Root for Yourself

Eating garden fresh veggies sounds great, doesn’t it? But what if the vegetables you eat are literally plucked from your own garden? Kitchen gardening is one of the best environmental activities that one can do. Vegetables contain lots of vitamins and minerals and when they are grown in a garden, they contain even more nutritional value as they are organic. Varieties such as radish, broad leaf mustard, chillies, tomatoes, lemons, bitter gourd, types of spinach, cucumber, mint, etc., can all be grown in a kitchen garden. For people living in an apartment or house, growing their own veggies can be great. The vegetables available in the markets contain a lot of toxic content that can be harmful for health, especially if they are genetically engineered. While one may not be able to grow all vegetables at home or in a kitchen garden, some of them do serve the purpose.

1. Health: Home grown vegetables are purely organic, inexpensive, and most importantly, natural in its truest form. In other words, they are free of chemicals and pesticides. This will increase the nutritional value when consumed by family members, creating a greater impact in achieving nutrition levels.
2. Fresh Air: Oxygen is must for the survival of human beings and plants are the best source for that. Gardening, even if that’s kitchen gardening, acts as a natural stress reliever while providing for oxygenated air.
3. Detoxification: This is true in cases where one grows herbs in a kitchen garden, as they are detoxifying agents. The best ones to grow at home are lemon grass, coriander, mint, celery, fenugreek, etc. as they are the herbs known to detoxify the body.
4. Creativity: Gardening has been a long known creative pursuit for many, especially now it can be just that because of the locked down time at home. One can experiment with not just nourishing plants but also generate manure from kitchen waste  to move towards a sustainable livelihood.
5. Earthly Connect: Kitchen gardening can help one one get connected to the earth. This, in turn, will make a city greener by increasing the green cover. The process of growing vegetation at home can have a direct impact in shaping our planet.
6. Healer: If peace of mind and healthy mental health is one should normally look for plants and trees to be surrounded by. Well, even though one may not be able to grow a tree in their house, they could definitely do a plantation activity.

According to science, plants are good for a stronger aura and improved mental health: precisely why environmentalists encourage to grow more of houseplants. A kitchen garden can keep the spirit cheered while providing the kitchen with some raw, sun kissed, juicy, and organic tomatoes.

Matter referenced:

Times of India, Ahmedabad, Friday, 5th June, 2020.

By: Dr. Bhawana Asnani.

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