: Instructions aren’t very thorough, but better info is available on the Web site; takes a few weeks to see results; cracking open the top is a tiny bit nerve-wracking.

Where to buy: the Web site has a list of stores that carry the Eggling.

What I paid: $9.95