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Gardening Essay

Gardening is indeed a favourite pastime for us. With our busy and concrete lifestyle, gardening is the only way that keeps us connected to mother nature. Gardening gives us immense joy, as we can see the shrubs and the flowers growing right from their tender stage till it completely shoots and lush into their green life. This literally gives us a sense of mortality which the living creatures have on this planet.

Gardening keeps our daily life fresh, watering the plants, nurturing them, cleaning them all gives us a sense of freshness and calmness in our mind.

Essay on Gardening for Students

In this essay on gardening, the gardening paragraph has been described in detail. A garden can be defined as a piece of property that is structured near or around our house. Different kinds of trees, beautiful flowers, fruits, vegetables, and so on are cultivated. 

People are fond of grooming many types of gardens. A flower garden which consists of varieties of beautifully scented flowers, a fruit garden that holds nutritious fruits, a vegetable garden is very much loved by the households as they bear healthy vegetables which are then cooked and included in their meal are the best examples. Apart from these, botanical gardens and medicinal herb gardens that cure diseases are also included in the hobby.

We love to grow fruit or vegetable gardens near our homes, as this gives us the opportunity to savour the fruit of our hard work in real. These kinds of gardens are known as gardens of the kitchen. Colleges have their own gardens in order to work as a learning lad for the students. Gardening gives us an insight into some of the best practices of the same.

Gardening as a Hobby Essay

Gardens are a good and enjoyable pastime. Enjoying in the fenced lap of nature is something which would seem artificial to the common people but quite peaceful to the city people as they are busy in the other parts of their life, hustling to get something, but gardening helps them to re-start fresh their mornings or evenings. The garden is surrounded by a fence to protect them from stray animals like dogs, cats, or cows. Usually, these fences are made of wood or bamboo.

The garden is designed into splits, the splits are the various parts. All the sections split into flower beds. While every bed is surrounded by an earthen uplift. For these flower crops, fruit trees, vegetables, and medicinal herbs, some parts are intended to be cared for.

In different seasons, people also plant seasonal vegetables. Pumpkin, gourd, lettuce, bitter gourd, garlic, tomato, potato, brinjal, bean, pea, cabbage, turnip, cauliflower, radish, carrots, chilies, and other vegetables. While, among fruit trees apples, chikoos, oranges, plums, etc. In addition to this people also grows climbers and creepers to decorate their garden. Among these includes a money plant, various shrubs. All of these come under the kingdom of plants.

How to Take Care of Plants Essay

People root the grasses, prepare the beds, sow the seeds, plant the trees, and water the crops on a routine basis. People work in their gardens both during the morning and evening, they keep their garden neat and tidy.

We must love and nurture the gardens as well. We must keep in mind to take care of the insect crops in the garden. For these crops, insects can be dangerous. On the crops, flowers, and fruit crops, insects lay eggs, thus we need to sprinkle insecticides that can destroy these eggs. In the soil as well, lime should be occasionally blended to kill the germs and the bacteria that breed in it. This helps the soil’s fertility to improve.

If we attempt to write any 5 Simple Sentences about Garden it can be as follows:

Gardening refines the mood and calms the life of the individual practising it.

In the gardens, we grow various flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

We tender and care for the life of these beautiful crops, thus we grow them with utmost love and care.

These plants in our garden purify the air around us, thus making the air healthy which we breathe.

Also, watching greenery is good for our eyesight. Gardening gives us the scope for the same.

Short Essay on Pleasure of Gardening

Gardening gives us pleasure as we watch the plants grow. With our care, love, and nurture we see the plants growing and flowers blooming, this is a sight to cherish, thus we say gardening gives us a sense of pleasure and enjoyment. From our garden we can get fruits, vegetables and flowers, by this we can enjoy our own hard work. We can get healthy fruits, vegetables, and flowers to decorate. Thus, in this manner too, gardening helps us.

If you will take the time to stop and enjoy gardening, you will realize that it can offer you many pleasures. Finding the perfect plant for your garden can even make you feel an essence of accomplishment. If you’ve got enough space in your garden, you can plan a small pond or a recreation spot into your garden, creating a haven for yourself to simply relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. 

If there are certain flowers you like, you can incorporate them into particular places in your garden. Each time you step out you will see those flowers blooming giving you a true feeling of well-being.

Short essay on Gardening in 100 Words

Gardening is a really good practical activity. You can grow your own vegetables and fruits and thereby you can ensure that you have healthy organic food on the table. When you cook vegetables from your garden, you do so knowing that you’re getting the freshest meal. Gardening necessitates learning about different plants that thrive in various conditions and planning the layout of the garden. Achieving all these gives obvious mental happiness and it opens up our mood.

Gardens can provide a healthier diet, a healthier lifestyle, and also financial relief. Gardening is also a great life lesson that is passed on through generations. it is a great learning experience, no matter the age.

Benefits of Gardening

Health Benefits: Regular gardening activities can be really health-promoting. Gardening can help you encourage mindfulness, lower the stress level and improve the quality of life.  

Environment Benefits:   We all know that human activities have had a serious impact on the environment. Plants and trees generate fresher and cleaner air by releasing oxygen after absorbing carbon dioxide, thereby reducing pollutants in the atmosphere. Plants also prevent erosion because roots hold soil in place.

Vegetable Growth:   Vegetable gardening provides us with various benefits. Growing your own vegetables enables you to know what you have used to help the vegetables grow, and not worry about pesticides and other chemical residues that may have been spread around on the vegetables . 

Importance of Garden in Our Life

Gardening may seem like a hobby, while in reality gardening is actually useful and thus essential to us.

Gardening includes physical activity, like - weeding, plant watering, mulching, trellising, and harvesting–all of these involve the gardener’s physical labour input. Therefore, gardening becomes a great booster to our workout routine as well.

Gardening is indeed a very practical activity. We can develop our own vegetables and fruits, which will allow us to have good food on the table.

Aesthetic gardening brings a sense of pleasure to human beings. Ornamental gardening is a real beauty. Furthermore, these flowers that we grow serve as decorative items for most occasions like births, anniversaries, weddings, birthdays, and funerals.

Characteristics of botanic gardens

The following is a list of criteria that may be met in part or whole by any institution that is considered to be a botanic garden:

Open to the public

A fundamental scientific basis for the collections

Adequate documentation of the collections, including the wild origin

Observations of the plants in the collections

Appropriate labelling of the plants

A source of information to other gardens, institutions, and the public

Exchange of seed or other materials with other botanic gardens, arboreta, or research institutions

The undertaking of technical or scientific research on plants in the collections.

Maintenance of research programs in plant taxonomy in associated herbaria.

Tips for writing an essay on gardening

Identify the requirements

Follow the traditional structure of an essay

Start writing early 

Stick to your topic

Use relevant sources 

Don’t forget to pay attention to the conclusion 

Proofread your essay

Gardening is one way to express our love, care, and nurture. Gardening is quite similar to watching and growing an infant. While gardening one can imagine the life cycle of the plant starting from the embryo till the plant shoots up to bear fruits. Gardening gives us immense pleasure and soothes our minds.

FAQs on Essay on Gardening

1. Define a Botanical Garden?

Botanical Garden is a garden which is dedicated to collection, cultivation and they are displayed in a wide range of plants which are labelled with their botanical names.

A botanical garden is also known as the botanic garden, this is a collection of living plants that are designed chiefly to illustrate the relationships which exist among the plant groups. The botanical garden is a type of display garden that concentrates on woody plants like shrubs and trees. Botanical Garden acts as a germplasm collection and helps the development of new hybrids.

2.What Type of Plants is Best for the Garden?

Different types of vegetables which we like to eat are the best plants to grow in the garden. Plant head lettuce, a lettuce cutting mix, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots are a good start to this. Most of the plants need space and if you don't let them have their own little piece of territory, there may be hell to pay. You should be realistic with your garden plant ideas by starting simply with a piece of paper, a tape measure, and a ruler to measure up the size of your plot.

3.How can I Design my Garden?

We can give a shape to our garden lawn, we can plan our planting, the paving can be done beautifully in order of distinct levels. Gardening is not very tough, but also not too easy. It needs a perfect combination of hard work and knowledge. The hard work is that you need to do, no one can help you with that. Knowledge is something that can be gained by reading books, blogs, and watching videos. You can start by learning the sunlight and wind exposure of your place, as well as your soil structure and health. You need to decide how you want to use the space within the limits discovered above, and be sure to do some reading on the different flower bed styles and about how you can design them.

Why I Love Gardening: How It Changed My Life

Have you ever wondered why some people are so passionate about gardening, treating their plants like prized possessions?

I share my own gardening story here today. It all started during my childhood when my grandmother, Jenny, introduced me to the wonders of gardening. We’d spend hours in her lush backyard, planting and tending to various crops.

Our special bond grew as we harvested tomatoes and transformed them into homemade spaghetti sauce. This early connection to the earth and to family traditions sparked a lifelong love for gardening in me.

Whether you’re a seasoned green thumb or just considering your first soil-dusted adventure, this article is for you. Discover the science-backed benefits of gardening, from stress reduction to improved mental health.

Get ready to dig in, because understanding why people love gardening might just inspire you to pick up a trowel and join in the fun.

Key Reasons I Love Gardening

• Gardening is a journey of resilience : Embrace setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow.
• Your garden can be a peaceful oasis : Design calming spaces and embrace the meditative process.
• Gardening is a lifelong pursuit : Constantly learn, experiment, and be patient.
• Benefits go beyond greenery : You can enjoy fresh, nutritious food and make a positive impact on the environment.
• Gardening is a creative outlet : Plan and design your garden as a dynamic and evolving canvas.
• Gardening offers a tangible way to connect with nature and yourself.
• Gardening is for everyone : From novices to experts, the joy and benefits are available to all.

My Gardening Story: From Novice to Enthusiast

In this part, I’m sharing my own gardening tale, from the initial spark that tugged at my heart to the myriad challenges that made me question my green thumb. I hope my journey resonates with you, whether you’re just starting out or have been working your plot for years.

The Initial Spark

I had always admired my grandmother Jenny’s green thumb, but it wasn’t until that sunny afternoon in her backyard that I caught the gardening bug. We were there to grow tomatoes, and as she handed me a tiny seedling, she shared tales of her own grandmother doing the same—talk about a family tradition!

As the days turned into weeks and then months, that little seedling transformed into a sprawling tomato plant, laden with juicy red globes. Harvesting those tomatoes with Jenny was a joy I can’t quite put into words.

We spent hours in her kitchen, turning them into the most mouthwatering homemade spaghetti sauce. The aroma alone was a trip down memory lane.

That experience with my grandmother taught me that gardening is more than just a hobby; it’s a way to connect with our roots—both literally and figuratively. The garden became our shared passion, bridging the generational gap and creating an unbreakable bond. And that’s the same bond that I now have with my daughters. 

If you have someone in your life who loves to garden, consider joining them in the dirt. The memories you’ll create will be worth every ounce of soil.

Overcoming Challenges

Gardening, like any pursuit worth its salt, isn’t all sunshine and blooming roses. It has its thorny moments, quite literally. But the beauty of it all is realizing that every setback is a masterclass in resilience.

My initial forays into gardening were marked by a series of mishaps. I drowned plants with overzealous watering, underestimated the importance of sunlight, and didn’t give my soil the love and care it deserved. It was a humbling experience, to say the least.

But instead of throwing in the trowel (pun intended), I treated these moments as opportunities to learn. I read books, attended workshops, and even sought advice from seasoned gardeners in my community.

Here are a few challenges I faced, and the lessons I learned:

• The Battle of the Bugs : Pesky insects, the bane of every gardener’s existence. My first encounter with aphids left my prized roses looking like a buffet. But instead of reaching for chemical sprays, I dove into the world of organic pest control . I introduced beneficial insects like ladybugs and lacewings to my garden and embraced companion planting. The result? A thriving ecosystem where pests and predators balanced each other out.
• The Soil Conundrum : Not all dirt is created equal, and my plants made sure I knew it. From heavy clay to sandy soil, each posed a different challenge. The solution? I became a soil connoisseur. I enriched my clay soil with compost , added organic matter to my sandy beds, and even experimented with raised beds and containers to have more control over the growing medium.
• The Weather Woes : From scorching summer days to unexpected frosts, Mother Nature can be quite fickle. I lost tender seedlings and watched some of my favorite plants succumb to extreme weather conditions. But instead of cursing the skies, I started planting with the climate in mind. Drought-tolerant varieties, shade cloths, and frost blankets became my best friends.

Through each of these challenges, I not only became a more knowledgeable gardener but also discovered a newfound determination to succeed. Gardening has taught me that setbacks are just opportunities in muddied overalls.

So, the next time you face a garden glitch, remember this: a green thumb isn’t something you’re born with, but a skill you cultivate through weathered leaves and lessons learned.

The Joy of Gardening: A Therapeutic Escape

Gardening has been my refuge, my sanctuary, and my personal therapist. There are two aspects that make gardening an unparalleled therapeutic escape – Creating a Peaceful Oasis and The Meditative Process.

Creating a Peaceful Oasis

Imagine you’re in your garden, surrounded by a gentle breeze and the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers. The only sounds you hear are the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves. In this moment, the cacophony of the outside world is muted, and a serene calm washes over you. This is the power of gardening as a peaceful oasis.

When I step into my garden, everything else fades into the background. The act of tending to plants, feeling the soil between my fingers, and witnessing the slow growth and transformation—it all brings a sense of tranquility like no other.

And research agrees, with studies showing that spending time in nature can reduce stress, anxiety, and even lower blood pressure.

Why is gardening so calming? Well, it’s a multi-sensory experience. You see vibrant colors, feel the soft petals, and breathe in the earthy scents. It’s a feast for the senses, and each one contributes to the overall peace you feel.

Here’s a list of ways gardening and gardens have led to a peaceful oasis in my life:

• Smells : Fragrant flowers, herbs, and freshly turned earth.
• Sounds : Birds chirping, leaves rustling, and the trickle of water in a fountain or pond.
• Sights : Lush greenery, colorful blooms, and even the play of light and shadow.
• Touch : The softness of a velvety petal, the rough texture of tree bark, and the coolness of dew on your fingertips.

Gardening invites me to be present, to observe, and to nurture. When I feel overwhelmed, I take a stroll through my garden or spend a few minutes tending to my plants. You’ll be surprised at how this simple act can transform your mental state.

The Meditative Process

Gardening has this uncanny ability to morph into a meditative affair. The repetitive tasks, like sowing seeds or weeding, give us something to focus on, something to immerse ourselves in. And as we’re engaged in these tasks, nature becomes our partner in this dance of mindfulness.

Here’s how the meditative garden process can unfold:

• Repetition and Rhythm : Whether it’s the rhythmic motion of raking or the repeated strokes of a pruning shear, the repetitive nature of many gardening tasks can be inherently calming.
• Focus on the Present : As we tend to each plant, each flower, we’re drawn into the present moment. Worries and stressors seem to fade into the background as we become fully engrossed in this gentle, natural rhythm.
• Connection to the Senses : From the smell of freshly turned soil to the feel of cool water on our hands, every sensory experience in the garden deepens our connection with nature and brings us into the here and now.
• Nature as a Guide : In the garden, we follow the rhythm of the seasons, the needs of different plants, and the daily changes in light and weather. This attunement to the natural world fosters a sense of harmony and flow.

I find that the meditative aspect of gardening is a chance to unplug, let go, and be fully present. The garden becomes our sanctuary, a space where we can find a moment of peace amidst the chaos of daily life.

Constant Learning of Gardening: A Lifelong Pursuit

Gardening is a journey of constant learning, and that’s precisely what makes it such a lifelong pursuit. Gardening is no static affair; it’s a dance with nature that demands we stay nimble, curious, and forever open to new knowledge. It’s like stumbling upon a hidden library, where each plant and plot offers a fresh book to unravel.

The more time I spend in the garden, the more I realize that its soil is not just a bed for plants — it’s a fertile ground for my own personal growth.

Here are a few of the many skills and insights gardening has taught me:

• Plant Proficiency : Knowing the difference between a perennial and an annual, deciphering a plant’s light and water requirements, and understanding its growth habit—all this botanical knowledge comes with time and hands-on experience.
• Soil Science : Every garden plot has its own tale to tell, and soil is the storyteller. From pH levels to compaction, soil texture to nutrient deficiencies, understanding and amending the very foundation of your garden is like unlocking the secret language of plants.
• Ecosystem Dynamics : As I dig deeper into gardening, I find myself delving into the intricate relationships between plants, insects, soil microorganisms, and even larger creatures. Gardening is both an art and a science, and this newfound ecological perspective has enriched my view of the natural world.
• Creative Problem-Solving : Gardening keeps us on our toes, doesn’t it? From battling pests and diseases to mitigating climate challenges, every season brings its own set of conundrums. But with every problem comes an opportunity to innovate, whether it’s through companion planting, homemade remedies, or simply observing and adapting.
• A Taste for Experimentation : Gardening is a delightful playground for the curious. Over the years, I’ve tried my hand at everything from heirloom vegetables to hybrid flowers, from traditional planting to hydroponics. Some experiments have yielded bumper crops, while others have been valuable lessons in resilience and letting go.
• A Lesson in Patience : Gardening is a gentle reminder that not everything is instant gratification. It teaches us to wait, to tend, and to nurture with unwavering patience. And when those first shoots push through the soil or that bud finally blooms, the reward is all the more sweeter.

Gardening has not just been about turning barren land into bountiful gardens; it has transformed me into a perpetual student, each harvest season bringing a new chapter to study. It’s a journey of endless fascination and self-discovery, all sparked by the humble act of sowing a seed and watching it grow.

A Source of Fresh, Nutritious Food

My garden isn’t just a patch of soil; it’s an oasis of fresh, nutritious food and a sanctuary for nature. 

Gardening has elevated my relationship with food to a whole new level. The sheer joy of plucking a ripe tomato from the vine or biting into a freshly picked cucumber is unbeatable. But it’s not just about the taste; it’s about the unparalleled nutrition.

Here’s how growing your own produce can be a game-changer for your diet:

• Nutritional Superiority : Homegrown fruits and vegetables often outshine their store-bought counterparts in both taste and nutrition. This is because you have complete control over the soil quality, fertilizers, and pest control methods you use.
• Rich in Antioxidants : The moment you harvest your crops, they begin to lose some of their nutritional value. By growing your own, you can consume them at their peak, when they are bursting with antioxidants that are crucial for our health.
• Variety and Seasonality : Ever wondered why a tomato from the farmers’ market tastes better than a supermarket one in the dead of winter? Homegrown produce allows you to explore heirloom varieties and enjoy food when it’s in season and at its best.
• Reduced Chemical Exposure : When you control the growing process, you can avoid or minimize the use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides, ensuring you consume food that is as clean and safe as possible.

There’s a certain satisfaction in knowing that the food on your plate came from just steps away. You become more mindful of what you eat, savoring each bite, and appreciating the journey it took from seed to table.

Gardening has taught me that the freshest, most nutritious food isn’t just an indulgence; it’s a daily celebration of nature’s gifts.

Positive Environmental Impact

Gardening isn’t just about beautifying our surroundings; it’s about being good stewards of the earth we inhabit. The positive impact of gardening on the environment is profound, and it goes beyond the surface.

Let me walk you through some of the key ways gardening has transformed me into an environmental advocate:

• Carbon Footprint Reduction
• By growing my own food, I’ve significantly reduced my reliance on store-bought produce, which often travels long distances, contributing to carbon emissions.
• Composting kitchen scraps and yard waste has cut down on the amount of organic matter ending up in landfills, where it would generate harmful greenhouse gases.
• Increased Biodiversity
• Creating wildlife-friendly gardens with diverse plant species has provided essential habitats and food sources for pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects.
• Observing different species thrive in my garden has made me more aware of the intricate web of life and our role in its conservation.
• Water Conservation
• Employing smart watering techniques, like using rainwater catchment systems or drip irrigation, has reduced my water usage significantly.
• Mulching garden beds conserves soil moisture, reducing the need for additional watering.
• Soil Health and Conservation
• Ditching synthetic fertilizers and opting for organic amendments and compost has improved the health of my soil, making it more resilient and less prone to erosion.
• Implementing practices like crop rotation and cover cropping helps maintain the soil’s structure and fertility, preventing nutrient runoff into nearby water bodies.

These actions may seem small, but when multiplied across the gardening community, they make a significant impact. Gardening has offered me a tangible way to contribute positively to the environment, fostering a deep sense of responsibility and connection to the planet we call home.

Gardening as a Creative Outlet

I’ve always had a deep appreciation for the arts, but it wasn’t until I discovered gardening that I found a truly dynamic and evolving creative outlet.

Gardening is like painting with nature, where I’m the director and the plants are my actors. From the initial designing and planning stages to the seasonal transformations, every step offers a chance to exercise my artistic instincts. 

Designing and Planning

My garden is a blank canvas, a world I can shape with my imagination and a few basic principles of design. The artistic process of plotting out beds, walkways, and focal points is where the magic begins. And let’s not forget the plant selection—the colors, textures, and heights that come together to create a living masterpiece.

