HOME GARDENING: MEANING, IMPORTANCE, BENEFIT, HOW TO DO? AND WHAT IT TEACH TO US?

MEANING

 Home gardening refers to the cultivation of a small portion of land which may be around the household or within walking distance from the family home [14]. Home gardens can be described as a mixed cropping system that encompasses vegetables, fruits, plantation crops, spices, herbs, ornamental and medicinal plants as well as livestock that can serve as a supplementary source of food and income. Fresco and Westphal [15] specify home gardens as a cropping system composed of soil, crops, weeds, pathogens and insects that converts resource inputs - solar energy, water, nutrients, labor, etc. - into food, feed, fuel, fiber and pharmaceuticals. Kumar and Nair [16], while acknowledging that there is no standard definition for 'a home garden', summarize the shared perception by referring to it as '…an intimate, multi-story combinations of various trees and crops, sometimes in association with domestic animals, around homesteads', and add that home garden cultivation is fully or partially committed for vegetables, fruits, and herbs primarily for domestic consumption.

Adding to this, others have described a home garden as a well-defined, multi-storied and multi-use area near the family dwelling that serves as a small-scale supplementary food production system maintained by the household members, and one that encompasses a diverse array of plant and animal species that mimics the natural eco-system 

The home gardening  can be  a farming system that combines different physicalsocial and economic functions on the area of land around the family home. It is used as a place of work and for the storage of farm produce. The home garden is also a place where people live and meet each other and where children play.

 

Importance

We learn so much from the garden about life cycles and the symbiotic relationships between plants, animals, bugs and so much more. Our children learn from the garden with us as well. If you are gardening with kids, you are changing the future. I cannot even tell you how many awe-inspiring things I have learned from our garden.

Some gardeners find the activity relaxing and stress-relieving, for overall mental health benefits. Caring for the plants gives the entire family a chance to work together. If you have neighbors who also garden, the activity sometimes offers social interaction. Gardening also offers a form of moderate outdoor exercise.

 

Benefits

Gardening helps in burning calories,

 Gardening provides a healthier diet

Gardening is an excellent stress buster,

 Gardening strengthens your immune system,

 Save money on groceries.,

 It can provide a source of community.

 Gardening can make you happier

 

How to do home gardening?

Ø Decide what you’d like to grow

Ø Choose a location

Ø Plan your garden beds

Ø Invest in basic garden tools

Ø Test your soil

Ø Prepare the soil

Ø Choose the right seeds or transplants

Ø Plant with care

Ø Nurture your garden

Ø Enjoy your harvest!

 

What does home gardening teach us?

Gardening teaches a plethora of life lessons. Gardening teaches everything from economics to science to spirituality to emotion and love to hard work. Gardening is truly a master teacher for adults and children.

·         Responsibility – from caring for plants

·         Understanding – as they learn about cause and effect (for example, plants die without water, weeds compete with plants)

·         Self-confidence – from achieving their goals and enjoying the food they have grown

·         Love of nature – a chance to learn about the outdoor environment in a safe and pleasant place

·         Reasoning and discovery – learning about the science of plants, animals, weather, the environment, nutrition and simple construction

·         Physical activity – doing something fun and productive

·         Cooperation – including shared play activity and teamwork

·         Creativity – finding new and exciting ways to grow food

·         Nutrition – learning about where fresh food comes from.


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