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Why you need to invest in a kitchen garden

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 Why you need a kitchen garden (Photo: iStock)

With the rising cost of living, you should consider starting or improving your kitchen garden as it has a number of advantages other than being cost-friendly.

It can be done on a small scale by using flower vases, tires, and jerricans or on the balcony or large scale, in your backyards or rooftops.

In a garden, you can grow a variety of fruits, vegetables, spices, and herbs. But first, consider the benefits of having a kitchen garden:

Cost friendly

By growing your own fruits and vegetables one can significantly reduce the amount of money spent grocery shopping. Having to constantly buy groceries can be draining as it costs a lot of money but when one invests in a good kitchen garden, they do not have to worry about spending much as there is always a constant food supply.

You can get what you want at any given time, in any given amount without caring about the cost.

Educational opportunities

Gardening is a wonderful opportunity for your children to learn about various plants` life cycles and the importance of healthy practices. Gardening also improves the literacy skills of your children as they learn the names of different plants and tools used in the garden.

This will enable one to engage with their children on a one-to-one basis thus creating more family time.

The children can also scribble and draw on the ground eventually improving their writing skills.

Healthy eating

Having a kitchen garden will ensure that one has vegetables in their diet which in return has various benefits to our bodies.

One has control over what they consume and what chemicals are being used, this will help avoid consumption of chemicals that are usually found in foods bought in stores or marketplaces.

Additionally, freshly grown vegetables and fruits retain more nutrients, vitamins and minerals essential for our bodies.

Keeps you busy

Most of us have a lot of free time on our hands and do not know how to use it, so we end up spending too much time on our screens which is harmful.

Gardening keeps us occupied and has therapeutic effects on us by allowing us to calm down and connect with nature.

It helps one improve their overall mood, reduce stress and enhance well-being as one will be out and about not overthinking or stressing.

Can also be a great way to take some time for yourself, as it can be a peaceful and tranquil activity.

A kitchen garden can provide a great opportunity to slow down and just simply enjoy the process of watching something grow.

Environmental sustainability

When one garden they will be able to control the amount of pesticides and chemicals being used thus contributing to a healthier ecosystem.

The carbon footprint associated with the transportation of foods to our convenience stores will be reduced as one will be relying on their garden for foodstuff.

Community engagement

Growing a kitchen garden will enable one to interact with their neighbours when sharing gardening tips and even recipes.

Sharing food can help one connect with family and friends and allows you to spend quality time together while creating something beautiful.

Donating surplus food to the community can also be a great bonding experience for all those involved.

No food insecurity

Another major benefit of having a kitchen garden is that it also helps in fighting food insecurity. If you produce your own vegetables and fruits that you regularly consume, you won’t need to go buy them from a grocery store so if there is a shortage of food in the market, you will not be bothered about it because you have food stuff readily available.

Having a kitchen garden benefits one in various ways but it all depends on the amount of time one has, space available and resources available.

When one invests in a kitchen garden, they will most definitely not regret it. 

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