There’s a rhythm to it all, a harmony in the way colors and forms play off each other. When I’m designing my own garden, I find myself drawn to certain color schemes—cool blues and purples for a serene retreat, or fiery oranges and reds for a vibrant energy boost. It’s like painting with living pigments.

The key to a successful garden design plan is capturing not only your own aesthetic vision but also the practical considerations of your space and climate. By thoughtfully placing plants of varying heights and textures, you can create layers and add depth to your landscape. It’s like choreographing a dance between the plants and the elements.

My love for artistic expression and my passion for gardening converged when I discovered the world of themed gardens. From formal knot gardens with their intricate patterns to wild meadows that dance with the wind, each theme offers a unique artistic statement. It’s not just about pretty flowers—it’s about telling a story, evoking an emotion, or creating a sense of place.

Consider some of these design and storytelling strategies and tips:

• Color Schemes : Experiment with different combinations and learn how they influence the mood of your garden.
• Focal Points : Choose a dominant feature, like a sculpture, large plant, or even a well-placed bench, to create a sense of focus and draw the eye.
• Texture Play: Mix up leaf shapes and sizes to add interest and depth to your beds.
• Repetition and Balance : Repeating certain plants or elements can create a sense of rhythm and balance in your design.
• Themed Gardens : Pick a theme, whether it’s inspired by a favorite book, culture, or time period, and let it guide your plant and design choices.

Your garden is an ever-evolving canvas. Don’t be afraid to experiment, take risks, and let your personality shine through. It’s this artistic freedom that makes gardening not just a hobby but a transformative experience.

Seasonal Transformations

Each season is a theater production in my garden, with new characters, colors, and scents taking center stage. The excitement of watching the plot unfold, from the tender greens of spring to the fiery hues of autumn, is unparalleled.

When you witness these shifts, you develop a deeper connection with nature. You start to understand the intricate dance between the elements and the plants, and it’s both humbling and awe-inspiring. It’s a reminder that life, even in its most delicate forms, is resilient and cyclical.

Seeing the barren winter landscape slowly awaken with the arrival of crocuses and snowdrops is like spotting the first light after a long, dark night. The garden then grows with confidence, each bloom and leaf adding to the overall tapestry.

And let’s not forget the joy of harvesting your own bounty in the summer. From crisp lettuce leaves to juicy tomatoes, the rewards are not just visual but also gastronomic. There’s a sense of accomplishment in knowing that you played a part in this cycle of growth and nourishment.

When you witness these transformations year after year, your perspective on time changes. You become more attuned to the rhythm of the natural world, and in turn, it grounds you. Life’s daily stresses seem a bit smaller when you can step outside and witness the grand spectacle of nature’s theater.

Final Thoughts on My Love for Gardening

As I conclude this heartfelt ode to gardening, I can’t help but dwell on the personal growth, happiness, and fulfillment it has ushered into my life. What started as a pastime soon became a passion, and now, it’s an intrinsic part of who I am.

Through all the seasons, successes, and setbacks, gardening has taught me patience, resilience, and the beauty of life’s cycles. It’s given me a sense of purpose, a sanctuary to retreat to, and the joy of nurturing something from seed to bloom. In the garden, I’ve found solace during difficult times and celebration during moments of triumph.

The lessons I’ve learned from tending the soil have extended far beyond the confines of my backyard. The interconnectedness of plants and ecosystems has inspired me to be more mindful of my choices and their impact on the planet. Gardening has also helped me forge deeper connections with my community, as I’ve shared my bounty with friends and neighbors.

If you’re yet to embark on this green journey, I can’t recommend it enough. The benefits are as varied as the flowers in a meadow: a respite from the hustle and bustle, a chance to grow both as a gardener and as an individual, and the simple, unadulterated joy of watching life flourish under your care.

So, grab a trowel, dig your hands into the earth, and let gardening transform your life. I promise you, it’s a love affair that will only blossom with time. 

What’s Your Gardening Story?

Now, it’s your turn to step into the spotlight. I want to hear your gardening tales, your triumphs, and even your epic failures. Gardening is a journey we all embark on, and no two paths are the same.

Share your story, and let’s create a vibrant, interconnected community where we can celebrate the joys and learn from the challenges.

By sharing your experiences, you’re not only adding depth to our understanding of gardening but also giving others the courage to take those first steps or the inspiration to try something new.

Whether you have a sprawling backyard or a single windowsill, your voice matters, and I can’t wait to hear it. The garden is a place not just for plants to grow but for us to grow as well, so let’s grow together.

Written by:

Smart Garden and Home 1335 S Birch St Santa Ana, CA 92707

© 2024 SmartGardenHome.com | All Rights Reserved

Essay on Garden for Students and Children

500+ words essay on garden.

Essay on Garden- For me, the garden is an important part of the house. From an early age, I have an interest in gardening. Garden is a place that gives relaxation to the mind and soul. Besides, gardening can be an interesting and productive hobby. Also, it teaches a person the value of patience, hard work, and love and affection. Because gardening takes a lot of effort in growing and maintaining. It also gives peace to the person who takes care of it.

Benefits of Garden

The garden is the only place in the house which calm senses and give a pleasing feeling to the mind and body. Also, you can install a gazebo in the garden and enjoy your garden’s beauty while sitting on it.

Besides, another benefit of the garden is that you can grow organic vegetables and fruits at home. The quantity of this product is large so you can share it with your neighbors.

Also, the homegrown fruits and vegetables are more delicious and taste better than the fruits and vegetables that we buy from the market.

Moreover, my garden has many flowering plants that give a pleasuring fragrance that makes the environment light and aromatic. The flowering plants that I have in my garden include roses, sunflowers, dahlia, jasmine, marigold, common, night-blooming jasmine, tuberose flower, hibiscus and many more. But, my all-time favorite is night-blooming jasmine whose pleasing smell spread at night and make the whole house aromatic.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Maintenance of a Garden

Everyone thinks that planting trees and plants is an easy task and anyone with a trowel, lopper, and weeder can easily do it. But, only gardeners and the people who do gardening knows the effort and energy that gardening needs. Besides, only water is not enough for plants they also need manure. Also, they need daily care in order to keep them healthy and fresh .

Moreover, most of the plants are green which means they need proper sunlight . Many people hire professional gardeners for taking care of their garden but doing it on our own is more pleasurable. Also, it helps us to connect with the garden.

Growing the Garden

Most of the plants and trees that are in my garden are either planted by me or my family members. We go to the nursery to buy seasonal plants every season and most of the flowering plants are replaced every season as they die due to climate change. After buying them we plant these saplings or plants in a strategical order. So, that garden looks more colorful.

To conclude, we can say that gardening is a very good and productive habit. Also, it helps a person to establish a connection with the greenery and love towards nature.

Besides, for most of the people, the best memories of childhood are attached to the garden. Garden is the place where families share their evening tea and discussion that keep their bond stronger. Above all, a garden is the most amazing place of the house no matter what the season is.

FAQs about Essay on Garden

Q.1 What is the purpose of a garden? A.1 Most people love the plants and trees that’s why they have a garden in their homes. Besides, this they provide a relaxing and calm surrounding with fresh air. And it decorates a side our house and gives a pleasing smell that makes the whole house aromatic.

Q.2 Why green plants grow better outside than inside? A.2 Green plants grow better outside because in comparison to indoor plants outdoor plants need sunlight to grow. This sunlight helps them to make their food by the process called photosynthesis which they consume.

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Essay on Gardening

Our physical body is made by mixing five elements of nature. Out of them, the earth is an element that provides stability to life. How often when we feel stressed, sad, or depressed, we like to visit a quiet place that holds flowers, trees, birds, and a flowing river near the site. We feel relaxed and at home in nature’s lap. Out of different ways to connect with nature, gardening is a nature’s technology where we interact with nature through planting, seeding, harvesting, and by appreciating the beauty of nature.

Short and Long Essay on Gardening in English

Read here a few nicely worded essays on this topic to have more idea about:

Gardening Essay 10 Lines (100 – 150 Words)

1) Gardening is the art of growing plants and vegetables on a small piece of land.

2) Gardening is mostly done either in the backyard or front space of the house.

3) Some people plant flowers to decorate their garden.

4) Gardening gives us fresh and healthy vegetables.

5) Gardening helps to produce happy hormones in the human body.

6) Gardening is a good way to keep oneself engaged with nature.

7) It also helps in maintaining good physical fitness.

8) Gardening is also good for mental health and peace.

9) Many people prefer gardening as their hobby.

10) Organic gardening, miniature gardening, kitchen gardening, etc are some types of gardening.

Essay 1 (250 Words) – What is a Gardening and it’s Advantages?

Introduction

A Garden is a bounded piece of land which is situated either in the front or backside of our home. The art of planting trees, flowers, grass, shrubs, and vegetables by using fertilizers, small agricultural tools in a limited space of our home is called gardening.

Advantages of Gardening

Gardening is a branch of horticulture. Gardening is also considered as a therapy that helps our body in increasing the happy hormone level. Gardening helps us to grow the vegetables that are sufficient for our needs. Vegetables grown in our garden are more healthy, tasty, nutritious, and chemical-free. We can easily grow vegetables according to our choice. Along with growing vegetables, we can also plant flowers of different varieties. Flowers of lively color soothe our eyes and bring positive vibes in our home.

Gardening helps us to decorate and add beauty to our home. In this hectic lifestyle, gardening is the best activity that keeps us fit and healthy. Doing gardening regulates our glands for metabolism. It also provides serum vitamin D to our bodies. Vitamin D is a good natural source in providing calcium for our bones to stay stronger, and boosting our immune system.

Gardening does not only lifts our physical performance but is also good for mental health. Gardening acts as a tool in combating loneliness which is common nowadays. Elderly people often complain about social issues. So, engaging in the activity of gardening can sort out this problem of loneliness.

Gardening is a physical activity that requires minimum weights to lift in building our body. Gardening can be a hobby for everyone, where we work, toil, sweat, and relax. It has a lot to offer to us from physical to mental if we really want to work with nature.

Essay 2 (400 words) – How to do Gardening

Gardening is no more just a hobby to do. Gardening requires several activities from planning to planting. In order to design our own dream garden, we must have knowledge of different activities involved in gardening. Though gardening sounds simple, it incorporates a lot of complexities to deal with. Just like anything, the garden also requires good content for gardening. Here is a few content that we can use to enhance the beauty of our garden.

Content for Gardening

• Ornamental Plants

As the name suggests that these plants are used for decorative purposes. The ornamental plants include flowers, trees, and grasses. These ornamental plants are used in the garden, landscape, as cut flowers and houseplants.

The ornamental plants have focused features like flowers, leaves, stem, texture, scent, fruit, and artistic form, cultivation of that is called floriculture. The main aim of using these ornamental plants is to give pleasure in the eyes of the visitors, guests, and the public.

• Growing Vegetables

The vegetables used in gardens can be broadly divided into root vegetables, leaf vegetables, herbs, and fruit. Root vegetables are plants that store the edible portion as root under the soil. The root vegetable gardening can be easily done in pots or directly into the soil. Similarly, leaf vegetables are plants that consist of leaves as their edible part.

They are usually the green leaf of the shrubs. While the other two vegetables like fruit and herbs are used primarily for consumption, medicinal benefit, spices, dyes, and natural cosmetic items. Gardening of all these vegetables not only saves money but also provides 100% organic vegetables.

• Hedges and Lawns

In most countries, neighbour doesn’t have a brick wall for separation. The brick wall occupies a good space of the land and a huge amount of money too. So people in these countries build hedges as fencing for their garden. A hedge not only gives the privacy but also adds a stunning look to the garden.

The other thing that people include in their garden is the lawn. The lawn is made from the special grass like fescue, bluegrass, bentgrass, etc. The lawn gives a feel of a carpet to the garden where the family can sit down and enjoy the company of their loved ones.

• Garden as Art

For some people, the garden is an inside reflection of their home. So they pay special attention, in noting even minute irregularities of the garden. Various statues, lights, fountains, wood furniture, steel, etc are available in the market. The gardeners can use these accessories to design their creativity.

The maintenance of all this content in our garden motivates us to take a keen interest in gardening. Gardening helps us to visualize and give wings to our creativity. Creativity brings the best out of us and improves our style of living. Gardening no more remains a monotonous hobby that lacks thrill, excitement, and zeal in our routine.

Essay 3 (600 Words) – Different Types of Gardening and their Beauty

Gardening is not only associated with planting trees, flowers, herbs, shrubs, and fruit, but also has different types of gardening. In metropolitan cities, the space for living is a major problem. This problem of living is solved by apartment culture with no backyard for gardening. But still, people have managed to find ideas and enjoy their time in gardening.

Types of Gardening

• Organic Gardening

In organic gardening, the plants are grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, urea, or any other chemical material. The plants are grown with self-made compost in our backyards. This compost is mixed with the soil in our garden. The compost consists of high nutrient-rich micro-organism that makes the soil fertile and chemical-free.

• Kitchen Gardening

Kitchen gardening has a historical link with the French. Kitchen gardening is done separately from the residential garden. This form of gardening requires a small space for growing vegetables prominently useful in our kitchen. Generally, kitchen gardening can be of two types. The first type is growing vegetables from waste food and the second one is growing fresh vegetables on the window sill. They are a more organized way of doing gardening in which symmetrical beds are used to give aesthetic value to the garden.

• Miniature Gardening

Miniature gardening is creating a small modeled garden inside a garden. They are just a replica of the big garden. These gardens are grown inside a small pot, tank, or tub. According to space, the under the covering of the garden is done. In matching to the undercover shrubs, miniature artificial items, pebbles, and dwarf plants are combined to give a modeled effect. They can be easily kept inside the home, office, or even in personalized living space.

• Vertical Gardening

Vertical gardening is a technique of doing gardening in a very small space without comprising the scale of the plantation. In this type of gardening, the plants are grown in the panel. The panel can be a freestanding or attached to a support. The panel is designed in a vertical structure with a hydroponic system. The gardening can be done in a space of the size of a photo frame to a large wall. The vertical system of gardening finds its application both internally or externally in compliance with the interior and exterior of the space.

• Sustainable Gardening

Sustainable gardening is done to maintain a balance within the ecosystem. This type of gardening is done without harming the other creatures of nature. The more focus is given on developing the coordination between human and nature. More help should be taken from the natural habitat insects, composts, companion plants, and integrated pest management.

• Permaculture Gardening

In Permaculture gardening, the plants best suited for the land are used. While in conventional gardening we grow every plant without considering the weather, soil nature, wind, and demography of the place. In other terms, permaculture can be also called as selective gardening. Permaculture gardening is a self-sustainable method that revitalizes the soil and gives good value to the plant.

• No-till Gardening

No-till gardening is done without the special preparation of the land. The concept of ‘no-dig’ or ‘no-till’ is being applied in gardening. The basic purpose of no-till gardening is to keep the land fertile without using any heavy toiling or digging. Mulching is done by using decayed old leaves, plants, and flowers as a layer for gardening. The layer makes the surface fertile, retains water level, and protects the plants from unwanted weeds.

In this modern world where technology is gaining its upper hand over nature, gardening can be a solution for minimizing the ill effects of technology. For those who think gardening is for old people, must look as their option for a career. Along with career, we can help ourselves, the community, and other creatures of the planet in establishing a more sustainable environment for living.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

Ans . Gardening helps in relieving stress and is good exercise for our body and mind.

Ans . The gardens came into existence in the 16th century.

Ans . Orto Botanico di Padova in Italy is the oldest garden in the world.

Ans . The common hand tools used in gardening are axe, sickle, scythe, shovel, spade, fork, and rake.

Ans . The Dubai Miracle Garden is the world’s largest natural flower garden.

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• Open access
• Published: 31 May 2013

Home gardens: a promising approach to enhance household food security and wellbeing

• Dilrukshi Hashini Galhena 1 ,
• Russell Freed 1 &
• Karim M Maredia 1  

Agriculture & Food Security volume  2 , Article number:  8 ( 2013 ) Cite this article

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With the global population expected to reach over 9 billion by 2050, there is a continuous need to increase food production and buffer stocks. In this scenario, countries around the world, especially developing countries where the pervasiveness of hunger and food scarcity is more acute, are resorting to various counter strategies to meet the growing demand and to avert food insecurity and famine. Over the recent years there has been growing interest to strengthen and intensify local food production in order to mitigate the adverse effect of global food shocks and food price volatilities. Consequently, there is much attention towards home gardens as a strategy to enhance household food security and nutrition. Home gardens are an integral part of local food systems and the agricultural landscape of developing countries all over the world and have endured the test of time.

Through a rigorous literature review, this paper first examines definitions and characteristics of home gardens and then provides a global review of their social, economic, and environmental contributions to communities in various socio-economic contexts. Many of the compositions on home gardens share research and experiences of developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These studies recognize positive impacts of home gardens towards addressing food insecurity and malnutrition as well as providing additional benefits such as income and livelihood opportunities for resource-poor families and delivering a number of ecosystem services. However, only a handful of case studies were found on post-crisis settings. While providing a general overview of some of these studies, this review investigates the home garden experiences of post-conflict Sri Lanka, where home gardening has been practiced for centuries. While emphasizing multiple benefits, we also highlight constraints to home garden food production. In conclusion, we emphasize the need for more research and empirical data to appraise the role of home gardens in crisis and post-crisis situations, as well as assessing their economic value and their impacts on food security, nutrition, economic growth, and gender issues.

Introduction

The vast majority of hungry and malnourished people live in developing countries under sub-standard living conditions [ 1 ] and over half a billion of the global population suffer from chronic food insecurity a . With the global population expected to reach over 9 billion by 2050, there will be a continuous need to increase food production and buffer stocks to meet the growing demand and efficiently cope with volatilities in food production and prices. It has been projected that global food production will need to increase by 70% in order to meet the average daily caloric requirement of the world’s population in 2050 b . Moreover, the need for interventions are stressed as the resources available for food production - including land, water, labor and credit - are becoming scarce and costly. The drive for agricultural innovation is further convoluted by the growing issues of climate change and natural resource degradation.

Multiple strategies are required to address the issue of food production and food security c . The choice of feasible approaches hinges on the existing social, political, and economic conditions and resources available to design and implement the intervention. Home gardens are a time-tested local strategy that are widely adopted and practiced in various circumstances by local communities with limited resources and institutional support. It is evident from the literature that home gardens are a part of the agriculture and food production systems in many developing countries and are widely used as a remedy to alleviate hunger and malnutrition in the face of a global food crisis [ 2 ].

Globally, home gardens have been documented as an important supplemental source contributing to food and nutritional security and livelihoods. 'Food production on small plots adjacent to human settlements is the oldest and most enduring form of cultivation' [ 3 ]. For centuries, home gardens have been an integral component of family farming and local food systems. Home gardening is an ancient and widespread practice all over the world. In the literature, home gardens are classified as mixed, kitchen, backyard, farmyard, compound or homestead garden [ 4 – 7 ].

This paper presents the developing country experiences of home gardens and looks at the specific case of post-conflict Sri Lanka d . An extensive literature search was conducted through the review of over 100 publications, reports, and book chapters, covering various aspects of home gardening to develop the theoretical framework. The inherent characteristics of home gardens as well as the contextual attributes, benefits, and constraints captured in the literature are summarized in the following sections.

About home gardens

Home gardens are found in both rural and urban areas in predominantly small-scale subsistence agricultural systems [ 8 ]. The very beginning of modern agriculture can be dated back to subsistence production systems that began in small garden plots around the household. These gardens have persistently endured the test of time and continue to play an important role in providing food and income for the family [ 9 ]. Since the early studies of home gardens in the 1930s by the Dutch scholars Osche and Terra on mixed gardens in Java, Indonesia [ 10 ], there has been extensive contributions to the subject synthesizing definitions, species inventories, functions, structural characteristics, composition, socio-economic, and cultural relevance. Home gardens are defined in multiple ways highlighting various aspects based on the context or emphasis and objectives of the research [ 11 ]. Gupta pointed out that the background and gender of the researcher or scientist may also bias their perception on home gardens and may not entirely reflect the opinion of the family involved in home gardening activities [ 12 ].

Definition of home gardening

Relying on research and observations on home gardens in developing and developed countries in five continents, Ninez formulated the following definition [ 13 ]:

'The household garden is a small-scale production system supplying plant and animal consumption and utilitarian items either not obtainable, affordable, or readily available through retail markets, field cultivation, hunting, gathering, fishing, and wage earning. Household gardens tend to be located close to dwelling for security, convenience, and special care. They occupy land marginal to field production and labor marginal to major household economic activities. Featuring ecologically adapted and complementary species, household gardens are marked by low capital input and simple technology.'

Generally, home gardening refers to the cultivation of a small portion of land which may be around the household or within walking distance from the family home [ 14 ]. Home gardens can be described as a mixed cropping system that encompasses vegetables, fruits, plantation crops, spices, herbs, ornamental and medicinal plants as well as livestock that can serve as a supplementary source of food and income. Fresco and Westphal [ 15 ] specify home gardens as a cropping system composed of soil, crops, weeds, pathogens and insects that converts resource inputs - solar energy, water, nutrients, labor, etc. - into food, feed, fuel, fiber and pharmaceuticals. Kumar and Nair [ 16 ], while acknowledging that there is no standard definition for 'a home garden', summarize the shared perception by referring to it as '…an intimate, multi-story combinations of various trees and crops, sometimes in association with domestic animals, around homesteads', and add that home garden cultivation is fully or partially committed for vegetables, fruits, and herbs primarily for domestic consumption.

