From outer space to your plate -- growing a space garden at home

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - When is the last time you ate food fresh from a garden? Has it been awhile? One Houston-area non-profit organization, Nicole’s Garden, is trying to change that.  

“Nicole's Garden was founded in memory of my mother,” says NASA toxicologist and scientist Dr. Noreen Khan-Mayberry, who founded the organization to give access to growing a garden to just about anyone, anywhere. “We're able to grow kale, basil, spinach. Anything we want, we can grow indoors.” That is actually the way the astronauts do it. Her garden is space saving and space like. 

Just the way they're doing on the space station,” says The Tox Doc with a smile. An LED light acts as the sun.  “We've got an awesome root system that grows and we're able to harvest and not lose any nutritional value at all.”

Nicole's Garden donates the cool space gardens to senior centers and schools where students learn important lessons. 

”Not only in math, not only in science but with social studies, with business, English," says Dr. Khan-Mayberry.  "They learn new words. They learn how to eat and they can snack on what they've planted in the classroom."

”Isn't it amazing?” asks Carmina Zamorano, owner of Carnan Properties. Zamorano is working with Nicole's Garden to help get gardens into more classrooms and even into homes. “Like you are living in a high rise or you don't have time to do your own garden, this will be a good thing but also for people who can't afford going to the supermarket.”

“Can you imagine if when we were in college if we would have had this in our dorm room?” asks Dr. Khan-Mayberry 

“You can't believe it," says Zamorano with a laugh as she breaks off a leaf from her indoor garden and pops it into her mouth. "Eating kale in your office. It's mmmmm.” The top-of-the-line garden will cost you $300, but there are less expensive options.

For anyone who wants more information about Nicole’s Garden, Carnan Properties is hosting an event on 5433 Westheimer Road in the Penthouse on Friday, March 4, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. You can view the gardens up close, learn how you can sponsor a garden and ask any questions you may have. You may also visit www.nicolesgarden.org.