Introduction to Kitchen Garden

Introduction

With the diminishing of agricultural land day by day due to rapid industrialization and urbanization, there is very less area lying vacant for vegetable cultivation in both urban and rural areas. Vegetables are in high demand in Indian meals due to awareness among the people regarding their nutritional importance and cultural values. Same time Government pushes the organic farming concept in crop cultivation to tackle different hazards like soil pollution, water pollution, human being serious health issue like cancer, diabetes, obesity etc. due excess use of chemicals in vegetable cultivation.

For people to stay healthy it’s very important to have a healthy diet. A healthy diet means a balanced mix of rice, bread, pulses, vegetables, herbs, fruit etc. Vegetables are a very important part of a good diet as they contain various nutrients for many body functions. For growing, energy and protection against disease, vegetables play an essential role.

It is very difficult to cater for the demand for quality vegetables for 1.3 billion people in India this is an alarming situation for us. On the other side, we have less land for cultivation and on other the hand, we need a high amount of quality vegetables free from chemical toxicity for our health. Human-made situations can be easily solved by the adoption of the Kitchen Garden concept in India.

What is Kitchen Garden?

It is the art of growing vegetables on a small piece of land in a planned way in the vicinity of a living /residential house to meet the needs of the family with fresh produce all year round regularly.

This is not a new concept of vegetables growing. Since early times a small plot near the house has been used for growing a variety of vegetables according to the season. A kitchen garden or home garden is primarily intended for a continuous supply of fresh vegetables for family use. A kitchen garden is an integrated system which comprises the family house, a recreational area and a garden, producing a variety of foods including vegetables, fruits and medicinal plants for home consumption.

It ensures balanced household consumption of vegetables and fruits in their daily food habits and prevents nutritional maladies by adopting an organic Kitchen Garden model in their backyards. In urban areas, the land is a limiting factor and very often crops are raised in the limited available area balcony or terraces of buildings.

WHY DO WE NEED A KITCHEN GARDEN?

Vegetables are known as protective food because they are rich sources of vitamins, minerals and fibres. These always protect human beings against many diseases and disorders. For people to stay healthy it’s very important to have a healthy diet. Kitchen gardens have been associated with improved dietary diversity scores and greater consumption of vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables.

So ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi) has recommended 300g of vegetables per day per adult for a balanced diet and to stay healthy. 300g vegetables include 125g leafy vegetables, 100g root and tuber vegetables and the rest 75g are other vegetables, reported an increase per cent intake of Calcium, Iron and Vitamin A such as 15%, 11% and 55% respectively by the establishment of a kitchen garden.

The vegetables consumed should be fresh and free from any type of chemical residue. Generally, the Vegetables which we purchase from the market are not fresh and may be of low nutritional quality. So, it is always advised to grow a healthy vegetable crop in a house to meet the vegetable demand of a family which are healthy and wealthy.

Benefits of the Kitchen Garden

• It fulfils the vegetables demand of a family around the year.
• It provides fresh vegetables
• It is also for exercise and time spent by family members
• It provides quality vegetables devoid of chemical fertilizers and pesticides
• Different vegetables can be taken season-wise to fulfil the vegetable requirement
• Kitchen waste is utilised as compost after decomposition. Nutrient cycling is another ecological benefit of home gardens
• Save the cost of buying vegetables and herbs
• Waste resources such as sweepings, kitchen scraps and wasteland around the house can be made productive
• Because fresh and quality vegetables are available whenever needed we can save time in purchasing from the market
• Self-preparedness

MY EXPERIENCE

I have a lot to say about the joys and importance of kitchen gardening. Once I began my kitchen garden and saw how good it was for me and how I had more than enough to share with my neighbours, it then extended into an appreciation for local farmers and a desire to support them. It also turned into a love of the bees, butterflies, and toads that returned to my yard. All this is because of a few raised beds filled with veggies. I was convinced the whole world needed a kitchen garden.

At first, I used to farm the traditional way but doing this, one type of vegetable was grown altogether so there were more pest problems, and more maintenance was needed as well. I’ve been collecting wastewater from the kitchen for irrigation. For compost, I collect the rubbish around the house and cow shed into a sweepings pit. When I plant various types of vegetables mixed, there are fewer pest problems. There’s less weeding too, because they’re planted so closely, and I mulch where I can. When I harvest, I clear whatever weeds there are and mulch them back on the beds – that’s more compost. I collect seeds from the best plants of everything. With this method, I plant once and then need very little work or maintenance – just harvesting, and eating.

“There aren’t many things in the world that are beautiful and inspiring, productive, and so good for every aspect of your health. “At first glance, you wouldn’t think that having a kitchen garden could change the world. But when you think about the fact that all of us eat three meals a day, you soon realize that the choices we make with our food add up quickly. I truly believe a kitchen garden revival could change the whole world for the better palace.”

Conclusion

Our modern industrialized food chain gives us very little control over where our food comes from and what goes into growing it. But by starting a kitchen garden and growing even a small portion of your food, you’ll not only be cultivating a connection to what you eat, but you’ll also be helping the planet. Not to mention the fact that it just feels good to have a hand in feeding yourself and your family. Plus, it’s good exercise!

Kitchen gardens should be part of the home and hobby irrespective of the fact whether it is developed in hills, plains, villages or cities. The idea of a kitchen garden should be spread so that it can contribute substantially to the health, happiness and economy of every family.

There are many reasons for having a Kitchen Garden but one of the simplest reasons for having a kitchen garden is that it can make you “HEALTHY WEALTHY AND WISE”