Adding to this, others have described a home garden as a well-defined, multi-storied and multi-use area near the family dwelling that serves as a small-scale supplementary food production system maintained by the household members, and one that encompasses a diverse array of plant and animal species that mimics the natural eco-system [ 11 , 17 – 19 ].

Characteristics of a home garden

Michelle and Hanstad [ 20 ] list five intrinsic characteristics of home gardens: 1) are located near the residence; 2) contain a high diversity of plants; 3) production is supplemental rather than a main source of family consumption and income; 4) occupy a small area [ 21 ]; and 5) are a production system that the poor can easily enter at some level [ 9 ].

There is a vast body of literature presenting research and case studies focusing on the role of home gardens as agroforestry or food production systems, or a combination of both. Home gardens are ecologically divided into two categories: tropical and temperate [ 13 ]. Much of the literature focuses on home gardens in the tropical areas in Central and South America [ 22 – 25 ]. There is also a substantial interest for home gardens in South and South-East Asia [ 26 – 29 ] and Africa [ 30 – 34 ]. Conversely, only a few documented studies exist on home gardens from temperate regions [ 35 – 38 ] and from developed countries [ 32 , 39 – 42 ].

Ninez [ 13 ] lists general tendencies with respect to home garden food production systems based on 15 type-specific characteristics adopted from Ruthenberg [ 5 ] (Table  1 ), and presents an ethnographical synthesis of home gardens across the globe. Home gardens are commonly established on lands that are marginal or not suitable for field crops or forage cultivation because of their size, topography, or location [ 11 ]. The specific size of a home garden varies from household to household and, normally, their average size is less than that of the arable land owned by the household. However, this may not hold true for those families that do not own agricultural land and for the landless. New innovations and techniques have made home gardening possible even for the families that have very little land or no land at all [ 43 ]. The home gardens may be delimited by physical demarcations such as live fences or hedges, fences, ditches or boundaries established through mutual understanding. Application of kitchen waste, animal manure, and other organic residues has been a practice amongst home gardeners and this exercise has helped to considerably increase the productivity and fertility of these gardens [ 11 , 44 , 45 ].

While some similarities exist across the board, each home garden is unique in structure, functionality, composition, and appearance [ 13 , 46 – 48 ] as they depend on the natural ecology of the location, available family resources such as labor, and the skills, preferences, and enthusiasm of family members [ 45 , 49 , 50 ]. Home garden cultivation tends to be quite dynamic [ 17 , 18 ]. The decisions related to the selection of crops, procuring inputs, harvesting, management, and so forth are mostly driven by the consumption and income generation needs of the household [ 27 , 45 ]. A study from Indonesia observed that the structure, composition, intensity of cultivation, and diversity of home gardens can be subjected to the socioeconomic status of the household [ 51 ]. For instance, as the families became economically stable their cultivation shifted from staples to horticultural crops and some families began to raise livestock. Based on the economics of the household, Niñez [ 13 ] differentiated two types of home gardens: 1) subsistence gardens and 2) budget gardens. Access to planting material and social capital are noted as important attributes to species diversity in gardens [ 52 ]. Collectively, the ecological potential, economic status, and social elements influence the presence of food and non-food crops and animals in the garden [ 28 , 53 ]. Additionally, Moreno-Black and colleagues [ 54 ] identified that limitations resulting from factors such as opportunities for off-farm employment and family structure as well as local customs influence the development and composition of the gardens.

The home garden frequently uses family labor [ 18 ] - women, children, and elders are of particular importance in their management [ 46 , 48 , 55 – 57 ] – but, depending on the economic capacity and affordability, households may hire wage laborers to cultivate and maintain the home garden that in turn affect the composition and intensity of home garden activities [ 22 , 55 , 56 ]. Like any other food production system, home gardens may be vulnerable to harsh environmental conditions such as drought and floods [ 57 , 58 ]. Despite the fact that home gardening activities demand a lesser amount of horticultural and agronomic know-how, crop losses and other negative implications can be reduced when the household members are empowered with better skills and knowledge [ 59 ].

Experiences of home gardens from developing countries

Home gardens have been an integral part of local food systems in developing countries around the world. Many studies provide descriptive evidence and analysis of home gardens in developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America and pinpoint their numerous benefits to communities and families. They encapsulate perpetual small-scaled subsistence agricultural systems established by the households to obtain and supplement the food requirements of the family. Home gardens are mainly intended to grow and produce food items for family consumption, but they can be diversified to produce outputs that have multiple uses including indigenous medicine and home remedies for certain illnesses, kindling and alternative fuel source, manure, building material, and animal feed. Chris Landon-Lane [ 60 ] provides an overview of the benefits of home gardens (Table  2 ) and describes home gardens as a 'place for innovation' with the potential to improve the livelihood of peri-urban and rural communities. In-depth exploration of past and more recent compositions on home gardens worldwide not only affirms Landon-Lane’s insight but also recognize additional advantages. We broadly categorized benefits of home gardening into three components: (1) social; (2) economic; and (3) environmental benefits. These benefits are presented and explained through the vast experiences on home gardens from developing nations around the world.

Social benefits

Enhancing food and nutritional security.

Reviews of studies from various countries reveal that the degree and combination socio-cultural impacts on societies engaged in home gardening vary across the board. Multiple social benefits of home gardens include enhancing food and nutritional security in many socio-economic and political situations, improving family health and human capacity, empowering women, promoting social justice and equity, and preserving indigenous knowledge and culture [ 20 ].

The most fundamental social benefit of home gardens stems from their direct contributions to household food security by increasing availability, accessibility, and utilization of food products e . Home gardens are maintained for easy access to fresh plant and animal food sources in both rural and urban locales. Food items from home gardens add substantially to the family energy and nutritive requirements on a continuous basis. A pioneering research study on home gardens conducted by Ochse and Terra in the early 1930s [ 10 ] states that home gardens led to 18% of the caloric and 14% of the protein consumption by households in Kutowinangun, Indonesia. Subsequent studies on the Javanese home gardens point out a direct link between successful home gardens and households’ nutritional status [ 61 ], and observe an increase in households’ food consumption with intensification of home food production [ 62 ]. Javanese experiences illustrating the potential of home gardens to add to households’ food supply and nutrition [ 13 , 21 ], as well as their eminence as multi-storied agro-ecosystem [ 55 , 63 ] in the tropics, heightened the global attention towards home gardens.

Foods from home gardens varied from horticultural crops to roots to palm and animal products; further plants from the gardens are also used as spices, herbs, medicines, and fodder for the animals [ 53 , 64 – 67 ]. Although home gardens are not generally reputed as a staple crop production base, Thaman [ 65 ] documented that Pacific Islanders obtained their main staple root crops from home gardens. Similar reports were found from Nepal [ 19 ], Yucatan Peninsula [ 66 ], Bangladesh [ 67 ], Peru [ 68 ], Ghana [ 69 ], and Zimbabwe [ 56 ]. Resource-poor families often depended more on home gardens for their food staples and secondary staples than those endowed with a fair amount of assets and resources such as land and capital [ 51 , 70 ]. For poor and marginalized families unable to afford expensive animal products to fulfill their nutritional needs, home gardens offer a cheap source of nutritive foods [ 71 ]. Through gardening, households can have better access to a diversity of plant and animal food items that lead to an overall increase in dietary intake and boost the bioavailability and absorption of essential nutrients [ 72 ].

As stated by Marsh [ 9 ], home gardens provide easy day-to-day access to an assortment of fresh and nutritious foods for the household and accordingly those homes obtained more than 50% of the vegetables, fruits, tubers, and yams from their garden. Supporting this premise, different studies conclude that, while adding to the caloric quantity, home gardens supplement staple-based diet with a significant portion of proteins [ 48 ], vitamins [ 16 ], and minerals [ 73 ], leading to an enriched and balanced diet [ 74 , 75 ] particularly for growing children and mothers [ 76 ]. Additionally, plants from the gardens - especially spices and herbs - are used as flavor enhancers, teas, and condiments [ 77 ]. Recently, countries like Bangladesh have been successful in increasing the availability and consumption of vitamin A-rich food items through national home gardening programs [ 72 ].

Furthermore, the integration of livestock and poultry activities into home gardening reinforces food and nutritional security for the families as milk, eggs, and meat from home-raised animals provided the main and, in many instances, the only source of animal protein [ 66 ]. In some places, home gardeners are also engaged in mushroom cultivation and beekeeping [ 75 ] and even small fresh water fish ponds are incorporated into the garden space adding to the share of proteins and other nutrients available for the family [ 27 ].

Evidence from around the world suggests that home gardens can be a versatile option to address food insecurity in various challenging situations, and thus they have attracted sponsorship by numerous government and non-governmental organizations. Consequently, home garden production has significantly increased in the country and has been instrumental in reducing ‘hidden hunger’ and disease cause by micronutrient deficiency. In an attempt to assess the dynamics of home garden evolution in Java and Sulawesi in Indonesia, Wiersum [ 51 ] notes that home gardens make available a small but continuous flow of subsistence food products for the household. Also, home gardens provide the main source of staple food for people in heavily degraded and densely populated areas with limited croplands [ 44 , 78 ].

Home gardens can ensure food to underprivileged and resources-poor households as they can be established and maintained within a small patch of land or with no land using a few inputs [ 20 , 43 ]. A study of home gardens in Cuba reveals that they were used as a strategy to increase resilience and ensure food security in the face of economic crisis and political isolation [ 79 ]. To mitigate recurring food shortage and malnutrition, Cuban households obtained basic staple foods (rice and beans) through rations, but the households relied on their home gardens to obtain additional produce to diversify the family diet [ 80 ]. Ensuring a reliable and convenient source of food, fiber, and fuel for the family, they are viewed as a robust food system in circumstances where population pressures and numerous resource limitations persist [ 81 , 82 ]. In the Peruvian capital of Lima, home gardening has led to nutritional benefits to families living in slum areas by increasing the availability of carbohydrates as well as nutrient-rich vegetables and fruits that are not economically accessible for poor slum dwellers [ 83 ].

The Global Hunger Index specified that the lack of political stability has escalated hunger and poverty in countries affected by conflicts [ 84 ]. Similarly, environmental disaster can also have devastating impacts on communities and disable food production systems [ 85 ]. Even though there are only a few published narratives, home gardens have been proposed as an option for food and nutritional security in disaster, conflict, and other post-crisis situations f [ 9 , 45 , 86 ]. Home gardens based on enset and coffee are an integrated farming system that not only provide subsistence and complementary food products for Ethiopian families, especially during famines, but also provide the primary means of employment for the household [ 78 ].

Tajikistan became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991 but was plagued by a civil war soon after. Rowe [ 7 ] showed that, during the post-soviet era, Tajik families tormented by civil war, agricultural downfall, and drought heavily depended on their gardens for food. This trend still continues, and home gardens continue to significantly supplement household food security and sustenance. In recent years, several countries transitioning towards peace and stability and those that are recovering from natural disaster have been adopting policies that support home gardening to reduce the prevalence and severity of hunger and malnutrition [ 45 , 87 ].

Bandarin et. al. [ 88 ] point out that, in a post-conflict setting, assistance and reconciliation mechanisms work best and result in environmental, social and economic benefits when there is a cultural or traditional linkage between the target population and the intervention. Hence, home garden projects offer a realistic solution as in most countries home gardening is a regular day-to-day activity amongst the household, especially for women. In addition, home gardens when properly managed provide a four-in-one solution to the food and nutrition problem by increasing household food availability, enabling greater physical, economic and social access, providing an array of nutrients, and protecting and buffering the household against food shortages.

Improving health

Plants are an important source of medicine for humans and livestock and are used as biological pesticides to protect crops from diseases and pest infestations. Herbs and medicinal plants are grown in home gardens all over the world, and in developing countries nearly 80% of the people use them to treat various illnesses, diseases, and also to improve their health conditions [ 89 ]. A generous portion of the plants found in home gardens have some medicinal value and they can be used to treat many common health problems in a cost-effective manner. For instance, Perera and Rajapksa, in their assessment of Kandyan gardens in Sri Lanka [ 90 ], note that out of the 125 plant species found about 30% were exclusively used for medicinal uses and about 12% for medical and other purposes. Medicinal plants were documented to be an important plant group second only to high-value species in Sri Lanka [ 90 ] and in Bangladesh [ 91 ]. Home gardens in Bukoba district of Tanzania contained plant species grown entirely for medicinal purposes [ 92 ]. Around 70% of the plant species identified in forests and gardens in the Yucatan had a medicinal use [ 93 ], and in traditional Mayan home gardens nine species of the 77 useful plants found were exclusively used for medicinal purposes and 26 species had mixed uses as medicines, food, spices, and ornamentals [ 94 ].

Food insecurity and economic hardships force people to consume less and to settle for food that is of low nutritional quality. Adverse health effects due to inadequate intake of basic macronutrients are further compounded by deficiencies in micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. More than 35% of the fatalities worldwide are caused by factors attributed to nutritional deficits [ 95 ]. Amongst them, vitamin A deficiency is a major health issue in many low-income countries and pose serious health problems, particularly for pregnant women and their babies and growing children. Reports indicate more than 7 million women suffering from complications due to vitamin A insufficiency [ 96 ] and cause 6 to 8% of the deaths amongst children under the age of 5 years in Africa and Asia [ 95 ]. In some countries where this problem is acute, homestead food production programs have been launched to assist and address vitamin A deficiency and to improve the quality of diet by facilitating a year-round production of vegetables and fruits [ 85 ].

The global incidence of anemia is primarily attributed to iron deficiency. Iron insufficiency elevates the risk of mortality during pregnancy by 20% [ 97 ]. Moreover, estimates suggest that nearly one-third of the global population live in countries with high zinc deficiency [ 98 ]. Micronutrient deficiency can raise the vulnerability to other infectious diseases and the risks of mortality due to illnesses such as diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria, and measles [ 99 ]. It may also lead to poor physical and cognitive development and impairment of motor skills in young children as well as other short-term and long-term health effects. Furthermore, a vicarious cycle of undesirable socio-economic effects can be triggered as peoples’ ability to actively engage in physical and economic activities are hindered by illness, disability, and reduced life expectancy. In different contexts, home gardening initiatives have been proposed and implemented as potential strategies to address health issues resulting from malnutrition [ 100 , 101 ]. Although the opportunity is real, minimal efforts have been made to identify and maximize the gross benefits of home gardening for better health.

Uplifting the status of women

In many cultures, women play an important role in food production but at times their worth is somewhat undermined. They are also active in home gardening, though their involvement in the home garden tends to be determined by socio-cultural norms [ 20 ]. In most scenarios women’s contribution to household food production is immense, but this does not imply that home gardening is predominantly a female activity. Women’s participation and responsibilities in home gardening varies across cultures, including land preparation, planting, weeding, harvesting, and marketing [ 54 , 102 , 103 ]. In fact, in some cultures, women are the sole caretakers of household gardens [ 35 , 72 ] while, in others, they play more or less a supportive role [ 11 ]. Howard’s 2006 analysis [ 104 ] of 13 home gardens case studies in South America revealed that women are the main managers of home gardens across the region. Home gardening activities are vital and fit well with their day-to-day domestic activities and employment patterns along with their cultural and aesthetic values. On the other hand, in the Indonesian context women take part during planting and harvesting [ 49 ] and, in Sri Lanka, they provide labor during peak times [ 55 ]. Regardless, particularly for women and disadvantaged groups, home gardening is an avenue for social and economic enrichment.

Home gardens stimulate social change and development. Amongst the Achuar Indian community in the upper Amazon, a woman’s ability to maintain a lush home garden not only demonstrates her agronomic competency but also her status in society [ 105 ]. Similarly, for the Saraguro women of the Andes, a plentiful garden help elevates a woman’s social eminence and demonstrates her commitment to the family’s wellbeing [ 25 ]. Based on a study conducted in Senegal by Brun and colleagues [ 106 ], evaluating the food and nutritional impact of home gardening, it was found that, although the gardens did not make a major contribution to food consumption and nutrition, they were instrumental in improving the women’s income and social status as well as their awareness of evolving food habits in urban areas. For some women, sales of garden products are often the only sources of income or livelihood [ 9 ]. In Tajikistan, where many of the men were killed during the civil war or have migrated to Russia and other countries for employment, women, elders and children have been providing invaluable family labor and resources to local agricultural economy. Kitchen gardens, as they are referred to by Rowe [ 7 ], are very important especially for women-headed families in terms of meeting their everyday food consumption needs and generating income. In fact, nearly half of the food consumed at home and one-third of the food sold in the market came from these garden lots. Other studies have shown that, in situations where women are leading home gardens, there has been improvement to household nutrition, especially child nutrition [ 72 , 107 ].

Through home gardening women have developed proficiency related to plants and garden practices that helps them become better home and environment managers. Their labor is indispensable to maintain the garden and to help keep production cost low. As home managers, women have useful knowledge of numerous domestic needs. By their involvement in the production process, they are able to meet family needs more easily and economically [ 44 ]. Home gardeners in Peru indicated that women gardeners are inclined to produce food primarily for family consumption while men gardeners typically focus on high value crops for marketing [ 83 ]. While home gardens provide a respectable path for women to contribute to household subsistence, eminence, and character, they hold a greater socio-cultural and spiritual importance for women [ 104 ]. Furthermore, they are a key source of gardening knowledge and information [ 105 ].

Research suggests that, in some societies and cultures, a woman’s role in family decision making is rather limited; however, many accounts confirm that when it comes to home gardening women tend to have more autonomy and decision making capabilities [ 108 ]. Moreno-Black and colleagues [ 54 ] conducted a study of 49 women’s home gardens in Northeastern Thailand where the rural women constantly indicated that they were the key decision makers and carried out most of the activities of the home gardens.

Preserving indigenous knowledge and building integrated societies

Home gardens consist of a variety of components and species that represent social and traditional aspects of different societies. This rich indigenous culture and communal knowledge base is expressed through home gardening by the selection of plants and animal species as well as the farming practices used by the local community [ 16 , 70 ]. Home gardens serve as a valuable repository for preserving and transferring indigenous crops and livestock species, production knowledge and the skills from one generation to another [ 109 – 111 ].

Interactions in and around the home garden create and reinforce social status and ties between the household and the community. Home gardeners habitually exchange or gift planting materials, vegetables, fruits, leaves, herbals and medicinal plants for social, cultural, and religious purposes [ 109 , 110 ]. Such interactions are essential for social integration and building social capital. The social dimension of home gardening is yet not fully explored.

Economic benefits

The economic benefits of home gardens go beyond food and nutritional security and subsistence, especially for resource-poor families. Bibliographic evidence suggests that home gardens contribute to income generation, improved livelihoods, and household economic welfare as well as promoting entrepreneurship and rural development [ 111 , 112 ]. Through the review of a number of case studies, Mitchell and Hanstad [ 20 ] assert that home gardens can contribute to household economic well-being in several ways: garden products can be sold to earn additional income [ 17 , 48 , 83 ]; gardening activities can be developed into a small cottage industry; and earnings from the sale of home garden products and the savings from consuming home-grown food products can lead to more disposable income that can be used for other domestic purposes. Studies from Nepal, Cambodia, and Papua New Guinea report that the income generated from the sale of home garden fruits, vegetables, and livestock products allowed households to use the proceeds to purchase additional food items as well as for savings, education, and other services [ 85 , 113 ]. Families in mountain areas of Vietnam were able to generate more than 22% of their cash income through home-gardening activities [ 111 ].

Home gardens are widely promoted in many countries as a mechanism to avert poverty and as a source of income for subsistence families in developing countries. Although home gardens are viewed as subsistence-low production systems, they can be structured to be more efficient commercial enterprises by growing high-value crops and animal husbandry [ 43 ]. A number of research studies have focused on evaluating the potential or real economic contribution to the household and local economy as well as social development [ 114 ]. A study from Southeastern Nigeria reported that tree crops and livestock produced in home gardens accounted for more than 60% of household income [ 115 ]. In many cases the sale of produce from home gardens improves the financial status of the family providing additional income, while contributing social and cultural amelioration [ 116 ]. The fact that home production is less cost-intensive and requires fewer inputs and investment is extremely important for resource-poor families that have limited access to production inputs. Yet it has been assessed that moderately rigorous crop and livestock production in home gardens can generate as much revenue per unit area as field crop production [ 9 , 62 ]. Where land constraints exist, innovative tools have been used to make efficient use of limited space [ 43 ]. Also, livestock housed in gardens diversify risk due to crop losses and provide a cash buffer and asset to the household [ 117 ].

Environmental benefits

Home gardens provide multiple environmental and ecological benefits. They serve as the primary unit that initiates and utilizes ecologically friendly approaches for food production while conserving biodiversity and natural resources. Home gardens are usually diverse and contain a rich composition of plant and animal species. Hence they make interesting cases for ethno-botanical studies [ 110 , 118 ].

