~Purnaa Negi (@purnaaanegi)
Oh, how one loves the summer breeze and the smell of freshly cut grass. The morning dew that is present on the grass makes the sun shine upon them. The warmth of the sunrays when it falls on your skin in euphoria Flowers that bloom provide colour to our life. The velvety texture of the grass bed has a way of putting you in a sound slumber. Nature’s elements have a way of making us feel at peace and safe.
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Kitchen Gardening – Let’s bring nature back to us
The one way of bringing nature back is by making it yourself. Yes, by Kitchen Gardening. Since lockdown has found a way to make us all tied up, let’s break free of those shackles by starting with our own Kitchen Gardening. Let us read what kitchen gardening actually is, its importances and its benefits.
What is Kitchen Gardening?
Kitchen Gardening is the way in which a person can convert their backyard into a plot of land where they can grow things for human consumption. You have all the liberty to choose from growing tomatoes to aloevera just as you like it.
The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies.
Gertrude Jekyll
One of the major benefits of gardening is that it can help you realize the importance of growth and rejuvenation in your life. Just like a seed is sown to grow, that is how are humans sent into this world to learn. Over the years both realize the importance of fresh air, sunlight and water to nourish themselves.
Of course in due course of time both battle the unwanted things growing along with them, what we call weeds. We fight through it all only to realize that it’s not us nurturing the garden but the garden nurturing us.
How to convert your own backyard into a Kitchen Garden?
It might be difficult to grow edibles on your own but you do not need to worry. For that here are some tips that can help you create an aesthetic as well as a healthy kitchen garden.
- It is necessary to select a weather and duration for your plantation since your crop might require sunlight or excess water which is not available during all season.
- It’s always good to select a location since pollution harms crops.
- Always use earthen pots for growing your plants as they help in keeping the soil very cool during the hot climates which benefits the plants.
- Once you have got your pot, take adequate amount of soil into it and start mixing the top soil with the bottom layer. This ensures that the nutrients of soil are well mixed for growth.
- To ensure proper growth, add manure to it. Manure can be purchased from any nearby garden equipment shop.
- Now the best part, to put the seeds inside and water it! Put the seeds in the middle layer to ensure that it does not get carried away by wind or birds.
- To secure your growth add fertilizers to it. Fertilizers can be made at home as well just by using banana peel or white egg shells.
- Once everything is all set and done, just water your plant and keep it facing towards sunlight. You will be surprised to see how fast and efficient kitchen gardening is.
The Benefits and Importance of Kitchen Gardening
Of the numerous benefits, the best thing is that home grown vegetables or fruits are always safer and healthier. Since you’re the gardener, you know how much care you need to be taking to grow your garden.
Home grown substances are always considered to be pure and not containing any preservatives. It can be easily harvested at any point of time thus no need for having preservatives.
One of the other benefits is that the cost of your own production is always lesser as there is no packaging or taxes involved. Thus, this gives you another reason to grow more things at home.
The choice is in your hands to grow whatever you want in accordance to your liking.
During this lockdown, maybe kitchen gardening can serve as a hobby to you and help you pass time. This is a great way to ensure no dearth of edible resources.
Growing your own kitchen garden can also help you stay positive and find a way to be in touch with the nature, despite being socially isolated.
The importances and benefits of a kitchen garden are evergreen. They are very beneficial and help ensure that the health of you and your loved ones are always at the peak.
Psychologically, a person feels better after doing things on their own. Thus it is beneficial to them as their self-esteem and morale would be boosted after taking up such an important activity.
Furthermore in the future, kitchen gardening can save and sustain the environment at the same time, making the earth a greener and cleaner place to live in.
Conclusion-
It was such a pleasure to sink one’s hands into the warm earth, to feel at one’s fingertips the possibilities of the new season.
Kate Morton, The Forgotten Garden
The importances and benefits of kitchen gardening are vast. They are not just to indulge in the activity with passion but to also make your soul a little more beautiful. Just like all plants find a way to bear fruits and flowers, so does the soul. It may be a task to your hand but it will always remain a food for your soul that you shall cherish.
