We began sprouting the seeds for our hydroponic garden before we opened Temporis. Our idea was to make these microgreens and herbs part of the dining experience, snipped and served straight from the center of the table, or composing an entire dish from start to finish. Growing them has become a source of much inspiration for us, too.

Hydroponics allows us to experiment with all kinds of herbs and beautiful flowers and greens, some as unfamiliar to us as they might be to you, and to grow things that people tend to associate with certain seasons, anytime we want. We like it because it is sustainable, doesn’t take up much space in our tiny basement and needs minimal water and energy. And because it turns the prevailing farm-to-table philosophy on its head, if you think about. Strawberries in the middle of a Chicago winter, plucked moments before we serve them? This is quite literally as fresh as it gets.

Our garden is in constant flux, as it should be. Here is some of what we grow.

• Bells of Ireland

• Bergamot

• Borage flower. Troy’s favorite. Bright and citrusy.

• Britton shiso

• Bronze fennel

• Candy cane oxalis. Striped like peppermint candy!

• Chervil. Delicate, almost feathery.

• CressIron cross oxalis. One of 800+ varieties of oxalis.

• Lemon balm

• Mint

• Mizuna

• Mustard green

• Nasturtium. Gorgeous and spicy.

• Opal basil. Another favorite. Sweet basil with anise.

• Parsley

• Red shiso. Herbaceous.

• Red veined sorrel

• Salad burnet

• Saltwort. Salty like the ocean. They look like skinny sea beans.

• Tangerine lace. These flower into marigolds.

• Tarragon

• Thai basil

• Viola. So many colors. We use them all.

• White strawberry

• Wood sorrel. Deep purple—beautiful.