Gardens are complex and may resemble ecological agricultural production systems that sponsor biodiversity conservation. The rich diversity and composition of species and the dense distribution of faunal and floral strata denote extraordinary features of home garden ecology [ 20 , 46 ]. Buchmann’s 2009 assessment [ 79 ] of 25 home gardens in Central Cuba noted 182 plant species. Other reports from around the world also identify a significant concentration of plants used as vegetables, fruits, herbs, medicines, yams, and spices [ 78 , 114 ]. Home gardens also contain a wide spectrum of plant species, some of which are landraces, rare or threatened species, and specific cultivars selected for a set of desirable traits [ 119 ]. Thus they become ideal sites for in situ conservation of biodiversity and genetic material [ 111 , 120 ].

Home gardens also provide a number of ecosystem services such as habitats for animals and other beneficial organisms, nutrient recycling, reduced soil erosion, and enhanced pollination [ 121 ]. The high density of plants within the home garden provides the ideal environment and refuge for wildlife species such as birds, small mammals, reptiles, and insects [ 122 ]. Calvet-Mir et. al. [ 112 ] highlight a number of ecosystems services provided by home gardens such as production of quality food, maintenance of landraces, cultural services, pest control, and pollination. They conclude that the most important ecosystems services provided by home gardens differ from large-scale and commercial agriculture.

Nutrient cycling is another ecological benefit of home gardens [ 120 , 123 ]. The abundance of plant and animal litter and continuous recycling of organic soil matter contributes to a highly efficient nutrient cycling system. Another potential benefit of home gardens is the reduction of soil erosion and land conservation [ 70 , 124 ]. The attraction of honey bees provides added benefits including improved pollination and increased fruit dispersal [ 64 ].

Individuals of the household, animals, and plants all maintain a symbiotic relationship within the home gardens. For instance, the plants and animals provide food and other benefits for the family and the family in turn takes care of the home gardens. Plant materials are used as fodder for the animals and animal manure is incorporated into the compost to fertilize plants, hence reducing the need for chemical fertilizer [ 20 ]. Livestock and poultry manure can add a significant amount of organic soil matter, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus into the soil. The integration of livestock activities into home gardening can expedite nutrient cycling in ecosystem and help retain moisture [ 125 ].

Home gardens in Sri Lanka

The economy of Sri Lanka is founded on agriculture. More than 35% of the 20 million people of Sri Lanka are engaged directly or indirectly in the agrarian sectors. Home gardening has been a long-standing practice among the rural and urban households in Sri Lanka for centuries [ 55 ]. Despite the traditional basis for home gardening, over the recent years national policies have focused on promoting home gardening in the country. Currently, two national initiatives are underway and are receiving notable patronage from the government for the initiation of a countrywide food production drive to establish one million home gardens across the island g . The programs highlight the key role home gardens play in the face of food insecurity, economic downturn and malnutrition by providing a diversified source of food and a way of generating income.

In spite of the growing interest in home gardening, literature discussing home gardens in Sri Lanka is rather limited. The bulk of the available excerpts almost exclusively focuses on Kandyan Gardens, also known as Kandyan Forest Gardens (KFG). KFG are a common traditional agroforestry system found in the wet central hills in Sri Lanka. They encompass a mixed cropping system, which includes a diverse collection of economically valuable perennial and semi-perennial crops situated around the household [ 126 ] along with animal species that were raised to suit the necessities of the family, the environment, and the recommendations by scientists and extension workers [ 127 ].

One of the earliest studies on KFG in Sri Lanka was published by McConnell and Dharmapala [ 126 ]. From a survey of 30 KFGs established through the use of a farming systems approach they conclude that, although in the short-run KFG were not as productive and profitable as the commercial farming systems, they lead to multiple benefits over time. Jacob and Alles [ 55 ] differentiate KFGs from other mixed forest-gardening systems found in South Asia and South-east Asia with respect to the diversity of plants grown. They also stated that these garden systems improved the well-being of people who nurtured them through the provision of various food products and timber, livelihood opportunities, and sustainability of the production system. Furthermoe, they emphasized the need to inspect existing agronomic practices and to design feasible models that can improve the productivity per unit of land.

Perera and Rajapaksa [ 90 ] characterize various components of KFGs based on ownership, structure, species composition, livestock composition, and management practices. Their baseline survey of 50 randomly selected gardens in the Kandy District showed that the various species in the KFG had numerous uses including food, cash, timber, fuel wood, construction material, green manure, fodder, medicines, shade, and beautification. KFG also have significant implications to the region in terms of in situ germplasm conservation [ 128 ], watershed management [ 90 ], preservation of habitat and other ecological contributions [ 129 ].

A book by Hochegger [ 130 ] offers a comprehensive overview of the ecological, economic, and cultural relevance of KFG in Sri Lanka investigating six locations in the central hills. The Green Movement in Sri Lanka pioneered by Kumarathunga [ 131 ] has published a guide on environmentally friendly agriculture with key emphasis on home gardens. This publication has been initially written in the Sinhala language and is in the process of being translated to the Tamil language. The guide provides step-by-step instructions to home gardeners and farmers on environmentally friendly cultivation and management practices and strategies to boost the efficiency of small agricultural production systems.

Ranasinghe [ 43 ] has developed a detailed manual drawing on the ideas of family business gardens and low/no-space agriculture. This manual was shaped primarily to attract urban households to develop their home crop production into a small agribusiness. In addition this publication attempted to reach a wider audience that includes professionals, non-professionals, entrepreneurs, as well as policy makers concerned with issues related to food and nutritional security in the face of limited resources such as land. It highlights that, through improved management, home garden cultivations can be transformed into agricultural ventures through the systematic adoption of economical and eco-friendly technologies and interventions.

Constraints and opportunities

While there are multiple benefits of home gardening for developing countries, the literature also reveals the key constraints to the productivity and sustainability of home gardens and makes recommendations for improving the home gardens and making them a viable and sustainable enterprise. Hoogerbrugge and Fresco [ 11 ] and Mitchell and Hanstad [ 20 ] provide a review of key constraints to home gardening. Among several constraints, they identified the access to suitable and sufficient land to establish a home garden along with lack of ownership and usage rights of some form as the most important limiting factors. The other constraints include access to capital or credit, access to water, seeds and planting materials, weak extension and advisory services, access to labor, and access to markets. The cultural acceptance of home gardening is also an important constraint. Table  3 summarizes the most common constraints to home gardening specified in literature by Hoogerbrugge and Fresco and others.

Conclusions

Overall, the literature review supports the inclusion and promotion of home gardens as an eco-friendly sustainable agricultural practice to improve food security and enhance economic growth.

The structure, functions, and contributions of home gardens vary in geographic regions. The literature shows that home gardens fulfill social, cultural and economic needs, while providing a number of ecosystem services. While these benefits are broadly distinguished here for better illustration, these benefits are not mutually exclusive. In the real world, there is substantial overlap and dependence between the various beneficial elements resulting in a bundle of advantages making home gardening initiatives even more attractive.

In the wake of a global food crisis and the soaring food prices, there has been increased emphasis on enhancing and building local food systems. In this context, there is renewed attention to food production and livelihood enhancement through home gardens. However, more empirical evidence on the value and importance of home gardens in conflict and post-conflict situations needs to be researched and documented. There is also a need for research on the cost-benefit analysis of home gardening to determine the economic value and to derive viable models that hold the most promise in diverse circumstances. The areas of nutrition, access to new technologies, extension and advisory services, economic and non-economic benefits, women empowerment, and long-term sustainability of home gardens specifically in post-conflict situations need further research.

Recognizing the value and potential of home gardens for enhancing food security and livelihoods, numerous initiates have been launched by governmental, non-governmental, and international organizations in many developing countries that are providing support and building local capacity to enhance the productivity and also for scaling up home garden activities. In this light, a number of resource materials, manuals, and guides have been developed through various home garden-related projects that can be used to improve and promote home gardening programs to enhance food security [ 43 , 60 , 87 ].

a Food insecurity occurs in three forms: chronic food security is the most severe category where a person is unable to consume the minimum amount of food needed for healthy life over a long period usually due to poverty or lack of productive recourses to generate income to purchase food [ 136 ]. Other types include transitional (short-term) food insecurity, which is further subdivided into temporary (limited time period due to shocks) and seasonal or cyclical (trend) food insecurity.

b The Food and Agriculture Organization [ 137 ] reported an average consumption per person of 3,130 kcal per day by the year 2050 based on their baseline projections. Alexandratos [ 138 ] estimated a slightly lower average daily caloric availability per person of 3,047 kcal per day by the year 2050.

c Since its inception in the early 1970s, the concept of food security has undergone many revisions and has held multiple connotations in research and in policy arenas. The two widely adopted conceptualizations are defined by: 1) the Food and Agriculture Organization - 'food security is a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life' [ 139 ]; and 2) by the United States Department of Agriculture - 'food security for a household means access by all members at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food security includes at a minimum: the ready availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods; and an assured ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways' [ 140 ].

d For nearly 30 years, the country underwent erratic disorder and military action that caused substantial destitutions to the political and socio-economic structure in the country as well as the infrastructure. The civil conflict was brought to an end in 2009 by the Sri Lankan government forces.

e As noted earlier there are numerous definitions to food security; nevertheless, these definitions highlight three broad dimensions: food availability, accessibility, and adequacy/utilization [ 139 – 141 ] (FAO, 2003 ). Food availability refers to the supply of food made available through domestic production, net imports, food reserves, donations, etc. Accessibility is ensured when an individual is able to obtain food without any physical, social, or economic barriers. Food adequacy/utilization is achieved through various biological and non-biological processes that ensure sufficient energy and nutrient intake.

f One general connotation for crisis is defined by Gasser and colleagues [ 142 ]. Crisis situations are identified as unique and complex in nature and are due to various factors [ 141 ]. At times, crisis is unforeseen and inevitable - as in the case of natural disasters - while others may be more protracted and influenced by economic, social, and political changes - such as civil or armed conflict. Irrespective of the origin, crisis adversely affects society by depriving affected groups of their rudimentary and ancillary needs and services including food, shelter, income, health care, security, and infrastructure.

g The two major national home gardening programs in Sri Lanka are “Api Wavamu, Rata Nagamu” (Let us cultivate to uplift the nation) and “Divinaguma” (Livelihood upliftment). In addition, a number of other regional and village level gardening programs are coordinated and managed by international and non-governmental organizations.

Abbreviations

Kandyan forest gardens.

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Galhena, D.H., Freed, R. & Maredia, K.M. Home gardens: a promising approach to enhance household food security and wellbeing. Agric & Food Secur 2 , 8 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/2048-7010-2-8

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Contribution of Home Gardens to Sustainable Development: Perspectives from A Supported Opinion Essay

Mário santos.

1 Laboratory of Fluvial and Terrestrial Ecology, Innovation and Development Center, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-911 Vila Real, Portugal

2 Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão, Rua do Comercio, 100, Buriticupu 65393-000, MA, Brazil

3 CITAB—Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production (Inov4Agro) and Department of Biology and Environment, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal

Helena Moreira

4 Department of Sports, Exercise and Health Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-911 Vila Real, Portugal

5 CIDESD—Research Center in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal

João Alexandre Cabral

Ronaldo gabriel, andreia teixeira, rita bastos.

6 CIBIO/InBIO/BioPolis, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal

Alfredo Aires

7 Department of Agronomy, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, UTAD, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal

Associated Data

Not applicable.

Home gardening has a long history that started when humans became sedentary, being traditionally considered an accessible source of food and medicinal plants to treat common illnesses. With trends towards urbanization and industrialization, particularly in the post-World War II period, the importance of home gardens as important spaces for growing food and medicinal plants reduced and they began to be increasingly seen as decorative and leisure spaces. However, the growing awareness of the negative impacts of agricultural intensification and urbanization for human health, food quality, ecosystem resilience, and biodiversity conservation motivated the emergence of new approaches concerning home gardens. Societies began to question the potential of nearby green infrastructures to human wellbeing, food provisioning, and the conservation of traditional varieties, as well as providers of important services, such as ecological corridors for wild species and carbon sinks. In this context. and to foster adaptive and resilient social–ecological systems, our supported viewpoint intends to be more than an exhaustive set of perceptions, but a reflection of ideas about the important contribution of home gardens to sustainable development. We envision these humble spaces strengthening social and ecological components, by providing a set of diversified and intermingled goods and services for an increasingly urban population.

1. Introduction

Sustainable development has emerged as a concept associated with the growing awareness of the need to balance social–economic development with a healthy environment [ 1 ]. Moreover, sustainable development goals (SDGs) have evolved to not only include the people, planet, and prosperity, but also peace and partnership, linking the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability [ 2 ]. Even though SDGs are not simple to be applied considering the possible incompatibilities and divergent points of view among social players, they have become a fundamental component of policy frameworks by diverse stakeholders “sitting at the same table”, such as governmental agencies, researchers, civil society, and the private sector (among others), to discuss their implementation [ 3 ]. This has contributed to the vision of a global human development approach, where diverse indicators have been considered as complementary and mutually reinforcing each other [ 4 ]. Moreover, global or regional SDG frameworks can only be effective when completed locally, considering the specificity of socio-ecological systems [ 5 ]. Additionally, this implementation is supported by resilience, a key feature of sustainable social–ecological systems [ 6 ], demonstrated by their capability of reorganization after disturbance [ 7 ] and by the amount of ecosystem services that translate into contributions of nature to human wellbeing and health [ 8 ].

Given the demographic shift towards urbanization, cities are likely to increase in importance and will be the main grounds for the SDGs’ implementation [ 9 ]. In fact, 54% of the world’s population lives in urban areas—a number that is expected to increase to approximately 59% by 2030. Thus, to meet SDGs, governments should tackle the direct and remote impacts of their growing cities [ 10 ]. Therefore, urban and suburban green spaces, encompassing public gardens, urban forests, and private backyards and home (family) gardens, but also rural home gardens in monocultural/industrial agricultural landscapes, should be considered as fundamental infrastructures in the road to sustainable societies [ 11 ]. These areas could provide several types of increasingly uncommon but essential ecosystem services [ 12 ]. For example, urban, suburban, and rural gardens, and especially the network of home gardens, are significant land uses, surpassing in many countries the area occupied by commercial crops and natural habitats [ 13 ]. On the other hand, rural home gardens are not well represented by traditional mapping approaches, but studies confirm the spatial importance of rural home gardens in several countries, from tropical to temperate regions [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. These rural home gardens are in relapse, jeopardized by abandonment and by the increasing area occupied by intensive large-scale agriculture [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Even so, home gardens, generally defined as a non-built land portions close to the household (more information in Section 1.1.1 ), are usually considered of minor importance within socioecological systems, perhaps due to their average small size, non-commercial use, and “unregulated” management [ 22 , 23 ]. Additionally, several works demonstrate their importance in the provision of a range of social, economic, and environmental services (e.g., [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]). Food production, income support, physical activity, wellbeing, and a connection with nature were all highlighted in diverse works (e.g., [ 28 , 29 , 30 ]). Additionally, the net of home gardens in a region might contribute to improve resilience within disruptive scenarios by reinforcing social equity and justice [ 31 , 32 ]. Some studies have also linked these small areas with biodiversity and nature conservation, even if complex multi-factorial factors with direct and indirect impacts on species diversity and abundance are yet to be fully understood [ 25 , 33 , 34 ]. In this way, the main objective of this work is to discuss what the authors have considered significant features of home gardens (and home gardening) associated with the SDGs, paying special attention to wellbeing and health, nutrition and carbon footprint reduction, and biodiversity and nature conservation ( Appendix A ). With this in mind, the authors suggest looking with eyes wide open at the vast possibilities of home gardens to tackle sustainable development goals and include in the discussion conceptual ideas that might help to enlighten their overall value.

1.1. Home Garden Definition and Methodological Framework

1.1.1. home garden definition.

A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature [ 13 ]. Within gardens, home gardens are small areas (usually much less 1 hectare) surrounding the residential parcel, usually associated with family use (most home gardens are family gardens), characterized by combinations of various perennial and annual plants, sometimes in association with domestic animals and might include additional infrastructures, such as ponds, greenhouses, and green roofs [ 13 ]. From purely aesthetic gardens to food production spaces, several gardens include mixed areas (e.g., agroforests) and have diverse uses. In fact, home garden “architecture” and organization, the species chosen, and the management options are linked with the local ecological conditions, but mostly with the options of the members of the household, providing a diverse and stable supply of services and benefits to families [ 35 , 36 ]. Even if they are associated with urban domestic/family gardens and/or self-consumption, home gardens are also an important land-use component in peri-urban and rural areas and in local food markets [ 37 ].

1.1.2. Supported Opinion Methodological Framework

A pre-opinion online and face-to-face forum occurred during the 2nd semester in 2021, involving three co-authors of the manuscript, in order to debate the personal views and importance of home gardens to tackle several of the sustainable development goals. For the purposes of the opinion manuscript, as each one of the co-authors’ expertise focused on different scientific domains, namely, healthy lifestyles and green exercise (Helena Moreira); food production and food quality (Alfredo Aires); and agroecosystems, biodiversity, and conservation ecology (Mário Santos), the idea of the preliminary discussions was to compare and define a common view concerning home gardens and to guide the workflow associated with this [ 38 ]. An expert draft was produced with his/her viewpoint, sharing and confronting with the other co-authors and justifying, whenever possible, their expert opinion using the relevant bibliographic information. Subsequently, during the 1st semester in 2022, the forum was enlarged to include additional researchers’ opinions (Andreia Teixeira, João Alexandre Cabral, Rita Bastos and Ronaldo Gabriel), comments, and discussion of ideas, obtaining a consensus regarding several issues [ 39 ]. This former step enabled the introduction of complementary remarks and risks that were integrated in the discussion. The final manuscript highlighted the key themes and perceptions that emerged during the discussions, based on the sound evidence and research, usually termed a supported opinion essay ( Figure 1 ).

The stepwise framework used to structure our supported opinion essay: step 1, forum between the core researchers, including the definition of home gardens and their significance for sustainable development goals; step 2, core researchers’ drafts concerning home gardens and sustainable development goals; step 3, support and confrontation of core researchers’ ideas and opinions of bibliography; step 4, discussion of different viewpoints and production of the first manuscript draft; step 5, enlarged discussion of additional experts’ opinions; step 6, production of the supported opinion essay.

1.2. An Appraisal of Health and Wellbeing Contributions from Home Gardens and Home Gardening Activities

Several of the issues below are linked to home gardens and gardening, even if they should also be considered with other types of “nature immersion” and outdoor activities. Direct visual contact with flowers, green plants, and wood has positive effects on brain activity, decreasing sympathetic stimulation and increasing parasympathetic activity [ 40 ]. Additionally, visual and olfactory stimulation generated by the presence of leafy plants or fresh flowers decreases oxyhemoglobin concentration (a form of hemoglobin that carries oxygen) in the right, prefrontal cortex, generating a physiological-relaxation effect [ 41 , 42 , 43 ]. In fact, the anterior part of the frontal lobe of the brain is specialized in affective processing, aggregating information from the sensory cortexes, brainstem, and amygdala, and regulating hyperactivity in depressed people [ 43 ]. Additionally, plant and animal diversity are associated with increased attention restoration, with implications in the reduction in stress levels [ 44 ]. According to [ 45 ], the practice of home gardening (and gardening in general) (i.e., at least 1 to 4 h per week) is reflected in greater human resilience, influencing factors, such as emotional regulation, interrelatedness, confidence, positive thinking, and spirituality. These relationships, particularly evident in older people, are mediated by restored attention, increased physical activity, and self-esteem, fascination (the gardener’s motivation to seek knowledge and exchange ideas with others), and identity with the home garden (a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment in planning, planting, and harvesting what he or she has sown), and the encouragement of socialization.

The individual’s greater ability to adapt to stressful situations and deal with adverse conditions and unexpected changes is particularly evident in home (and community) gardening [ 46 , 47 ], which promotes contact with nature in a sustainable way while reducing nutrition-based health inequalities, particularly relevant in the elderly, refugees [ 47 ], and ethnic and racial minorities [ 48 ]. Table 1 illustrates the intensity classification of various gardening tasks in metabolic equivalents (1 MET = 3.5 mL/kg/min), mirroring the energy expenditure associated with performing such tasks and classifying them into three intensity levels: light (<3 METs), moderate (3–5.9 METs), and vigorous (≥6 METs) [ 35 ]. An individual weighing 70 kg engaged in planting trees in his garden (4.0 METs), for example, will expend 157.5 kcal in about 1/2 an hour (4.0 METs * 70 kg * (30 min)/(60 min)), depending on factors, such as fitness level, gender, and environmental conditions [ 49 , 50 ].

Classification of the intensity of various gardening activities. Adapted from [ 50 ].

Carrying the wheelbarrow, pulling weeds, twisting, and bending while planting, among others, are some of the tasks that contribute to the improvement of strength, balance, and flexibility, leveraging their diversity for reducing the risk of injury and relieving the fatigue related with the repeated actions [ 50 ].

