10 Facts About Homes Gardens That Will Instantly Put You In A Good Mood

The Benefits of Home Gardens

Home gardens are small-scale subsistence agricultural systems set up by families to collect and supplement their food needs. These plots of land are typically made up of fruits, vegetables, tree crops ornamental and medicinal plants, and livestock.

Many studies show that home gardens provide multiple advantages to families with limited resources. These benefits include nutrition and economics as in addition to health, sustainability of agroecosystems, as well as overall health.

Nutritional Benefits

Various studies show that gardens at home are essential in providing nutrition and food security. They can provide a range of nutrients, supplement the staple food items, decrease 'hidden hunger' and prevent disease due to micronutrient deficiency and increase the livelihoods of families and their income. They also provide ecosystem services and are often a way to promote community resilience to crises.

In Java, Indonesia, for instance, 7 percent of the time spent by people is spent gardening, which produces 44 percent of their daily calorie intake, and 32% of their protein intake. This is a greater value than paddy rice, which only accounts for 6% of a household's total calories consumed.

Gardening at home can provide a wide range of vegetables, fruits, tubers and minerals, including iron, calcium, folic acids and vitamins (especially vitamin C). This helps to create an optimum diet and allows families to meet their nutritional requirements at a relatively low cost when in comparison to commercial sources of food.

Some gardens have been established to produce high-value crops such as herbs and spices which can be sold in markets.  garden plants  has provided an additional source of income to households that are poor, in particular women, and has improved their health and nutrition status. In addition certain households have been integrating livestock and poultry activities into their garden plots to increase the supply of animal protein.

Gardening at home is often the best strategy to increase food and nutritional security in post-crisis scenarios. For instance, during the drought in Tajikistan in 2010, a substantial portion of households turned to their home gardens for an assortment of plants and vegetables that they cultivated in their emergency food reserves. They also grew beans which were inexpensive and made up a large portion of their food supply. They were able to stay away from malnutrition and hunger and maintain their health and reduce their dependence on imported food. This was an important lifeline for families that were badly affected by the war, and struggling with economic issues and unemployment.

Economic Benefits

Home gardens provide a range of advantages, including the ability to earn income and ensure food security. They can provide a steady and constant supply of fresh fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices, as well as animal product (e.g. In addition to eggs and milk as well as eggs and milk, they also provide ecosystem services, such as soil fertility and water conservation. These multiple advantages make gardening at home an appealing sustainable farming practice, particularly in developing nations.

In numerous studies, the importance of the garden at home in providing staple foods and as an insurance against the threat of insecurity food has been well established. Research has proven that kitchen garden produce a constant supply of food to be consumed by the household and also an additional income from selling products at markets. These profits can be used to fund other basic needs of the family such as healthcare, education and savings.

According to a study of the research, women tend to the majority of gardens at home.  garden plants  is a reflection on the norms of society that place value on the contribution of women to the production of food for the household. The involvement of women in the management of home gardens enables them to develop competence in plant and garden practices, which enhances their agronomic competency and helps meet the needs of families [4141.

In addition, the research by Rowe discovered that home gardens supplement the dietary intake of families living in densely populated and degraded areas with little crop land. They do this by enhancing the availability of high nutrient-dense food items, thus enhancing the health of people and improving their diet [5253.

Home gardens are often described as low-tech, low-cost farming systems due to their location and horticultural characteristics [5353. This means they make use of local resources like soil as well as water, seeds, plants and labor to achieve their objectives. This helps reduce investment and operating costs compared to the cost of commercially purchased food items and also generates economic benefits by cutting down on household expenses.

In addition to providing diverse sources of food and income, backyard gardens also help to promote the development of rural areas and encourage entrepreneurship. They have proven especially efficient in post-conflict and fragile situations. For instance, in Tajikistan which gained independence after a prolonged civil war and subsequent natural disasters like drought, home gardens provided an important source of food security and alleviation of poverty for the population (Rowe and co. (2006)).

Medicinal Benefits

Many studies around the world have found that home  garden s provide a range of cultural and social as well as economic benefits.  garden plants  include enhancing the security of nutrition and food in a variety of political and socio-economic situations, promoting family health and human potential, providing income and self-reliance, helping empower women in preserving indigenous culture and knowledge, and preserving natural resources. Gardening at home also contributes to ecosystem services, including habitats for pollinators and animals as well as nutrient recycling, less erosion of soil and protection of watersheds.

The many advantages that gardens at home can provide has led to them becoming an integral part of the agricultural landscape in many of the developing countries across the world. For instance, in the upland regions of north-east India and Latin America, home garden cultivation is often an ancient ethno-ecological (TEK) response to the decline in soil fertility and the degradation of sites caused by shifting practices in agriculture [9].

In addition to contributing to sustainable food production, backyard gardens have been shown to play an important role in reducing 'hidden hunger' caused by micronutrient deficiencies. As reported by Wiersum et al, the use of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in gardens at home allows families to have easy access to a high-quality diet rich in vitamins and minerals, helping them to avoid diseases caused by deficiency.

In addition, in countries that are in transition or post-conflict, gardening at home has been utilized as a way to increase food security, nutrition and income in the belief that these activities are versatile, affordable and adaptable, particularly for households headed by women. For instance, Rowe found that in Tajikistan, which became independent from the Soviet Union and was tormented by the economic crisis and civil war households could get basic foods from rations, but depended heavily on their home gardens for a variety of other fruits, vegetables and tubers (such as cassava and yams) to add to their daily diet.

The cultivation of medicinal plants by home gardeners has also been a major source of medicines and treatments in many developing countries. This is because local, generally traditional herbal medicines are less expensive to produce than pharmaceuticals that are manufactured commercially and therefore more accessible for poor households.

Environmental Benefits

Home gardens are subsistence farming systems on a small scale that provide food and household goods as well as other household items. They usually consist of a mixture of trees, shrubs as well as perennial and annual plants, herbs, spices, and ornamental species. They are also an important source of income, especially for households with a small budget.

Home gardening is a healthier alternative to commercial agriculture, which is dependent on chemical inputs. They also help to preserve biodiversity and natural resources.

A garden in your home can serve as a habitat for wildlife such as birds, insects and other creatures that depend on it in order to survive. It also offers protection from harsh elements including the harsh sunlight and the wind. A garden in the home can help to reduce noise pollution caused by the traffic on busy roads. The tall plants in the garden can help absorb and deflect the noise, thus helping to maintain the peace in the neighborhood.

In light of the increase in environmental concerns, more attention is being put on establishing and improving local food systems. Home gardens are becoming more well-known as a viable method for providing local food services and ecosystem services. Numerous studies have shown positive impacts on food, nutrition, and income for resource-poor rural and urban families.

Furthermore, studies on the social facets of garden maintenance also reveal positive effects on the wellbeing and social standing of household members particularly women. For instance in the Achuar Indian community of the upper Amazon, a woman's ability to maintain a beautiful garden improves her status as a social pillar.

Gardens at home can be crucial to build resilience in the face of frequent food shortages and crisis, like during conflict, political instability, and drought. They can be a sustainable, low-cost alternative to imported expensive foods. They can also be an agent of change and development by empowering communities that are disadvantaged.