Home Harvest Box Subscription Review + Coupon – February 2018

Home Harvest is a brand-new monthly gardening subscription that sends you seeds and supplies to get you growing both indoors and outdoors.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

About Home Harvest Box

The Subscription Box: Home Harvest Box

The Cost: $45 a month + free shipping. Save with longer pre-paid subscriptions.

ACTIVE DEAL: Save 5% off your first box!
CODE: WELCOME

The Products: Gardening-related goods such as eco-friendly containers, growing media, organic seeds, and helpful tools.

Ships to: the US

Home Harvest Box February 2018 Review

This welcome and info sheet was a lovely little intro to the first-ever Home Harvest Box! It introduces the theme of "It's tea-o'clock (somewhere)" with a little preview of what you'll find in your box, which is all the tools you need to grow your own chamomile, mint, and lemon balm to later make into tea. Love this idea!

EcoForms Quadra Biodegradable Pot, 3 count — Total Retail Value $11.97 ($3.99 each)

Jumping into the goodies, I started by exploring the wrapped-up items. The first thing I unfolded was this set of three pots and their water-catching trays. They were wrapped separately but come together when purchased on the EcoForms site. I've never seen pots like this, but I feel like they're one of the more ingenious eco-friendly gardening concepts ever! They're made from renewable grain fibers, so they're sturdy and resilient, but also compostable. They're suitable for indoor or outdoor use, and when used outdoors, they'll last for about 5 years before beginning to biodegrade. I loved learning that tidbit because all too often (with biodegradable dog bags, for example), I wonder if by "biodegradable," some companies mean they'll begin to biodegrade in 200 years instead of never. Sure, that's better than nothing, but knowing these pots will begin to decompose in my lifetime is a comfort to me.

Organic Seed Starter Pellets, 3 count — Estimated Value $0.67 (Buy an 18-pack here for $3.99)

These pressed soil pucks came packaged in special little Home Harvest Box plastic baggies. My first thought was, "it's too bad that after going to the effort of including those awesome biodegradable pots that the soil is sent in plastic." But, alas, the soil pellets begin to expand when water is added, so I understand the risk of simply wrapping them in tissue while in transit. I wasn't able to find info regarding if the Home Harvest team makes these organic soil pellets themselves or sources them from another company, but it looks like a similar product is available at the hardware store, so I linked to that.

Mini Plastic Shovel — Estimated Value $0.17 (Buy a 50-pack here for $8.49)

In the last photo of the soil, you can see I used this little mini plastic shovel that was included to mix my dirt up! It's really cute and was the perfect thing to get my soil in order before planting my seeds.

Chamomile Seeds — Estimated Value $1

Mint Seeds — Estimated Value $1

Lemon Balm Seeds — Estimated Value $1

Here are the little seed packets that were included. Again, it's not clear where these seeds came from, but visually it looks like about half (or less) of what you'd receive if you were to buy a regular old seed packet at the store. When I went to plant them, static kept some of the seeds in there, so I had to fenagle 'em out of there so that I was being sure to use all of them.

Prior to planting anything, I got everything all set up so I could keep my seeds straight and have a quick reference for when to expect to see growth and how to care for them.

Here you can see one of my soil pellets transforming into dirt! The info sheet recommends adding water little by little over the course of 20 minutes. I didn't follow that rule for the first one and found myself with a little flooding and some really swampy soil. For the other two, I just added about a teaspoon to a tablespoon at a time every five minutes or so, and their consistency was really nice. I'm going to have to keep these in mind for future indoor potting ventures! While I'm certainly not afraid to get my hands dirty, using the pellets made for a much tidier and cleaner experience than making trips outside to fill up my pots with dirt, then bringing them inside and making a mess of my floor and table. 

The directions suggested planting each of the three types of seeds by sprinkling them on top of the soil and not covering them with any dirt so they can get enough sunlight to germinate. This is the lemon balm seeds just after planting.

Here are all three pots of freshly-planted seeds enjoying some rare Pittsburgh sunshine!

After just three days, my chamomile started to sprout!

Here's another progress photo from a few days later. Neither of the mint nor the lemon balm has sprouted yet, but the chamomile seems to be doing great!

Tea Infuser — Estimated Value $4.99

My Home Harvest Box stepped beyond just the gardening aspect of tea time and included a few supplies for enjoying your herbs once they've grown and been dried. They didn't give directions for drying the mint, lemon balm, and chamomile, but I know from purchasing sprigs of rosemary and thyme at the grocery store that herbs tend to dry out within a week or less if left on the counter or even in the fridge. So, once that time comes, I'll have this tea infuser to put them in! I do have a tea infuser already, but it's a really quirky little robot-shaped one with relatively large holes, so loose leaves can sometimes find their way out into the tea I'm drinking. I've been wanting to get my hands on a more traditional tea ball like this, so I'm pumped this came in my box! The one I linked to above isn't exactly the one that I was given, but it's similar.

Red Ceramic Mug — Estimated Value $8.50 (Buy a set of 2 here for $16.99)

Also included was this red mug. The last thing I need is another mug to add to my mismatched collection, but I added it anyway. It's a nice shape, size, and color!

Biscoff Cookies, 4 count — Estimated Value $2.22 (Buy a 40-pack here for $22.18)

Finally, they included these little tea cookies! I've had Biscoff cookies on airplanes before so I knew what I was in for, which is cinnamon-y bliss. They included 4 in the pack; I ate one immediately and plan to save the other three to enjoy with my tea when it's finally time to make it. These were a nice little touch!

Verdict: I'm really impressed with the first Home Harvest Box! I appreciate the thought that was put into the theme and the fact that everything I needed to plant my seeds was included in the box; I didn't have to provide my own pots or soil, which isn't uncommon for gardening boxes. Value-wise, it's just OK. This box costs $45 (including free shipping), and per my calculations, the contents only added up to a little over $35. When I originally unboxed my subscription, I thought it seemed like I was receiving a ton of stuff for $45, but once I began researching the availability of the products included, I found that a lot of them are available in bulk (and only in bulk). I look forward to next month's box, to seeing what the theme is, and to see if they're able to find a better value balance!

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you would receive the March box (we received our February box late in the month). From the Home Harvest Box site:

Boxes begin shipping at the beginning of each month. We ship our boxes within three business days of receiving your order, all month long.

Coupon - Use code WELCOME to save 5% off your first box.

Value Breakdown: This box cost $45 and included 7 items (I'm considering the planters, soil pellets, and seeds, and cookies as 1 item each). That means you're paying approximately $6.43 per item. 

Check out more gardening boxes in the Eco-Friendly Subscription Box List!

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What are your thoughts on the debut Home Harvest Box?