A study involving middle-aged (and older adults) gardeners revealed that those who were physically active (≥150 min of moderate-intensity physical activity per week) exhibited better physical health and handgrip strength, compared to those who gardened between 120 and 149 min/week, and especially to those who did so for less than 120 min/week [ 51 ]. According to a number of authors, people are more likely to document improvements to wellbeing and health when exposure to nature has a minimum duration of 120 min per week [ 52 ], with physical, psychological, and social benefits being magnified by spending more time on gardening activities [ 27 ].

Handgrip strength is stimulated by the variety of tasks associated with home gardening that require the release and flexion of the thumb and forefinger, and its improvement is associated with cognitive [ 53 ], oncological [ 54 ], metabolic [ 55 ], and bone [ 56 ] benefits, decreasing cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular diseases and mortality risks [ 57 ]. The effort developed when gardening and the exposure to natural light increases individuals’ alertness during the day, improving sleep duration and quality [ 58 ]. This might counteract socio-environmental and lifestyle factors, such as stress, temperature, humidity, and work-shift influence regarding the production of melatonin, i.e., sleep and wake cycles [ 59 ]. In fact, this hormone, produced by the pineal gland in the absence of light stimuli, regulates sleep and contributes to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that protect the body from various diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome [ 60 ].

For older people (and particularly women), especially affected by insomnia (and overweight) that is related with anxiety, depression [ 61 ], and reduced levels of physical activity, home gardening may help to improve sleep disorders. Through the exposure of the skin to ultraviolet radiation, this outdoor activity also stimulates vitamin D synthesis, increasing levels that are usually reduced in middle-aged and elderly individuals [ 62 ], as well as waiving the use of supplements [ 63 ]. The health benefits of vitamin D have been recognized, including their role in regulating glucose metabolism, decreasing cardiovascular diseases [ 62 ], improving cognitive ability [ 64 ], preventing depression [ 65 ] and some types of cancer [ 63 , 66 ], osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, and COVID-19 [ 63 ]. Observational studies have also identified an association of vitamin D levels with arthritis, chronic pain [ 67 ], and low-back pain [ 68 ].

Plant diversity associated with home gardens (and in general, plant diverse systems) increases the microbiome, with potential effects in mitigating the acute and chronic health effects of air pollution, including allergies, asthma, and chronic inflammatory diseases [ 69 ]. Planting, digging, weeding, or consuming home-garden-grown products, including fruits and vegetables, also increases the gut microbiome and induces a higher intake of fiber, iron, selenium, and vitamins C and K [ 70 ], due the presence of vitamin-synthetizing bacterium in the soil (e.g., Mycobacterium vaccae ) [ 71 ]. Studies using mice have revealed that the bacterium is active in a specific set of serotonin-producing neurons located in the subregion of the dorsal raphe nucleus (neuronal aggregates divided into pairs along the brainstem), and that it stabilizes the gut microbiome, improving the response to stimuli that triggers stress and anxiety. Their effects in protecting allergic bronchial asthma [ 72 ] and on the response to chemotherapy in some types of cancer were also documented in the literature [ 73 ]. Exposure to the environmental microbiome and other elements of nature, including phytocides (volatile, antimicrobial, organic compounds emitted as a defense mechanism by plants), negative air ions, sunlight, and sights and sounds also provide analgesia, and these benefits are enhanced with exposure to biodiverse spaces [ 74 ].

Additionally, light-to-moderate-intensity gardening activities that might occur near the household are associated with cognitive health benefits, namely, by an upsurge in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF) [ 75 , 76 ] and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) [ 75 ]. Both growth factors are related to memory and cognitive function; their levels decrease with age, implying a reduction in brain volume and weight (5% per decade after the 4th decade, especially relevant after the age of 70 years) [ 77 ]. The BNDF, associated with neurogenesis, synaptic transmission, and production of tryptophan, an amino acid precursor of serotonin, is linked with the hippocampus and cerebral cortex [ 76 ]; on the other hand, PDGF promotes cell proliferation/growth and neuronal functions [ 75 ]. Neurogenesis and the stimulation of new synapses are enhanced if gardening is practiced for at least 3 months at a moderate intensity and with sessions lasting no less than 20 min [ 78 ].

Regular gardening, promoted when the garden is near the residence (home gardens), might reduce the risk of dementia by 36% in people over 60 years of age [ 79 ], encouraging positive-mood enhancement in individuals with average-to-advanced levels of disease [ 80 ]. Sensory stimulation derived from light, smells, and touch allows people to recall meaningful memories and past skills [ 81 ], to be engaged in the accomplishment of meaningful and productive work, reinforcing the feeling of being at “home” [ 81 , 82 , 83 ]. Home gardens can also provide opportunities for people to interact with neighbors, empowering the community spirit and social connectedness, with positive reflections on mental health. Learning about the science of plants, finding innovative ways to grow them, and discovering fresh-food sources and ways to cook them are also important in preventing cognitive decline. They might also encourage the purchase of seasonal/local products and positively influence the adoption of other pro-environmental behaviors [ 84 ]. Home gardening is also an important intergenerational activity, by the sharing of skills and knowledge, stimulating recreative environments for different age groups.

1.3. The Contributions of Home Gardening (and Urban Agriculture) to Dietary Diversity and Carbon Footprint Reduction

Several questions could be raised when discussing the impacts of home gardening on human health and food supply. From a consumer’s point of view, home gardening is generally perceived as involving small areas surrounding houses and villages in which mixtures of flowers, potted plants, perianal bushes, and street trees, fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants are cultivated [ 85 , 86 ]. Different studies have associated home gardening with a wide range of ecosystem services, such as supplying small markets with high-quality fruits and vegetables, and employment opportunities [ 87 , 88 ]. In fact, divergent economies (countries from North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia) envision home gardens (domestic agriculture) contributing to a reduction in the world food crisis [ 89 ]. Consumers often perceive home agriculture as a supplementary strategy to assure food security, since it can be a source of income while providing direct access to a higher number of nutritionally rich foods (vegetables and fruits) [ 90 ]. An increased stability of household diets during seasonality or other temporary shortages was also pointed out [ 91 , 92 , 93 ]. These works seem to share a common observation: that home gardening can account for an important share of the local offer of perishable food items, such as vegetables or medicinal and aromatic plants, playing a vital role in the promotion of household-food self-sufficiency [ 91 ]. In addition, it seems that families involved in home agriculture have better and varied diets: several studies also reported that home gardens supplemented diets with a significant portion of proteins, vitamins, and minerals, leading to an enriched and balanced menu [ 29 , 94 ], while at same time sustaining crop diversity and improving a family’s resilience [ 95 ]. The production of food by families can supply up to 20–60% of their total food consumption in fresh vegetables, medicinal and aromatic plants or eggs, and even milk and meat from small animals [ 96 ], thus increasing the accessibility of affordable fresh foods and assuring a food supply during natural disasters and wars [ 93 ]. As an example, a single home garden of about 9 square meters with tomato, cucumber, musk melon, cabbage, potato, sweet potato, squash, peppers, bush peas, lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots, onions, and beets, can provide 9.2% of protein, 23% of vitamin K, 20% of vitamin C, and less amounts of other nutrients and vitamins to a household [ 96 ]. In low-income areas, the dietary deficiency of micronutrients, such as iron, zinc, iodine, and vitamin A, is more common [ 97 ], and horticultural commodities in home gardens, such as fruits and vegetables rich in minerals, fibers, and bioactive compounds (e.g., phenolics and antioxidants), partially overcome this problem, reducing malnutrition, improving food security, and increasing the availability of food [ 29 ]. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [ 98 ], a high percentage of the world’s population consumes large quantities of carbohydrate-dense staples, such as maize, rice, wheat, and potatoes, which have low concentrations of essential micronutrients necessary to maintain good health and wellbeing. Therefore, vegetables and fruits provided by home gardens can be an easy way to access those micronutrients [ 23 ], particularly in isolated places or for families with a low financial budget. Home gardening can contribute to a household’s nutrition and food security by providing rapid and direct access to a diversity of foods that can be harvested, prepared, and eaten by family members on a daily basis. This is considered beneficial for a human’s nutritional status, cardiovascular health, and for reducing the probability of catching many diseases [ 99 , 100 ]. Dietary diversity scores have been developed as an indicator of the micronutrient adequacy of diets [ 101 ], and many studies showed that home gardening might lead to an overall increase in nutrient intake [ 23 , 102 ]. Studies [ 103 , 104 , 105 ] have shown that even small home gardens can provide a substantial number of micronutrients and vitamins to a household. Complementary studies have provided specific positive and descriptive evidence of home gardening impacts (in both developed and developing countries) on families’ nutrition status and diets [ 102 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 ]. Thus, the areas surrounding houses, often neglected, can be utilized to grow vegetables and fruits, fulfilling the nutrient requirements [ 109 , 110 ]. Some examples of home gardening benefits to diet are presented in Table 2 .

Benefits, pursuits, and encouragement of home gardening related to human diet.

On the other hand, even if home garden products are mostly for auto-consumption, they can also grow multiple added-value crops, including traditional medicines and home remedies for certain illnesses [ 29 ]. In the literature, it is possible to find several studies in which home and community gardens are considered inefficient, costly, and without any offer regarding a complete solution to food insecurity [ 111 ]. We can however observe the problem from another perspective: instead of considering home and community gardens as a solution to address food insecurity, we may consider them as a part of a broad answer to address a much greater issue of offering a diversity of nutritious foods, as well as the opportunity for positive health outcomes. Moreover, home gardening can be more cost-effective than buying in the stores, as gardeners can grow what they eat most and just buying the less cost-effective prod-ucts. Contribution of home (and community) gardening to food security are presented in Figure 2 .

Pathways of contribution of home (and community) gardening to food security.

Home gardening has also been pointed out as having a positive impact on the social conditions of local populations, trough-strengthening cohesion, and the local economy [ 112 , 113 ]; an increase in financial revenues, the reduction in poverty risk factors have been highlighted in the literature. Another important achievement of home gardening is related to its benefits for carbon sequestration: plant cover might buffer climate change variability [ 114 ] by creating more complex canopies than modern agriculture and/or urban areas, thus ultimately modulating microclimatic conditions [ 115 ] and sequestering atmospheric carbon into the soil [ 116 ]. In addition, green-house gas (GHG) footprints of consumers through conventional agribusiness systems is far higher than of home productions [ 117 ]. Conversely, other research suggests that the impact of home gardens on the environment may depend on the specific management and cultivation methods used [ 118 ], which in turn might have negative consequences in terms of the overuse and production of fertilizers and/or the GHG emissions. Home composting from gardening waste can also produce methane and nitrous oxide, which are strong GHGs [ 119 , 120 , 121 ]. Nonetheless, GHG reductions were observed in gardening communities, compared with conventional systems, particularly when vegetable production replaced lawns [ 116 ]. In developed countries, post-harvest processes, such as storing, refrigeration, and transportation over long distances produce high GHG emissions, comparable to the production processes [ 122 ]. These postproduction emissions are considerably reduced when vegetables are grown near the places where they are consumed, as in the case of home gardens. Plants considerably reduce CO 2 and heat stress by absorbing and reflecting solar irradiance, helping to reduce the global warming pollutants associated with waste disposal by turning leaves, grass, woody garden offcuts, and dead garden waste into mulch or compost. Additionally, recycling these “wastes” not only reduces methane emissions from landfills, but also improves a garden’s soil and helps it store more carbon. Furthermore, even if home agriculture is not able to substitute large-scale agricultural productions, its contribution to food production and healthy diets might be enhanced by the organization of small-scale producers within cooperatives that will reach food and grocery retail markets.

1.4. Home Gardens’ Structures and Management Impacts on Biodiversity

Biodiversity conservation is usually overlooked in home gardens (and most public gardens also), namely, because other attributes, such as landscape aesthetics, lifestyle, and usefulness, are the gardeners’ (and public managers) objectives [ 123 ]. Moreover, home gardens are characterized by being heterogeneous, reflecting their owners’ perceptions and interests, and provide a large variety of small-scale structures that may act as refuge for many species, as well as a valuable network of habitats for meta-populations [ 124 ]. On the other hand, the effect of home gardens on local and regional biodiversity patterns relies on the collective action of large numbers of gardeners [ 125 ]. Despite the growing awareness of the conservation potential of home gardens, information on “wildlife gardening” and/or “ecological gardening” has been subjected to limited research associated with presumptions of their low ecological value and limited access to researchers [ 126 ]. However, ecological and wildlife gardening is characterized by “organic” and/or more sustainable practices and by the creation of habitats for wild species [ 127 ]. Some works pinpoint the growing importance of home gardens for the conservation of species and varieties of crops extirpated from the countryside by intensive agricultural and forestry practices [ 28 , 128 , 129 ]. Additionally, the main features interlaced with animal diversity in gardens are plant-species richness, vegetation structure, plant-species origin, and type of management [ 130 ], but more effort should be made for clarifying what really holds true [ 131 ].

Home gardens include different “spaces” that fulfil people’s needs and beliefs, which might be considered different “habitats” [ 132 ]. Additionally, and when compared with actual intensive and monocultural agricultural landscapes, a high heterogeneity in a rather small area can be observed [ 133 ]. This creates opportunities for several species that, along its life cycle, require different resources and habitats [ 134 ]. In this way, we have disentangled the several archetypal spaces when discussing the links between home gardens and biodiversity, namely, the vegetable garden; the flower garden; the lawn, trees, shrubs, and hedges; the pond; and paved and constructed areas ( Figure 3 ). The vegetable garden ( Figure 3 a) is an area usually separated from the rest of the home garden, a source of herbs, vegetables, and fruits; it is also often a structured garden space with a design based on a repetitive geometric pattern, usually incorporating permanent perennials or woody-shrub plantings and annuals [ 135 ]. In terms of crop biodiversity, vegetable home gardens are especially diverse, integrating several plant species and, in many cases, non-commercial and local vegetable varieties [ 28 ]. Additionally, as in most cases the production is for self-consumption (with exceptions), the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers is reduced when compared with intensive, commercial productions [ 136 ]. The various operations (ploughing, weeding) reduce the number of wild species able to use these areas, and most are generalist species (often plagues) that take advantage of specific plant’s abundance and the lack of predators [ 137 ]. However, some species facing serious decline are particularly dependent on vegetable gardens [ 138 ]. The flower garden ( Figure 3 b) is an area where flowers are grown and displayed for their colors and scents. Annual, biennial, and perennial flowers, traditionally associated with native medicinal and condimentary plants, are expanded, at present, to incorporate many others selected by taking into consideration a sequence of bloom and consistent color combinations through varying seasons [ 139 ]. At present, great plant “biodiversity”, linked with several thousands of species and varieties, can be found in flower gardens, most with an exotic provenance [ 140 ]. Additionally, the pressure for beauty has produced larger and more colorful flowers whose attractiveness to pollinators and many other organisms is, in general, far less their wild ancestors [ 141 ]. As an example, most modern rose variety ( Rosa sp.) selections are related to the conversion of stamens into “petals”, but also by expanding the flowering season through the hybridization and selection of species from several origins at the expense of pollen production and functional nectaries [ 142 ]. Nevertheless, flower-bed structures, particularly when associated with native “wildflower” annuals and perennials, could be an excellent contribution to halt the decline in wildflowers and pollinators (and insects in general and many other invertebrates and small vertebrates), but also attract auxiliary organisms that feed upon garden pests [ 141 , 143 , 144 ]. Most gardens include lawns ( Figure 3 c) dominated by grasses (monocots), subject to weed and pest control, maintained in a green stage (e.g., by watering), and regularly mowed to ensure an acceptable length for aesthetic and recreational purposes [ 145 ]. Even if they might appear a dull monoculture, most include several species of grasses, adapted to diverse environmental conditions and periods of the year. Additionally, many other plants (weeds) adapted to the periodic mowing grow, and a diversity of detritivores, such as springtails (Collembola) that attract predators, such as spiders and ground beetles (Carabidae), become particularly abundant [ 146 ]. Anyway, mown laws are very poor in terms of biodiversity, and their intensive management might pose significant risks to several invertebrates and vertebrates (e.g., arthropods’ mortality, vertebrates’ poisoning, and even vertebrates’ mortality) [ 147 , 148 ]. If left uncut for longer periods, the lawn rapidly turns into a (kind of) meadow, which is an incredible hotspot of biodiversity by attracting several species of invertebrates, birds, small mammals, and fungi (e.g., mushrooms) [ 149 , 150 ]. Meadows are a fast-declining habitat in the countryside that could be partially compensated by home garden “wild” lawns [ 131 ]. Nevertheless, in regions with water shortages, alternatives to grass lawns using cover plants (e.g., Hypericum sp., Hedera sp.) might contribute to decrease the impact on water resources and contribute to the conservation of wetlands in the surrounding areas [ 151 , 152 , 153 ]. Another option to reduce water and agrochemical use is the replacement of grass lawns with artificial lawns constructed from synthetic polymers (plastics), but with significant impacts on home garden biodiversity [ 154 ]. Trees, shrubs, and hedges ( Figure 3 d), both clipped and unclipped, are often used as ornaments in the layout of gardens to enhance a garden’s privacy (e.g., buffer to visual pollution), to create shade/windbreaks for modulating microclimatic conditions, and for producing diverse types of fruits [ 155 ]. Woody species, both deciduous and evergreen, are also recognized for their great value to the landscape and wildlife, mostly when the plants are native, older, and are less clipped, namely, by the enhancement of refuge spots (e.g., nesting locations), flower resources, and fruit production [ 128 , 156 ]. These are also among the best locations for the creation of micro-structures and micro-habitats for wild species, such as bird tables, bird and bat boxes, amphibian refuge spots, arthropod boxes, small mammal houses, and even dead hood piles [ 126 , 157 ]. Nevertheless, all woody species play a considerable role in providing shelter for fungi, shade plants, smaller animals, such as birds and mammals (including bats), and insects [ 158 ]. Their upscaling, when considering the net of woody species of different home gardens and other trees in the landscape, creates a network of green corridors for many uncommon species in urban and rural areas [ 126 , 159 ]. Additionally, ecosystem services include reducing soil loss and pollution, the regulation of water supplies, and organic carbon storage, critical to the environmental homeostasis of landscapes [ 160 , 161 ]. A garden pond ( Figure 3 e) is a water feature constructed in a garden or designed landscape, normally for aesthetic purposes, to provide a wildlife habitat, for fish production, or for swimming. The pond is considered the biodiversity “hotspot” of a home garden: nothing beats it in attracting the widest range of species [ 162 ]. The diversity of resident amphibians, insects (e.g., dragonflies and water beetles), mollusks, plants, and the usefulness to birds, bats, and small mammals is unquestionable [ 163 ]. Considering that amphibians are the vertebrates with the highest rate of extinction, garden ponds might actually be considered relevant for metapopulation conservation [ 163 ]. The size of the pond, but specially the non-occurrence of “aquarium” exotic fish (and sometimes invasive plants and turtles), might make the difference in the biodiversity present: fish are particularly aggressive by attacking most organisms and dysregulating food webs, and garden ponds can be pathways for the spread of invasive, non-native plants [ 164 , 165 ]. Ponds are also particularly relevant for environmental education, considering that several organisms are easily spotted along its complex life cycles (e.g., metamorphosis) [ 166 ]. Additionally, permanent and temporary ponds are extremely threatened in the countryside, namely, by the compound effects of agricultural intensification in the most productive areas (increase in water consumption and the depletion of water resources) or by agricultural abandonment in less productive ones (e.g., the lack of maintenance of traditional water reservoirs) [ 167 ]. Paved and constructed areas ( Figure 3 f) are impervious surfaces dominated by concrete, asphalt, brick, tile, bitumen, timber, or similar materials, encompassing the walls, courtyard, decking, footpath, driveway, or street access surrounding a house. Even if they seem to be a desert, by comparison with the other “green or blue” infrastructures previously discussed, they possess unique organisms and derive several advantages for many others [ 168 ]. Several mosses, hepatics, ferns, and some rock plants are especially diverse in this habitat [ 169 ]. Additionally, unique species of arthropods and mollusks are located here, while wild bees, bats, and birds (namely, Hirundinidae—swallows and martins—and Apodidae—swifts) might use them as breeding places [ 170 ]. Especially important are old stone walls, with their holes and crevices that mimic stone areas that might be relevant habitats for a diversity of species, including mammals, reptiles, and amphibians [ 171 ]. New techniques, such as green roofs and walls, have recently emerged as promising conservation tools, and they offer promising additional opportunities to several species [ 172 ].

Home garden most usual “spaces”: ( a ) the vegetable garden; ( b ) the flower garden; ( c ) the lawn; ( d ) trees, shrubs, and hedges; ( e ) the garden pond; ( f ) paved and constructed surfaces.

