GoKawiilWhen Auk’s original Mini 1 herb garden hit the market in 2024, it touched on something that many tabletop gardens had until that point failed to consider: If you’re going to give up that much counter or table space, you don’t want it to be for something ugly.
Aerogardens and similar models look … fine, but you’re probably not going to see one in the background of an Architectural Digest shoot. The Auk Mini filled that marketplace gap with its pairing of sleek Scandinavian design and utility, transforming the run-of-the-mill herb-growing operation into a conversation piece.
When I reviewed the original Auk Mini last fall, I loved that it allowed users to plant their own seeds in widely available coco coir, an alternative to peat moss made from coconut husks. No proprietary pods, no subscriptions, no fussy app.
When I started testing the brand-new Auk 2 earlier this summer, I wondered what new features could possibly justify a new model. Turns out, there was more room for improvement than I thought.
Same but Different
Photograph: Kat Merck Photograph: Kat Merck
For the uninitiated, Auk (pronounced “owk”) is a Norwegian company that released its first garden, the Auk 1, in 2021. Essentially a larger version of the Mini 1, the Auk 1 received mixed reviews online for its tower water reservoir and inconsistent light and watering cycles. (In fact, a former WIRED director tested it and became so frustrated that he threw it in the trash.)