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The Ultimate Glossary Of Terms For Homes Gardens
The Benefits of Home Gardens

Home gardens are small-scale subsistence agriculture systems that are established by households in order to supplement and obtain food. These garden plots often consist of a variety of fruits, vegetables, trees, crops ornamental plants, medicinal plants, and livestock [11.

garden flowers show that gardening at home provides multiple advantages to families with limited resources. These benefits include economics, nutrition, health and agro-ecosystem sustainability.

Nutritional Benefits

Numerous studies have shown that gardens at home are essential in providing food and nutrition security. garden beds can provide a range of nutrients, supplement the staple food items, decrease 'hidden hunger' and prevent disease due to micronutrient deficiency and increase family income and livelihoods. They provide ecosystem services and are often utilized to increase community resilience in crisis situations.

In Java, Indonesia, for example, 7% of the time spent by people is spent gardening that accounts for 44 percent of their daily calorie intake, and 32% of their protein intake. This is much more than the value of paddy rice which represents only 6% of a consumption of calories for a household (Sato and Perera).

Gardening at home can provide a wide range of vegetables, fruits, tubers and minerals, including calcium, iron, folate acids and vitamins (especially vitamin C). This helps to create healthy eating and allows families to meet their nutritional requirements with a reasonable cost in comparison to commercial sources of food.

Certain gardens have been created to produce high-value crops such as spices and herbs that can be sold at markets. This has provided additional income for poor households, in particular women, while also improving their health and nutrition status. Some households have also integrated livestock and poultry into their gardens to increase accessibility of animal proteins.

In post-crisis situations, home gardening is often the preferred strategy to improve nutrition and food security. For instance, during the drought in Tajikistan in 2010 a significant portion of households turned to their gardens at home to grow various plants and vegetables, which they grew in their emergency food reserves. Additionally, they cultivated crops such as beans, which were available at a bargain price and comprised the majority of their food supply. They were able to avoid hunger and malnutrition, and maintain their health while reducing their dependency on imported food items. In many cases, this was a lifeline for families that had been severely impacted by the war and were facing economic hardships and unemployment.


Economic Benefits

Gardening at home can provide a host of benefits, including food security and income generation. They provide a continuous and steady supply of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, as well as animal products (e.g. In addition to milk and eggs, they also provide ecosystem services such as soil fertility and water conservation. raised garden make backyard gardening an appealing sustainable agriculture practice, especially in countries that are developing.

The role of the garden at home as a source of basic food items and a buffer against food insecurity has been established in numerous studies. The research has proven that kitchen gardens create steady supply of food that can be consumed by the household as well as supplementary income from sales of produce to markets. These profits can be used to fund other essential needs of the family like savings, education, and healthcare.

According to a review of the literature, women manage the majority of home gardens. This is a reflection of the cultural norms that place a high value on women's contribution to the production of food and nutrition in the home. Women's involvement in the administration of home gardens enables them to develop competence in gardening and plant practices that enhance their agronomic competency and helps meet family needs [41].

The study by Rowe also found that home gardens can supplement the diet of families who reside in densely populated and damaged areas and have a limited amount of croplands. They accomplish this by increasing the supply and variety of food with high nutritional value, thereby improving health and balance in the diet [5252.

Because of their geographical location and horticultural structure homes are often described as low-tech and low-cost agriculture systems [53]. This means that they use locally available resources such as soil, water, seeds, plants and labor to achieve their goals. garden bed reduces the investment and operating costs compared to commercially purchased foods and creates economic value by reducing household expenditure.

In addition to being a diversified source of food and income, backyard gardens also promote the development of rural areas and encourage entrepreneurialism. They have been proven to be particularly effective in post-conflict or fragile situations. For instance in Tajikistan which was declared independent following a prolonged civil war and subsequent natural disasters, such as drought, home gardens provided an important avenue for food security and poverty alleviation for the population (Rowe and co., 2006).

Medical Benefits

Numerous studies across the globe have shown that gardens at home offer a variety of social and cultural as in addition to economic benefits. They help in enhancing the security of nutrition and food in various political and socio-economic situations, promoting family health and human capacity, generating income and self-reliance, empowering women as well as preserving indigenous cultures and knowledge, and preserving natural resources. Gardening at home also contributes to ecosystem services, including habitats for pollinators and animals, nutrient recycling, reduced erosion of soil and protection of watersheds.

Home gardens are now a part of many developing nations landscapes for agriculture due to their wide range of benefits. In the upland regions of north-east India and Latin America for example, gardening at home can be an indigenous ethnoecological (TEK) or traditional response, to declining soil fertility and degradation of the site because of changing agricultural practices.

In addition to their contribution to sustainable food production, gardens at home have been proven to play a crucial role in reducing 'hidden hunger' caused by micronutrient deficiency. Wiersum and. al. mention that the use of different fruit trees in your home gardens lets families easily access an excellent, vitamin and mineral-rich diets, allowing them to avoid diseases caused by deficiencies.

Moreover, in countries undergoing transition and post-conflict situations gardening at home is often used as a way to increase food security, nutrition and living standards in the belief that gardening is a affordable, flexible and adaptable - particularly for households with women as the primary caregivers. Rowe found, for example that in Tajikistan (which was able to break away from the Soviet Union but was plagued by civil war and a severe economic downturn) households relied heavily on their gardens at home to supplement their daily meals.

In addition to that, the cultivation of medicinal plants in the homes gardens has been a significant source of medicine and treatments for numerous ailments in many developing nations. Local, traditional herbal medicine is usually less expensive to make than pharmaceuticals. This makes it more accessible for those who are less fortunate.

Environmental Benefits

Home gardens are small-scaled subsistence agricultural systems that provide food and other household commodities. They typically consist of a mix of shrubs, trees and perennial and annual plants. They can also contain herbs, spices and ornamental species. They also provide a significant source of income and livelihood opportunities especially for resource-poor households.

Home gardening is a better 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 be a habitat for wildlife, like insects, birds and other animals that depend on it to survive. It offers protection from harsh environmental conditions such as the severe sun and wind. A garden in the home can aid in reducing noise pollution from the traffic on busy roads. The tall plants in the garden will help absorb and deflect noise waves and maintain peace in your neighborhood.

In garden beds to the increasing environmental issues, there is a greater focus on establishing and improving local food systems. Gardens at home are becoming more popular as a viable strategy to provide local food services and ecosystem services. Numerous studies have proven positive effects on food, nutrition, and income for resource-poor urban and rural families.

Moreover, research on the social aspects of home gardens also reveal positive effects on the welfare and social eminence of household members, especially women. In the Achuar community of the upper Amazon region, for instance the ability of women to tend to a lush garden increases her social standing.

Gardening at home is a critical strategy for building resilience in the face of recurrent food shortages and crises, like political instability, wars and drought. They are a sustainable, low-cost alternative to imported, expensive food. They also act as an agent of change and growth through the empowerment of disadvantaged communities.

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