1.5. Home Gardens’ Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

The authors defined home gardens as gardens that might be characterized by their location, near or around a family house, for their (mostly) private use with a scope linked with the families’ conceptions and needs. We have considered that their contribution to health and wellbeing can be separated within two major influences, nature exposure and outdoor’ stimulation, renowned for their positive physiological and psychological benefits and the physical exercise associated with gardening, providing strength improvement, calorie burning, and, in general, better physical and mental health ( Table 3 ). Concerning diets, their role in boosting food diversity and nutrition should not be disregarded. We highlighted that for low-income and/or isolated regions, this is particularly relevant, including traditional medicine production ( Table 3 ). The authors considered that the possibility of home gardens acting as carbon sinks depended on several factors linked with management; more research is needed to understand this potential function ( Table 3 ). Biodiversity conservation is a complex issue, but with careful management, design, correct size, and habitat creations, the home gardens matrix might contribute to sustain “wild” species metapopulations, by the planting of native species (e.g., tree species) or by the resources associated with the “habitats” created by the gardener ( Table 3 ).

Contribution of home gardening to sustainable development goals.

2. Complementary Remarks on the Risks and Drawbacks of Home Gardens and Home Gardening in the Scope of Their Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

2.1. risks to health and wellbeing of home gardens and home gardening.

Musculoskeletal injuries are very common in individuals who farm the land [ 44 ], although addressing this type of injury in gardening is still very limited in the literature [ 48 ]. Some authors indicated that the causes for their manifestation are related to the presence of inadequate work practices (repetitive and performed for a prolonged period), biomechanical factors (improper handling of gardening tools, lifting and carrying heavy loads, repetitive flexion movements of the spine, and excessive movement of the lumbar region or neck), use of poorly ergonomic tools, fatigue, and poor physical fitness [ 173 , 174 , 175 ]. Low-back pain is very common and is aggravated by age, crop type, stress levels, and the presence of previous occupational injuries [ 175 ]. The manual and repetitive activities associated with gardening, such as planting, spraying, sweeping, and using shears, can also lead to wrist and hand injuries. Short-rest breaks, the use of ergonomic tools, and elevated flowerbeds are some of the strategies that can help reduce the symptoms of fatigue and musculoskeletal discomfort associated with gardening. Other health risks associated with gardening involve exposure to chemical substances through skin contact, ingestion, or inhalation with dermatological, gastrointestinal, neurological, oncological, respiratory, and endocrine effects [ 176 ]. Elderly gardeners and immunosuppressed individuals are particularly sensitive to Legionellosis, an infectious disease caused by exposure to Legionella bacteria present in compost submitted to high temperatures [ 177 ]. Handling it might cause the release of microorganisms and bioaerosols, providing ideal conditions for the growth of fungi that lead to non-allergic, immuno-allergic (rhinitis, allergic asthma), and inflammatory reactions [ 178 ]. Cuts and wounds resulting from handling thorny plants and power tools and gardening equipment facilitate the entry into the body of spores of Clostridium tetani bacteria, resulting in the onset of muscle spasms, cramps, and even convulsions. Some plants and insects (bees, wasps, and red ants) can also cause allergic reactions in some individuals. Tick bites, very common in gardens [ 179 ], affects the joints and nervous system [ 180 ]. Moistening dry compost before turning or using it, wearing gloves, and keeping your arms covered when pruning plants likely to cause irritation may minimize the occurrence of some of these health risks. However, considering the state of the art to date, further research is needed on this issue, namely, by measuring exposure, understanding the underlying mechanisms, and demonstrating causality [ 181 ]. This is even more incomplete when it comes to home gardens and home gardening: research is needed to understand the real benefits of the spaces created and management practices on human health and wellbeing, something that ought to be performed by integrated teams linking ecologists and health and social scientists with gardeners. With strong (and hopefully) positive results, policies might be developed to promote home gardens and home gardening (and gardens and gardening in general) in the scope of the one-health approach [ 181 ]. In fact, home gardens might contribute to halt habitat degradation/destruction and biodiversity loss, mitigate locally ongoing climate change, and contribute to several human wellbeing and health benefits of experiencing nature.

2.2. Food Provision, and Nutritional and Carbon Footprint Risks

The positive effects of home gardens and home gardening on food provision, diet diversity, nutrient supply, and carbon footprint were highlighted in the previous section. For example, home gardens were presented as relevant to obtain a continuous supply of daily foods for households in remote locations [ 36 ], supplementing diets with proteins, vitamins, and minerals, and thus contributing to food security, food diversity, and nutrition. However, drawbacks were reported: gardens are often located near roads or intensive agricultural areas, which are more susceptible to be contaminated by heavy metals [ 182 , 183 , 184 ] and organic pollutants (for example: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)), antibiotics, and petroleum products and pesticides [ 183 ]. In this situation, gardeners may be exposed to these substances, which are an important set of constraints highlighted by several research studies [ 185 ]. In fact, growing foods within or near the main roads, factories, or intensive agricultural fields increases the chance of high concentrations in the soil of potentially toxic elements, such as As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, and Zn, which can be obstacles to produce safe and healthy fresh products [ 186 , 187 , 188 ]. Nonetheless, several solutions can be implemented to minimize the potential risk of soil contamination, such as building raised beds for the crops, using amendments to stabilize contaminants in soil, adding thick layers of organic matter to the soil (i.e., providing a physical barrier to contamination), replacing contaminated soil with clean soil, or even using plant species that extract, degrade, contain, or immobilize the contaminants in soil [ 189 ]. Thus, despite the potential risks of contaminants in soils, several practices are available at present to (partially) overcome this problem. Moreover, whenever pesticides are used (insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides)—gardeners often lack the training for how to use them safely—harmful effects to human health could increase. Even if several “problematic” pesticides are banned from developed countries, in many others, they would still be commonly use. Moreover, a recent research revealed that in the UK, growers can easily purchase unauthorized pesticides online, including atrazine, a herbicide which has been banned for sale in the EU for more than a decade [ 190 ]. Another important criticism of home gardens and home gardening is linked with their food-provision role: several authors suggested that only small and modest contributions to overall food and nutritional needs are fulfilled [ 191 ]. Moreover, the majority of studies involving home gardening only address the potential of urban soil for food production and how much land or what types of soils would be required to feed the city’s population. In fact, comparisons are sometimes difficult to establish, since methods of crop production and types of crops differ among studies. The lack of data also complicates the comparisons between potential urban and rural home gardens and home gardening, but a question always raised is about the amount of food supplied by gardens to households. From our point of view, the objectives of domestic and home gardens should not be to provide the complete needs of nutrients to households, but to complement them, since extensive areas of farming already exist for this purpose. On the other hand, critics always refute the idea that gardens can effectively contribute to reducing the carbon footprint, suggesting that garden species need extra care with fertilization, watering, and sanitary treatments [ 191 ]. The excessive use of mineral fertilizers, especially nitrogen and potassium, might end up in groundwaters, but also the accumulation of pesticide residues in soils and foods, and groundwater depletion, are among the other issues and problems raised [ 191 ]. Nonetheless, the majority of criticism and drawbacks reported, even opportune as reflection points, can be minimized using correct “farming” practices. The use of organic fertilizers, green and organic amendments, natural substances, or natural products for crop sanitary treatments, the rational use of irrigation water (only when necessary) have already been proven to reduce the negative impacts on the environment [ 118 ]. The widespread use of mulching or compost, ground cover, vegetables and fruits in raised beds (filled with an uncontaminated soil), no tillage, and sowing annual plants away from busy roads are practices to be considered [ 117 ]. All these practices can also contribute to the recovery of degraded soils in gardens, but also capture different forms of atmospheric carbon, contributing in this way as a carbon sink [ 116 ].

2.3. Biodiversity and Nature Conservation: The Downside of Home Gardens

Most gardens are not suited for the conservation of species with special requirements of area, soil, climate, or habitat [ 192 ]. In fact, urban sprawl is one of the most threatening factors, by reducing natural habitats area and their ecological status, i.e., natural-habitat conservation should be the priority [ 25 ]. Nevertheless, in the advent of an increasing urbanized and agriculture-intensive world, wildlife gardening could create, within a small area, a diversity of microhabitats suited for several species [ 192 ]. Conversely, several of the species selected by gardeners or attracted to live in our home gardens (e.g., cats, naturalized and/or invasive species) may pose huge threats to our wild neighbors by spreading infectious diseases, predating several vertebrates and invertebrates, but also competing for space, nutrients, and light [ 193 , 194 , 195 ]. In fact, a relevant drawback related to home gardens and home gardening is linked to the chosen species, namely, the potential of exotic species becoming invasive [ 196 ]. In fact, several plants and animals (and their associated parasites) brought to the garden in order to increase its beauty (e.g., colorful flowers) escape and become invasive in the wild habitats, creating considerable challenges for conservationists by competing with native species, changing web links and fire regimes, and spreading new diseases [ 144 ]. Additionally, downfalls created by our longing for beauty, “cleanness”, and pest control within our home garden havens, by over-adding fertilizers and pesticides, might create traps and mortality events for several non-target species [ 137 , 197 , 198 ]. A gardener’s education and garden-center consultations should be a priority to tackle this problem [ 199 ]. Another relevant aspect, namely, in regions with water scarcity (e.g., Mediterranean region), is the preconception of “green” gardens (e.g., lawn) that need high quantities of water (and chemicals) to maintain their features [ 200 ]. Apart from the costs associated with water consumption, this water is, many times, deviated from subterranean waters, wetlands, or associated with the construction of reservoirs that impact natural habitats further [ 201 ]. Education could again pave the way for more sustainable gardens, by including novel irrigation techniques using gray waters, xeriscape concepts, and mimicking regional natural habitats by choosing native species adapted to the local climate and soils [ 196 ].

2.4. Risks and Drawbacks of Home Gardens and Home Gardening to the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals

Recognizing the potential interest of home gardens and home gardening for health and wellbeing, namely, for elderly people, the authors also would like to stress that musculoskeletal injuries are a common problem that could be reduced by specific gardening education directed to postural techniques and tool use ( Table 4 ). On the other hand, the correct handling of chemicals (e.g., limiting the access to accredited gardeners) might prevent the occurrence of toxicological effects, while proper clothing and hygiene can also minimize skin lesions from plants and arthropods and reduce infection by microorganisms. The authors recognized the risks of contamination of home gardens located near urban/industrial or intensive agriculture areas with metals and/or pesticides (but also in some cases by the excessive use of agrochemicals by the gardener) that might end up in the legumes, fruits, and groundwater ( Table 4 ). Several techniques are available, ranging from mulching to organic farming and cover crops, to help in tackling the previous problems, but further studies are needed to prove efficacy. In our opinion, these techniques might also reduce water consumption and contribute to capturing carbon from the atmosphere. The biodiversity of home gardens might be enhanced by choosing the right species and correct management techniques, and is by no means comparable to the biodiversity found in natural habitats ( Table 4 ). Additionally, home gardens might significantly impact natural ecosystems’ functioning and biodiversity: the introduction of alien, invasive species and water consumption in arid and semi-arid regions, but again, the environmental education of gardeners might make a difference ( Table 4 ).

Risks and drawbacks of home gardens and home gardening.

3. Discussion

Even if the maintenance of a small home garden is mostly associated with low- and moderate-intensity activities, it can serve as a gateway within a plexus of outdoor activities, contributing to reduce the seasonality of physical-activity levels that usually tend to occur under good weather conditions [ 202 ]. Moreover, for the elderly population with reduced mobility, significant improvements to their health condition and mental wellbeing were noticed with gardening practices [ 203 ]. In this way, the backyard becomes a potential outdoors gymnasium, upscaling physical activity and nature integration for individuals that face barriers to the practice of physical activity, but whose participation is a priority [ 203 ]. Since different management activities are performed during specific seasons and linked with diverse garden structures and species, gardening encourages physical activity throughout the year [ 51 ] by motivating the adoption of recommended levels for healthy lifestyles, viz., 150 min of moderate-intensity physical activity per week [ 47 , 51 , 185 , 203 ]. This recommendation can produce considerably positive effects in reducing the risk of several diseases, such as obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even some types of cancer [ 204 ].

In fact, growing ornamental plants for aesthetic purposes and/or fruits/vegetables for home consumption is one unpretentious way of interacting with flora and fauna, while promoting a greater interest and knowledge of nature-related issues [ 24 ]. Green spaces in balconies, terraces, backyards, or other areas increase an individual’s exposure to natural elements and biota while promoting physical activity, regardless of socioeconomic status [ 205 ]. Home gardens and gardening also have the potential for changing behaviors, including the preference for healthy diets and de-tress activities, thus contributing to the prevention and control of chronic diseases [ 206 ]. Additionally, gardens are able to reduce air, noise, and thermal pollution, while providing important ecosystem services, such as oxygen production and water percolation, in urban areas [ 207 ].

Nonetheless, it is still not clear what the mains aspects of home gardens and home gardening are that promote human welfare. In recent decades, the efforts of researchers have been dedicated to explore the attitudes of communities to domestic gardening, and how gardening is seen as a health-intervention strategy. Home gardening and small gardens are a complex multi-factorial activity, having direct and indirect impacts on the health and wellbeing of those taking part in it [ 208 ]. Moreover, consumers see the garden (and gardening) as a way to preserve plants and green spaces, as well as an activity that has considerable contributions to wellbeing [ 209 ]. The authors reported that consumers perceived gardens and gardening as spaces and an activity to relax, to find restoration from daily stress, engaging in physical activities with spiritual meaning [ 210 , 211 ]. The improvement to wellbeing in older people was also pointed out as a benefit of home gardens and home gardening [ 44 , 212 ].

Even if home gardens are often overlooked within biodiversity conservation, their cumulative impact should not be underestimated [ 28 ]. Being artificial, gardens encompass mostly generalist and adaptable habitats and species that used to be considered as “uninteresting” by researchers and, in this way, were understudied [ 153 ]. The trends in the last decade have shown that several of these generalist habitats and species are rapidly retreating and listed as habitats and/or species of conservation concern [ 213 ]. In fact, for many species associated with agroecosystems that are more and more intensified and monocultural, gardens could work as conservation islands [ 214 ]. This is discussed in several forum sites and wildlife-gardening publications, namely, highlighting that gardens should be considered in the mainstream of conservation thinking [ 215 ].

To finish our viewpoint, we suggest looking at home gardens by considering a concept similar to high-nature-value farming (e.g., [ 216 ]), which recognizes the importance and special status of traditional agricultural systems and practices for nature conservation within the rural landscape at present. Furthermore, we would like to extend the “nature” focus of the previous concept by also including food provision and the active use of the outdoor environment, translated into social (reduced isolation, improved social networks), mental (reduced stress and depression, improved cognitive function), physical (increased physical activity and weight control), nutritional (quality and diversity of food items), ecological (conservation of habitats and species), and carbon footprint (sink habitats) improvements within landscapes. In fact, home gardens provide opportunities for leisure and self-expression, encourage creativity, skill development, and the adoption of pro-environmental behaviors, all with valuable contributions to increasingly homogeneous ecosystems (both rural and urban) and their inhabitants [ 24 ]. Through home gardening, urban and rural populations could develop extra proficiency related to plants and nature in general, which could increase environmental consciousness through their involvement. Public authorities could produce rules and policies to stimulate the contribution of residential home gardens to citizen’s health through eco-therapy, urban agriculture, pedagogical farms, or green/social programs, gauging their contribution to the SDG’s zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, clean water and sanitation, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, and climate action and life on Earth. For accomplishing the SDGs, home-garden-management practices may need to be redesigned and accommodated in order to conduct the required research that will foster the transition to a low carbon, climate resilient, and sustainable use of resources [ 217 ]. In this scope, the sustainable management of home gardens could be supported by simple indicators that might enlighten their resilience status due to their ability to bridge production, environment, biodiversity, and the associated ecosystem services (e.g., [ 218 , 219 , 220 ]). Additionally, and based on the cause–effect relationships being conceived to solve focal environmental problems, socio-ecological models might be used to predict the outcome of alternative scenarios in order to support gardeners and local authorities’ decision making (e.g., [ 221 ]). In fact, when properly developed and tested, socio-ecological models might enlighten what drives biodiversity and ecosystem functioning at the home garden scale, including the re-use of agriculture wastes, the storage of carbon in soils, the protection of other soil functions and ecosystem services, as well as the link between soils, food quality, and enhanced shelf-life. Since there are important gaps in our understanding of ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating, and cultural services) valuations, the main challenge for predictive research lies in the key interactions between relevant landscape characteristics, management strategies, and SDGs. A special focus on the economic valuation of the ecosystem services is crucial, not only for the methodological challenges involved (e.g., addressing the value of biodiversity, ecosystem resilience, or cultural heritage), but also because the final outputs can be of major interest for managers and policy-makers. From this perspective, we highlighted the interplay between model-based research and the SDGs’ achievements. This evaluation might be a first step to increase society’s recognition of the multifactorial importance of front and backyard home gardens, but is also a possibility to increase our present and future sustainability practices within an increasingly urbanized and monocultural farming world.

4. Conclusions

Our supported opinion aimed to describe and discuss the evidence of the effects of home gardens and home gardening on wellbeing and health, nutrition, carbon footprint reduction, biodiversity and nature conservation, fundamental issues for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). The objectives were to understand their benefits (and drawbacks), and provide an opinion reinforced by the literature, in order to guide scientists, managers, and policymakers in envisioning home gardens and home gardening as humble but significant strategies in this scope. The strength of our supported opinion was its approach to understanding the breadth of the authors’ opinions on the effects of selected SDGs.

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge all publications referenced (and associated researchers) that supported the opinions stated in this work.

The three features associated with gardening activities discussed in this viewpoint: ( A ) Wellbeing and health; ( B ) Nutrition and carbon footprint reduction; ( C ) Biodiversity and nature conservation.

Funding Statement

This work is supported by National Funds by the FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the projects UIDB/04033/2020 and UID04045/2020.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, M.S., H.M. and A.A.; investigation, M.S., H.M. and A.A.; writing—original draft preparation, M.S., H.M. and A.A.; writing—review and editing, M.S., H.M., J.A.C., R.G., A.T., R.B. and A.A.; visualization, M.S., H.M., A.T. and A.A.; supervision, M.S., H.M. and A.A. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Gardening Essay

The term “Gardening” is used for the practice of growing plants in an area especially assigned only for such activities. The area where gardening is done is called the “Garden”. Many houses today, have their own gardens; though, big or small, depending on the available area. These gardens are used mainly for growing decorative plants and flowers to augment the overall beauty of the house.

Though, sometimes people also grow leaf vegetables (spinach, cabbage, lettuce etc), root vegetables (carrot, potato, onion etc) and sometimes herbs (basil, mint coriander etc). Apart from making the house look more refreshing and beautiful, a garden also supplements its kitchen supplies. Today gardening has become a favorite activity, a kind of hobby for many city dwellers as well as villagers. In the succeeding long and short essays on gardening we will know much more about this useful hobby of many.

Long and Short Essay on Gardening in English

Below we have provided Long and Short Essay on Gardening of varying lengths in English.

These Gardening essay will improve your knowledge about gardening and motivate you to adopt it as a hobby.

These Gardening Essays have been written in simple and easy to grasp language, making it easy for you to reiterate or write it down whenever the need arises.

These essays will prove useful in your school essay and debate competitions and several similar occasions.

Essay on Gardening: Importance of Gardening – Essay 1 (250 words)

Introduction

Plants are absolutely essential to life. None of our basic functions from breathing to eating to drinking would be possible without plants. Plants not only act as food sources but also release oxygen and help maintain the water table. The simple fact of the matter is that without plants we would not survive.

Importance of Gardening

While there are many plants growing in the wild, people also cultivate and grow certain plants, bushes and shrubs in their homes or yards. This activity is known as gardening. While it may appear as a hobby to some, the fact is that gardening is actually quite beneficial and, therefore, important to us.

Gardening is a fairly physical activity. It involves weeding, watering of plants, mulching, trellising and harvesting – all of which require physical labour from the gardener. Hence, it becomes an excellent addition to your exercise routine.

Gardening is also a very practical activity. It allows you to grow your own vegetables and fruits thus ensuring that you have healthy food on the table. When you harvest vegetables from your garden, you do so knowing that you’re getting the freshest produce possible.

Gardening for aesthetics appeals to the human need for beauty. Ornamental gardening caters to the side of us that is delighted by beauty. In addition, flowers are a part and parcel of most occasions such as births, anniversaries, weddings, birthdays and funerals.

Gardening also helps sharpen problem solving skills. Researching the best methods to make your garden grow, experimenting with different techniques and designing irrigation systems that work for you all help in improving your skills at creativity, problem solving and planning.

Most people dismiss gardening as a mere hobby. They ignore or downplay the benefits you can get from gardening regularly. The fact is that it is much more than a recreational activity. Imagine what the world would look like without any gardens.

Essay on Gardening: Pleasure of Gardening – Essay 2 (300 words)

Although gardening is a fairly physical activity, it can also be a very relaxing one. It is also remarkably versatile; a garden can range from a single potted plant to an entire greenhouse or yard. In addition, watching something come alive, grow and thrive because of your efforts can be a very satisfying experience. Gardening is often called pleasurable for which there are several reasons.

Pleasure of Gardening

The modern world is a fast paced world. Everyone is in a hurry or extremely busy. Even when people have spare time, they prefer to fill it up with chores of some kind. However, gardening by its very nature is a slow activity. It encourages you to slow down, reconnect with nature and learn to find joy in doing something rather than doing it because it is necessary.

Gardening can offer you many pleasures if you just take the time to stop and enjoy them. Finding the right type of plants for your garden can make you feel a sense of accomplishment. If you have enough space, you can plan a small pond or a recreation spot into your garden, creating a haven for yourself to simply relax and enjoy nature’s beauty. If there are particular flowers you like, you can incorporate them into specific places in your garden. Each time you step out you will see these flowers blooming giving you a feeling of well-being.

To many it may seem that gardening doesn’t fit into the 21 st century which is all about moving fast and getting quick results. However, the opposite is true; gardening provides you with a safe haven from the rigours of the world and your life allowing you to slow your frenetic space and simply be.

Essay on Gardening: A Hobby – Essay 3 (350 words)

The whole point of having a hobby is to spend one’s leisure time in a manner that is both relaxing and useful. Different people have different hobbies, i.e. people differ in their ideas about what helps them relax. Some common hobbies enjoyed by plenty of people are philately, numismatics, swimming, photography and gardening. Having a hobby doesn’t only relax you, but also provide you with boosts of energy that help you in your professional life.

Gardening as a Hobby

Gardening requires quite a bit of manual labour on the part of the gardener. For this reason, some people wonder how it can relax you as a hobby is supposed to. However, for people who like gardening it can be relaxing just to feel the earth on your palms or getting quiet moments or even help you create beauty.

If you decide to take up gardening as a hobby and have no prior experience with it, it is best for you to research gardening. You can do this with the help of books on gardening and online websites. Also keep in mind that caring for different plants can be easy or difficult, depending upon the plants. New gardeners can get confused quite easily. However, following a few basic tips helps enormously in growing your garden.

The best part about having gardening as a hobby is that it can be done anywhere. If you have a yard, you can garden there. If your living space is small you can arrange a few potted plants and take care of them.

Gardening is a great hobby for everyone from working professionals to retirees. It allows you to connect with your environment and with nature. However, it is important to remember that you should not just jump in with both feet or your attempts at gardening are bound to fail. Instead, learn as much as you can, take in basic tips and tricks and take baby steps. You will find that when given proper attention, a garden can soothe your soul and gardening can calm and centre you.

Essay on Gardening: Recreation to Mind – Essay 4 (400 words)

The 21 st century is the era of instant everything – instant coffee, instant meals, instant orders, instant mails, instant communication and, most importantly, instant results. Theoretically, all these instant things are meant to free up your time. However, in reality, the more time you free up, the more chores you have to do. As a result, not only do you have to have everything done in an instant but also add more things that need to be done instantly. It is no wonder people burn out relatively fast these days. We are setting a pace that is impossible to keep up without negative consequences. Not only does our body protest through various conditions and syndromes but also our mind through mental illnesses and strain.

Gardening as Recreation for the Mind

Gardening requires quite a bit of physical labour, a factor that makes many people reject it as too much on top of everything else. However, that is only one aspect of gardening. The other lesser known aspect, or rather the aspect that only becomes obvious when you actually garden, is the immense restfulness your mind can experience while gardening.

By its very nature, gardening is a slow process. There is no instant gratification here. Instead, it yields its best results when you take time over it and pay attention to details. More importantly, the manual labour exercises your body while leaving your mind free to ruminate over anything and everything – something that is becoming increasingly rare in the frenetic pace of life. It also teaches you the value of waiting for some things; they are better for the wait and you enjoy them more. Think of the fragile begonia plant that you have babied into blooming. The attempt takes time and energy on your part, but the end result is beautiful to the senses.

Gardening also allows you to be in the presence of nature even if that presence is a small potted plant. As the plant grows and thrives, you feel satisfaction from a job well done. The hours that you put into your garden yield beautiful results that please and satisfy your mind, lowering stress and allowing your mind to relax.

In a life that is increasingly fast-paced, frenetic and stressful, your garden becomes an oasis of calm and tranquillity. Spending even an hour working on your garden can help you relax, lower your stress levels and allow your mind to rejoice in the peace that your garden offers. There can be no better recreation for your mind.

Essay on Gardening: Advantages – Essay 5 (450 words)

Gardening is often seen as too slow an activity in a modern fast-paced world. People wonder why they should spend time on something as leisurely as gardening when every free moment is taken up with doing more chores. However, gardening isn’t just about making your surroundings more aesthetically pleasing; it is also about the many benefits it provides you.

Advantages of Gardening

• Health Benefits – Gardening is a very physical activity. Incorporating an hour or so of gardening can do wonders for your health, the most obvious benefit being weight loss. It doesn’t stop there – studies have shown that gardening helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure and reduce stress and depression. Studies even show that merely looking at a garden is enough to affect blood pressure, heart, muscles and even the electric activity in the brain. It generates feelings of tranquillity and peace and can be very therapeutic overall.
• Environmental Benefits – There can be no denying the fact that human presence has impacted the environment drastically. However, we can reduce and mitigate this impact by gardening. Plants release oxygen after taking in carbon dioxide thereby generating fresher and cleaner air. Plants also prevent soil erosion because their root systems hold the soil in place. Rain gardens allow you to collect rainwater and prevent pollutants from mixing with lakes and streams. If you have an efficient landscape design around your house, it can help keep the house warmer in winters and cooler in summers, thereby, reducing your energy consumption by as much as 20 percent.
• Property Value Increase – From a purely aesthetic point of view, a well-maintained garden adds to the property value of your house by enhancing its curb-appeal. It can also encourage people to put in offers for the property faster than they would for an average home.
• Vegetable Growth – Growing vegetables in your garden has a twofold advantage for you. For one thing, you don’t have to worry about what pesticides and chemicals have been used on the vegetables because you know exactly what you have used to help them grow. Secondly, you get an immense sense of self-satisfaction from providing for yourself and your family in the most basic way.

As you continue down the gardening path, you will learn more and become more proficient. As you know more, you will also be able to contemplate more possibilities for your garden. Gardening doesn’t just help you physically, it also helps you mentally. In addition, it allows you to contribute to environmental health and even your own table. Although gardening yields relatively slow results, those results leave a deeper impact and are much more long-lasting.

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10 Benefits of Home Gardening (And why you should start)

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Besides providing you with fresh organic food , a home garden will also give you access to a variety of other benefits.

And the good news is: gardening isn’t as hard as some people think and you don’t need to have an ample space to get started.

So today, we will take a closer look at the 10 benefits of gardening for you, your family, and mother Earth.

Let’s get started.

1. Gardening have positive environmental impacts

Planting is naturally good for the environment.

Plants absorb greenhouse gases which is a vital component of their growth and maintaining the balance of gases in our atmosphere.

Now, imagine the impact if we have a garden in our homes. If a single plant can do it, we should start planting more.

A garden, no matter how small, is also essential for biodiversity. A healthy garden will attract different life forms that contribute to the soil’s quality and fertility.

However, avoid using toxic chemicals or artificial fertilizers on your garden because these will drive away the inhabitants of your garden, compromising its biodiversity.

Chemical fertilizers will also cause pollution and may contaminate groundwater.

Keep your garden as natural as possible to maintain its positive effect on the environment.

2. Home gardening helps in waste reduction

You can compost organic waste from your kitchen and turn it into compost.

This way, you will minimize your trash while having a natural and organic fertilizer.

Composting is one of the best fertilizers for plants, and it is also a very effective way to reduce waste at home .

You can achieve a natural and healthier harvest by composting for your garden and takes you a step closer to having a zero-waste household.

3. A home garden helps you eat healthy

Having a home garden will give you access to fresh fruit and veggies.

What qualifies as fresh? Well, nothing is more fresh than a fruit or greens you picked yourself from your garden.

And with fresh produce steps away from your door, your grocery trips will also be lessened, which means?

Emissions produced by cars will also be lessened!

Produce from your garden is also healthier than grocery goods since the process of producing commercial fruits and vegetables often involves the use of chemicals and artificial fertilizers.

Having access to a personal garden also saves time and money.

Though building up your garden may be costly, your fresh produce supply will be endless in the long run, as long as your garden is healthy and well-maintained.

4. Gardening helps you acquire new skills

Planting, growing, and harvesting may sound easy, but they require skills.

Different kinds of plants have a specific way of planting. And when they grow, they also have different ways of maintaining.

Home gardening will give you the opportunity to learn new things in taking care of various plants.

Here are some examples of methods to propagate plants:

• Seed propagation  – This is the most common way of plant production.
• Cutting  – Plant parts will be cut and then regenerated to a whole new plant.
• Division  – It is done by digging and dividing the plants to be moved to another prepared site. This is only applicable to certain plants.
• Layering  – This is done by covering a bent branch with soil and letting it grow roots. After it has its roots, it will be cut to form a new plant.

There are far more advanced techniques in planting that require deep knowledge.

But for beginners, the methods we shared above will suffice.

Naturally, you can have a more bountiful harvest as you get better at various gardening skills.

5. A home garden can be as source of medicinal plants

Gardening will also give you the opportunity to have access to medicinal herbs for simple kinds of illnesses.

Some medicines from the store indicate that it is infused with herbal ingredients.

Most medicinal herbs are not that hard to grow, and their scent is naturally therapeutic.

They can also serve as natural protectors to your garden because they can repel pests and weeds.

A few examples of best herbal plants for garden are:

• Oregano – It can aid common colds and coughs. It is also suitable for constipation and diarrhea.
• Lemon balm – It can relieve stress, anxiety, insomnia, and other sleeping disorders. It can also boost cognitive function.
• Peppermint – It helps improve digestion. It has antibacterial properties that freshen breath and relieve headaches to enhance concentration. 
• Lavender – It can reduce blood pressure and heart rate. You can also use it to promote hair growth.
• Ginseng – It can improve brain function and erectile dysfunction. It can also boost the immune system and lower blood sugar.

With any of these medicinal herbs in your garden, you can prepare herbal tea and first aid for minor ailment remedies.

6. Home gardening provides personal and health benefits

Gardening has a lot of positive effects on our health .

Some of it may not be too noticeable at first, but we will show significant improvements as we consistently maintain our gardens.

Below are some of the importance of home gardening to nutrition and health:

• Positive Mood – Studies have shown that several people with depression symptoms improved their state after participating in a 12-week long gardening intervention.
• Strength Booster – Gardening can be associated with exercise, which can help build strength.
• Sharper Memory – Exercise can improve brain activity, and studies have also shown that gardening protects your memory and triggers brain growth factors.
• Lower Risk of Heart Attacks and Strokes – Routinary activities that boost our mood lowers the stress on the cardiovascular system, reducing the chance of having a heart attack.
• Improves Self-Esteem – As you have a consistent positive mood, your self-esteem will improve as you watch your garden blossom. The idea of creating something fruitful will make us feel good about ourselves.

We can all be living proof that these benefits are actual by starting our garden. It can be a form of therapy for us and the environment.

7. Garden will give you access to free Vitamin D

Gardens need sunlight, and as we attend to our gardens, we obtain free vitamin D from the sun.

Vitamin D is essential because it boosts our immune system, protecting us from various diseases. It also helps maintain strong bones and teeth.

Vitamin D has more specific benefits for us. These are a few of them:

• It helps regulates insulin levels to prevent diabetes. 
• It provides a solid protective barrier against flu.
• Vitamin D can influence genes that can generate cancer.
• It is vital for better lung function and stronger cardiovascular health.
• It is suitable for babies and pregnant women.

Though most of us can acquire vitamin D through many food supplements, It is still better to get it from the sun. Too many tablets can be a burden to our liver.

Gardening is a perfect opportunity to get vitamin D for free. It is an activity that both benefits us and our planet.

8. Gardening can be a fun family activity

Gardening can be a family activity, and every family member can also enjoy all the benefits we have enumerated so far.

As the adults do most of the hard work, we can assign simple tasks for the kids like assisting with tools, watering the plants, and putting seeds in the hole you dug.

Gardening can be one of your list for green parenting .

Starting a home garden can also save your kids from being glued to their gadgets, which might negatively influence their behavior and is terrible for their health.

Moreover, the absence of exercise and vitamin D in a kid’s routine will decrease their immune system and develop weak muscles.

So start a garden with your kids and reap all the benefits of home gardening we mentioned above.

9. A garden can help kids develop a sense of responsibility

Having a garden is like having pets, but a little more complicated.

Preparing food for a dog won’t take that much time but cultivating a few plants is more complex and time-consuming.

Maintaining a garden will develop a sense of responsibility for you and every family member.

For example, weeds that can overtake the nutrients in your garden should be pulled regularly before it does actual harm to your plants.

You can assign this responsibility to your kids.

(You can then use the pulled weeds as compost)

Developing a sense of responsibility is a character that is essential for our kids so they will learn to stand up for their actions, and become a more reliable and responsible member of the society.

10. Home gardening helps achieve a more sustainable future

How sustainable would it be if we had a neighborhood with gardens?

Gardens come in different forms and sizes.

Even apartments can have a mini garden or a hanging garden.

Because the harsh truth is that as time goes by, cities consume forests, slowly turning them into a cemented jungle.

We are civilized this way, and sadly, we are not in control.

Having a garden at home may not be sufficient to recover what we have lost, but if a whole community participates in this cause, we will have a more sustainable and greener future.

Starting with a single plant and work on your way to a mini garden.

Someone in the neighborhood who starts a mini garden can lead to a conscious community that promotes ways to benefit our environment.

And that “someone” could be you!

Final Thoughts

There you have it folks, the 10 amazing benefits of home gardening.

And while home gardening will require effort to build and maintain, it will be worth it.

Many people take gardening for granted but if only they know the many benefits of home gardening, they will probably be eager to start one.

You can be the instrument so more people will be encourage to start a home garden a together, we can build a more sustainable and greener planet for our kids and future generations.

Gardening Frequently Asked Questions

Are homegrown fruits and vegetables more nutritious.

The time consumed from picking produce to eating time is a factor in the amount of nutrition. Fruits and vegetables bought at markets and groceries have deteriorated no matter their process to keep them fresh. Freshly picked produce can only be achieved if you have your garden. Homegrown produce is guaranteed to be more nutritious than those available in groceries.

Can gardening make you fit?

Gardening is considered a form of exercise. Research has shown that gardening for 30-45 minutes can burn up to 300 calories. Some gardening areas require heavy work, which can enhance strength and stamina. Gardening won’t only make you lose weight. It can also help build your muscles.

Is gardening expensive?

Yes and no. It depends on the tools you will use and the seeds you are planning to plant in your garden. Plant seed can be pricey depending on how authentic or rare the strain is. Meanwhile, some of the more durable and branded gardening tools also comes with a hefty price tag. Of course there are plenty of cheaper gardening tools to buy if you are just getting started. You can also buy second hand gardening tools.

One Comment

It’s great that you talked about how gardening has a lot of positive effects on our health. I am currently searching for a healthy hobby and I think gardening is exactly what I am looking for. To get started, I am thinking of grabbing some equipment from a garden supply center this weekend.

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My hobby is Gardening Essay for Children and Students

February 20, 2021 by Study Mentor 9 Comments

Table of Contents

My Hobby is Gardening Essay 1

To start with, Hobby is most importantly, a passion for an improvised skill. The Hobby is an activity that helps us spend our break time. We live in an age where the individual has to stay in pace with time. A few hours of leisure, time is necessarily needed from the daily routine to relax the muscles and also to induce relaxation in the brain cells itself. A hobby provides the same level of relaxation. Hobby helps us to induce our endorphin levels. It triggers our happy hormones to such an extent that it makes us bond to whichever activity we are performing. That helps us to boost our hormones and create a level of bonding with that particular activity. Be it a regular activity for amusement. It helps us to spend our leisure time. A hobby is an exercise for pleasurable sensations as well to eliminate the stress from our bodies. It is neither for professionals nor for any pay scale benefits. Typically it includes several lively activeness towards a particular activity that demands both our time and interest.

A hobby can be anything to everything. Hobbies constitute a varied group of activities such as singing, painting, sketching, dancing, collecting stamps, craftwork, gardening, origami, adult coloring, photography, swimming, coding, and many more. It depends on our course of action and passion for choosing the right Hobby for oneself. As it is well said that a healthy mind leads to a healthy body. A hobby is an excellent getaway for both a healthy mind and body to coordinate with each other. To be specific, I have many particular activities to spend my leisure time, but I am more focused on gardening.

Essay on my Hobby : My Hobby is Gardening

I belong to a farmer’s family. After settling down in the metro cities, I have noticed my family craving to spare their time for Mother Nature. Having a family background with an ample number of agricultural jobholders, I decided to devise a small garden of my own. Earlier in my penthouse, I decided to create a small rooftop garden due to lack of space. This is how gardening helped me release the amplitude amount of endorphins in my whole family after a stressful day. Gardening is the most accessible and manageable task for a human being. All it requires is enough motivation for a better yield. It is a decampment towards the serenity and beauty of nature with loads of unadulterated indulgence. Gardening has always helped me look towards a better future. It has maintained me to stay submerged with my fondness for plants and blossoms. It is a  form of recreational activity after my school hours. Springing from botanical gardens to every miniature backyard, I have visited all of them. Attending several gardens motivates me to produce a surplus of plants in my garden.

What do I do for my hobby gardening?

Gardening can be done on several types of soil and with numerous varieties of yield. Gardening can be of many types such as herb, flowers, vegetables or kitchen, rose, rock, water, and indoor gardening. According to the needs and availability of tools and garden supplies suited for the purpose, we choose the respective criteria.

Soil is the most important trait for gardening. It requires the accurate level of manure and water to flourish and drop off blooming yield. Soil is a requirement because it constitutes a certain amount of organisms that help in the conversion of plant nutrients from the putrefied subject. To harvest a beautiful garden, healthy soil is the most important necessity. In my rooftop gardens, I have utilized an inadequate amount of space to grow flowering plants and a few creepers and climbers for my mother’s kitchen. Gardening requires an ample amount of attention and time. Starting from the preparation of the soil to the composting till the blossoms are achieved, everything requires dedication. In the beginning, I started with a proper layout for an inadequate stretch. Then I had to pick among the favored and accessible varieties to start with. Obtaining good seeded plants and accessible supplies available at my home, I started my gardening tenure. To help my mom’s kitchen I even planted a few vegetable seeds such as bitter gourd, lemon, chilies, tomatoes, and a few leafy vegetables. I affirmed to keep my plants away from the weeds and pests. I took assistance from my uncle with organic manures and compost to get a better yield and prettier blossoms for every morning to wake up to. I have used unused plastic bottles to grow creepers and a few flowering and herb plants to create an aesthetic outlook for my garden. Plants such as basil, money plants, rosemary, spinach, and much more hanging houseleeks were grown from the waste bottles. The proper amount of sun and shade are required as it may inhibit adequate plant growth. Butterflies, honey bees, flower beetles are a regular visitor to my garden. A few of my houseplants are ferns, dracaena, philodendron, and aglaonema. The vegetables I have grown are placed in a sunny spot, and there’s an ample amount of water supply adjacent to it. These vegetables are used in our kitchen daily.

Health Benefits of Gardening

Gardening as a hobby comes with several benefits. Possessing a personal garden helps the family with an amplitude amount of perks.

1. Gardening eliminates weeds.

Studies have shown that unwanted plants take up the required amount of light and nutrient resources necessary for healthy plants. Weeds are the best competitors. To eliminate them, we have to pluck it out.

2. It helps to alleviate stress.

The garden creates a source of well being and reduces the level of stress after an exhausting day. It helps to burn some extra calories, and that results in increasing a surplus level of metabolism. It is much similar to working out daily. It benefits the body and mind.

3. Gardening can boost endorphin levels.

Subsequently, within 30 minutes, it results in lowering the blood pressure level by the release of endorphin levels in the bloodstream. It lifts your mood and makes you happier. It increases your patience level as it directs you to watch a living being grow.

4. Gardening is a source of Vitamin D

When the melanin of your body is exposed to the sun, it helps to obtain some levels of vitamin D.  Sun is the best source of vitamin D that helps to provide calcium to your bones for obtaining strength and bone formation.

5. It provides opportunities for pollinators.

Honey Bees, butterflies, and several other pollinators are a regular visitor to the garden. Gardening provides food as a form of pollen and nectar to maintain our food system.

6. Yields healthy food for the family.

Using homemade compost and manure helps to obtain healthy fruits and vegetables. It provides a nutritious diet and helps in reducing the expenditure of a household.

7. Gardening presents extra oxygen to the house.

Gardening provides an extra amount of oxygen, and in addition to that, it helps to remove the unnecessary carbon dioxide and helps to keep the house cool.

Gardening helps to lower the risk of respiratory disorders with a small amount of expense. It is the most productive Hobby with better yields therefore I chose Gardening as my hobby. Creating a beautiful garden is what makes me feel relaxed, and I aim to create a higher-yielding garden with beautiful blossoms. It is a way of amusement and benefits my health as well.

My Hobby is Gardening Essay 2

A hobby is something that we do for pleasure in our free time. It is different from the profession. While the profession is followed to make money, a hobby is an activity for leisure and earns us satisfaction. Different people have different hobbies.

They include activities like reading, writing, singing, dancing, gardening, cooking, stamp-collecting, etc. We can develop some of these activities into our hobbies. A hobby lifts our spirits high, when we are depressed.

There are people who, at one time or the other, followed hobbies as professions and earned for themselves name as well as fame.

My hobby is gardening and I have grown a beautiful garden in my house. It is divided into two parts, one of which is for flowers and herbal plants of different varieties. I look after my plants and water them daily. I keep the spot neat and clean. Colors and fragrance of flowers are source of pleasure for me.

Sometimes, I invite my friends to visit my garden. They also enjoy the beauty and smell of flowers and site relaxed. In the second half of my garden, I grow vegetables. I grow tomatoes and some seasonal vegetables in it. Daily I pluck two or three tomatoes and eat them raw,

Reader Interactions

April 23, 2019 at 8:41 am

Good paragraph on Gardening

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Schma miss rehana bht easy ha

December 1, 2019 at 11:19 pm

it is really good and short. it was very easy to note it down on my copy. TYSM 🙂

December 5, 2019 at 11:27 am

You are welcome. We are always ready to help students for their better future. We are ready to write essays for students as per their request too.

March 31, 2020 at 5:47 pm

Nicely written

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November 3, 2020 at 7:21 pm

Thanks for this valuable information . Svanidhi Yojana

January 14, 2021 at 7:58 pm

you have given really very helpful information.

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You explained very well.

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Why Is Gardening Important? It Has Endless Benefits for Our Health and the Environment

UPDATED Dec. 15 2020, 11:48 a.m. ET

PUBLISHED Dec. 15 2020, 11:11 a.m. ET

Whether you’re walking in an arboretum during the Cherry Blossom Festival or tending your own lawn, it’s hard to deny that gardens, in general, have a certain universal appeal. There’s something about the presence of gardens in our lives that brightens our sometimes dismal, modern world. Much of this has to do with something intrinsic in human beings: an innate appreciation of the natural world. But why is gardening so important to our lives and culture, and how can it help the environment? 

Why is gardening important?

Gardening is good for a great many things. It can be good for your health, good for your soil, and good for the wildlife in your backyard. It’s a great way to relieve stress, to set goals for yourself, and to nurture something. On top of all that, growing your own produce is a great way to become more sustainable at home and to reduce your environmental impact . 

Gardening also happens to be a great hobby. It's something that you can do season after season, year after year, and into your twilight years. Even if you don’t have robust flower beds or a vast back garden, you can still find ways to garden indoors and on a smaller scale. This makes gardening a versatile hobby, as well as a healthy one. 

Why is gardening important for your health?

Gardening comes with a myriad of well-documented health benefits. The most obvious of these has to do with the fact that quite a bit of gardening is done outdoors. Exposure to sunlight increases your vitamin D , which is good for bones, teeth, and muscles. And speaking of muscles, gardening is a great form of low-impact exercise — high impact if you’re hefting huge pots or wheelbarrows of soil around. 

In terms of mental health, gardening has also been shown to decrease the risk of dementia and as a type of therapy for those already suffering from it, according to a study published by the journal Psychiatry Investig . This might have to do with the mental health benefits we experience just being in nature. Gardens, by virtue of the human-made nature of their construction , allow us a means to connect to nature in a sort of self-determined way. 

Why is gardening important for your mood?

Many studies have found that gardening can boost one’s mood . I obviously can’t speak for everyone, but gardening makes me feel great. Even after spending hours pulling weeds and planting new vegetables every spring, I feel like my demeanor is far brighter than it was when I first pulled on my gardening gloves that day. 

This isn’t just because you feel like you’ve accomplished something either — though that does help. As reported by Quartz , several studies have found that exposure to a specific bacteria commonly found in soil can increase levels of serotonin in the human brain. Serotonin is a chemical that increases feelings of well-being or happiness.

Why is gardening important to the environment?

Gardens are important to the planet because, despite being human-made, they represent a natural environment. Plants and trees grow there, taking in carbon and releasing oxygen . The roots of these plants stabilize the soil and filter water. Municipal gardens and national parks become safe havens for all manner of wild creatures that might have been otherwise displaced by the endless urban sprawl of the modern world. 

Birds, bugs, and bees — especially honey bees — are essential to the lifecycle of the world at large. Bees are one of the most important pollinators in this group but they aren’t the only ones. Your backyard garden is bound to have its own native pollinators and your garden is a great way to coax them back into your life. They’ll help your flowers look nicer, keep your perennials coming back, and help your vegetable garden to flourish. 

Why is gardening important for your community?

If you live in an urban or suburban area but lack the space for a backyard garden, you may not be alone. Community gardens are a great way to build togetherness within a community. Working together to split responsibilities, upfront costs, and the fruits of your labor, can help you understand and appreciate your neighbors in ways you might not have thought possible. 

Why is gardening important to your daily life?

Your health, your frame of mind, your community, and the environment — if those are not enough reasons for why gardening is important, we have a few more to give you. Gardening can also be important for your wallet, nutrition, and environmental footprint. 

By growing your own sustenance, your diet becomes more sustainable, since your food won't have to travel more than a few feet to get to your plate (as opposed to store-bought produce, which can sometimes be flown in from other countries). If your thumb is particularly green, you’ll probably save more money than you realize by harvesting your own fruits and veggies — and by growing your produce organically, it could be healthier than the conventional produce you may otherwise buy at the store.

Why is gardening important to your family?

On top of all that, gardening is a great hobby that you can share with your children . Teaching them to nurture a living thing and to be responsible for their own segment of the environment are great lessons to pass down. My own grandparents have imparted their gardening secrets through the generations and those lessons have taught me much about patience, preparedness, and the nature of nature in my own backyard . They are secrets I plan to teach my own children in due course. 

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Essay on My Hobby Gardening

Students are often asked to write an essay on My Hobby Gardening in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on My Hobby Gardening

Introduction.

Gardening is my favorite hobby. It’s a wonderful activity that gives me peace and satisfaction.

Why I Love Gardening

I love gardening because it connects me with nature. Planting seeds, watching them grow, and seeing the first blooms are magical experiences.

My garden is my haven. I grow a variety of plants, flowers, and vegetables. Each plant is special and requires unique care.

Benefits of Gardening

Gardening keeps me healthy and active. It also teaches me patience and responsibility.

Gardening is not just a hobby, it’s a way of life for me. It brings joy and enriches my life.

Also check:

• 10 Lines on My Hobby Gardening

250 Words Essay on My Hobby Gardening

Gardening, a hobby that intertwines with the rhythm of nature, has been my cherished pastime for years. It is not merely an activity but a therapeutic retreat that allows me to connect with nature’s essence and learn from its profound wisdom.

The Appeal of Gardening

Gardening holds an irresistible allure for its multifaceted benefits. It is an amalgamation of physical exercise, stress relief, and creative expression. The satisfaction derived from nurturing a seed into a plant, witnessing the cycle of growth, and finally harvesting the fruits of labor is unparalleled. It’s a manifestation of the power of patience and the beauty of transformation.

Learning from Nature

Gardening is a practical lesson in life sciences. It offers insights into botanical aspects, environmental conservation, and the interdependence of organisms. It also embodies philosophical teachings. Just as a plant requires the right conditions to flourish, so do we. This hobby has thus enriched my understanding of life and its intricacies.

The Therapeutic Aspect

The therapeutic aspect of gardening is often understated. The act of tending to plants, feeling the soil, and being exposed to the sun releases endorphins, the body’s natural mood enhancers. It provides a sense of accomplishment and contributes to mental well-being.

Gardening, to me, is more than a hobby; it’s a lifestyle that has shaped my perspective towards life. It has taught me the importance of patience, resilience, and the joy of creation. It is a hobby that nurtures the gardener as much as the garden. Through gardening, I have found a unique harmony with nature, a balance that I strive to maintain in all aspects of life.

500 Words Essay on My Hobby Gardening

Gardening is not just a hobby, but a sublime art that connects the human spirit with the vitality of nature. As a passionate gardener, I have found this activity to be a sanctuary of peace and a source of untamed creativity.

The Genesis of My Hobby

My interest in gardening was kindled during my early teens. My parents were avid gardeners, and I was drawn to the vibrant colors, the mesmerizing fragrances, and the miraculous life cycles of plants. The garden was a living laboratory where I learned about the interdependence of life forms, the importance of biodiversity, and the resilience of nature.

The Art of Gardening

Gardening is a multifaceted hobby. It involves the understanding of botany, the application of design principles, and the mastery of horticultural techniques. The garden is a canvas where the gardener paints with plants, arranging them in harmonious compositions of color, texture, and form. Gardening is also a practice of patience and mindfulness, as it requires careful observation, timely intervention, and a deep respect for the pace of natural processes.

Gardening and Sustainability

In the face of the environmental crisis, gardening has taken on a new significance. It is a powerful tool for sustainability, promoting biodiversity, conserving water, and reducing carbon footprint. As a gardener, I have embraced organic practices, composting, water-saving irrigation, and native planting. My garden has become a haven for pollinators and a showcase for the beauty of native species.

The Therapeutic Impact of Gardening

Beyond its aesthetic and environmental benefits, gardening has profound therapeutic effects. It is a form of active meditation, providing a respite from the digital world and grounding us in the physical reality of the earth. The act of nurturing plants fosters empathy, responsibility, and a sense of achievement. The garden is a place of healing, where we can reconnect with our roots and find solace in the rhythm of the seasons.

In conclusion, gardening is a hobby that enriches life in many ways. It enhances our appreciation of nature, sharpens our observational skills, and instills a sense of stewardship for the earth. It is a creative outlet that brings joy, beauty, and tranquility into our lives. As we tend to the garden, we also cultivate our minds and souls, discovering new insights and inspirations in the process. The garden is a microcosm of the world, reflecting the changes, challenges, and triumphs of life. In the words of the poet Alfred Austin, “The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature.”

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Gardening: the secret of happiness

I opened my eyes to gardening when I turned 39. More than a decade earlier we had moved into a terraced house with a lush, mature garden. I imagined that, like wallpaper, it would stay that way with little care or effort from me. It didn't – it grew wild and sad. Things died, weeds took over. Even then, with my frantic urban life and my tired urban heart, I barely noticed. I remember sitting with my babies on the brown lawn one summer's evening and asking my husband (who loathes gardening, but at least recognised a duty of care) if he really had to make so much noise with that watering can.

The change, when it came, was sudden and immense. Was it simply middle age? All I know is that one day I wasn't seeing, and the next day, it was all there. The magnolia with its huge creamy blossoms like birds in flight. The Michaelmas daisies, choked by convolvulus. The poor roses, leggy and parched and crying out for help. I got down on my hands and knees and scratched around in the soil, wondering what was weed and what was seedling – and realised that I knew nothing.

So I got myself a book. It happened to be Urban Jungle by Monty Don. Don is as gifted a writer as he is a gardener, and he took me straight back to the person I'd forgotten I once was: a kid who used to dig around at the bottom of the garden in her anorak. A girl who noticed the seasons, the calling of birds, the smell of sap on the air. Finding that person again has been one of the most intense and comforting experiences of the last few years.

The garden I tend now – once you're a proper gardener, it never feels like "ownership", more a joyful custodianship – is a unique and colourful space. We live next to an early Victorian church along from London's Elephant and Castle, and the patch of earth we call ours was once the graveyard. They assured us the bodies were all exhumed at the end of the 19th century, when the philanthropic rector created a "zoo" garden, complete with zebras and monkeys, to entertain the local children. The animals are long gone, but I'm not sure my garden's entirely empty of dead people. Our border collie was known to unearth an occasional femur-shaped bone. And 5in coffin nails regularly work their way to the surface of the (suspiciously fertile) soil.

People sometimes ask me if it feels creepy, gardening among the dead like that, but to me it's a benign and peaceful space. The church spire looms on one side as the estate's windows glitter on the other, and with the many trees – and yes, maybe all those souls under the earth – there's a stillness that can make you forget you're in the heart of the city.

I'm still not a very good gardener. I make it up, learning as I go along. I killed a camellia. I've had to apologise to plants that I've planted in the wrong place. And I've completely failed to grow garlic, radishes and onions. But I can do tomatoes, French beans, rocket, sorrel and (now) potatoes. Also, lupins, delphiniums, poppies and sweet peas.

But, given our position in the heart of the community, I've had to come to terms with some stranger crops, too. The ubiquitous bright blue plastic bags which are perpetually blown in on the wind. Crisp packets, fried chicken boxes, single discarded shoes. I used to mind, but I don't any more – I just pluck them along with the weeds. The other day, I found a stolen handbag under the ceanothus and was able to return it to its elderly owner. One hot Sunday morning last summer, I went to hang out the washing and found a loaded handgun nestling among the daisies.

Gardening has shaken me up and slowed me down. It's the only activity I can still do when I'm worried or angry or sad. Tending a garden is a meditative, humbling experience: you can't force anything, you just have to wait. And yet every time you put something in the ground, it feels like a pronouncement of faith in the future – or at least in the next few months.

Apart from bleakest December, when the garden's breath seems stopped, I garden in all weathers. I garden till my whole body hurts, until I know I should stop but I can't. Nothing makes me happier than kneeling down in the dirt with the soft spring sunshine on my back and weeding a bed by hand, watched over by my tabby cat and a friendly robin (she has promised not to eat him) and knowing that all around me, things are growing.

Favourite flower: Probably Verbena bonariensis – I love flowers that seem to float. But nothing beats picking your own sweet peas on a hot summer's morning.

Most successful crop: Potatoes. So easy, yet so solid, sustaining and somehow impressive.

Worst disaster: My first crop of runner beans yielded precisely nothing.

Julie Myerson's new novel Then is published by Cape in June.

Diana Athill, writer

TEverything here in Highgate is buzzing with life: the magnolia by my window is out, the blackbirds are singing, the sweet peas I've sewn in a pot on my balcony are coming up. I've got morning glories growing from seed from the ones I grew last year – and three boxes of brave little violas, which look delicate, but survived frost and snow. I shall have to be tough and replace them soon with more summery things, but it will be sad to see them go. I do cheat with balcony boxes and put in grown plants for quick results, but the real joy of gardening, of course, is sewing and planting and watching things develop.

This kind retirement home where I live lets us dabble about in its big garden, and last autumn I smuggled in a patch of lovely little blue wood anemones, which are just beginning to flower. I also contributed some big oriental poppies that promise to make a glorious show. One of my fellow residents, a good gardener who has made a far bigger contribution, lets me help keep our roof garden in good nick. Yesterday I was helping her prepare pots for seedlings, which was very pleasant. Why, one might ask, does filling little pots feel like fun? I suppose it wouldn't if you didn't happen to be mad about plants. If you are, there is enormous satisfaction in choosing them and doing whatever is necessary to help them grow and stay beautiful. It connects you with what is outside yourself like few other activities, and that is the secret of happiness. I consider myself tremendously lucky in being allowed to enjoy this simple pleasure now that I am so much older than I ever thought I'd be.

Favourite flower: It's absurd to think of one favourite. As soon as I think of tulips I think of lilies, and as soon as I think lilies I think, well, why not roses!

Most successful crop: I've never grown vegetables. I'm mad about flowers.

Worst disaster: In my Norfolk garden, one corner turned lethal – whatever I planted there died. I got a soil specialist to come in but they couldn't work it out, so I gave up in despair and grassed it over!

John Humphrys, broadcaster

TWhen I worked as a foreign correspondent, it was always a prerequisite, no matter where I was in the world, that I lived somewhere with a garden. Gardening has been a passion of mine since my teenage years, when I worked on an allotment growing fruit and vegetables, but the passion is probably even stronger now.

I've spent the past 11 years rejuvenating my garden in London. When we first moved in it was hugely overgrown. I spent hours hacking away at rotten vine that had attached itself to one of the beautiful old Victorian walls. Now I grow a huge variety of shrubs and have just grown my first magnolia tree, which has recently sprung into bloom, and looks rather marvellous. I'm nervous about the time, which will come soon, I suppose, when everything is grown and there's not much left to do.

Although I'm reluctant to make it sound even vaguely mystical, there really is a sort of connection you feel with the soil and with growing things. The idea that you put this scrappy little seed into the ground and watch it grow and develop is immensely satisfying. It's primal, isn't it?

Favourite flower: My campanula are very satisfactory right now.

Best crop: My asparagus bed in an upstate New York garden. Cooked within about 30 seconds of being picked, asparagus is among the finest meals you'll ever have.

Worst disaster: The bloody squirrels! I've tried everything to get rid of them; sprinkling chilli on the bird feeder, stacks of tennis balls, old shoes, I've even toyed with the idea of an air gun, but most of the time I just stand by the patio doors with a very large stick and charge at them.

Ken Livingstone, mayoral candidate

It's all the tedious things about gardening – sifting the compost and pruning the hedges – that I enjoy the most. I do all my thinking when I'm gardening, as it's about the only time I get alone. When I was mayor, my wife would often overhear me arguing with myself over various policy ideas in the garden.

I'm lucky that I've got a south-facing garden as it allows me to get out there as early as January and start potting, but I suppose the most active I've been in my garden was when Neil Kinnock was Labour leader and I had no role in the party, so had a lot of spare time.

I'm pleased with my large pond and my variety of berries. I grow about half a dozen types, from tayberries to Japanese wineberries. My mulberry tree is a bit of a prize asset. I got the clippings for it from the Chelsea Physic Garden, where they chopped down the last remaining King James mulberry from the original mulberry orchard at the start of the second world war.

When I started on this garden 21 years ago, I was obsessed with straight lines and paths, but as the years have passed I've relaxed. I suppose you could say that there's a little bit of myself in that – the uptight little English boy who's emerged into an anarchist.

Favourite plant: My two redwood trees – one sequoia, one coastal – planted when they were just inches tall. The sequoia lives for 3,000 years and grows to hundreds of feet tall. Perhaps it'll be there in 3,000 years, providing global warming doesn't kill it off.

Best crop: Every few years I dig up the lawn and do a potato crop for a year. Last year was a fantastic yield. It kept us going throughout all of summer and most of autumn.

Worst disaster: Putting down paths with a concrete base is never a good idea – when I decided to get rid of them 15 years later, hacking them up was an absolute nightmare.

John Harris, writer

TThe horticulture bug was hereditary with me, but I developed the symptoms late. Both my parents – and younger brother – are energetic and ambitious gardeners, but throughout my teens and 20s, their passion mostly bemused me. Too much commitment was required; the stock of knowledge you needed seemed impossible to acquire. Half-listening to Gardeners' Question Time every Sunday only increased the sense of a confusingly alien world. Tomato trusses? The correct height of bean-poles? It took me until I was 16 to figure out that peas came in pods (no joke).

But in my 30s, something stirred. I was finally becoming a fully functioning adult, and aiming to make the garden more than a tangle of weeds and some outdoor furniture felt increasingly obligatory. There was a faintly Freudian thing going on, I think: an underlying drive to emulate Dad, and thereby elicit his approval. So, one spring Sunday, I nervously drove to a garden centre, took the advice of a helpful member of staff, bought a couple of Alan Titchmarsh books, and began. Within six weeks, my bedding plants were in glorious bloom, we were eating home-grown radishes and lettuce, and my courgettes looked great. The next year, with help from Ma and Pa, I just about mastered the fiddly rituals of tomato cultivation. Really: what had kept me?

Favourite flower: White climbing iceberg roses.

Best crop: Courgettes. Heavy rain can ruin them, but the taste of home-grown leaves supermarket varieties standing.

Worst disaster: Spinach. It's a soil thing, apparently.

Rageh Omaar, foreign correspondent

TNurturing and watching things grow is a marked contrast to what my job involves, which is often travelling to places where things have been destroyed and people have been killed. It's the creativity of it I enjoy, the life-giving part of it. My garden is a refuge. It is about being at home and having time to process things after long stints away.

My garden is much like me, eclectic and ramshackle, going through patches of being neat and tidy, then falling back again. I plant a range of things, from roses, to lovely hydrangea, some herbs, some peonies. It's a real cottage garden.

I had a pair of boots that spent years accompanying me across the world on stories to Afghanistan, Congo, Darfur, Iraq, but my wife told me they were too shabby to wear any more. Instead of throwing them out, I planted daffodils in them and they sit in the garden now.

I grew up in Africa, where we had a tropical garden, but it's the seasons of Britain that I love. Seeing the garden come back to life in spring is a real joy.

Favourite flower: Peonies – so lush.

Best crop: I'm hoping we've managed to save a cherry tree that was diseased when we moved into the house.

Worst disaster: A small lemon tree I was given for Christmas, which kept dying.

Additional interviews by Oliver Laughland

• John Humphrys
• Ken Livingstone

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Our Home garden

• Essays English Grade 3

Our Home garden English essay

(1) There are various types of colourful flowers in our garden.

(2) My mother waters those flowers daily

(3) My father cleans our home garden every Sunday.

(4) There are many small birds in our home garden in the morning.

(5) There is a separate place for them to have their food.

(6) There are many fruits and vegetables in our home garden.

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Writing is one of the essential skills for your child’s education. Unfortunately, classroom settings frequently don’t give sufficient practice time to sharpen those writing abilities truly. So we are preparing simple and important guidelines to teach essay writing to your children at home and hope to publish as soon as possible.

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