Let?s imagine a scenario. It is 20 years ago, and the day is Sunday. Time moves slow, letting you relax and enjoy the little joys in life. You go out to your backyard to relish in the warm Sunday breeze. Outside, you are greeted by the chirping birds and the serene green leaves moving along with the wind in your garden. And, in the midst of all the green, you spot the colorful vegetables; the bright red tomatoes, the soft baby carrots, the huge bell peppers and the rows of spinach, coriander and so much more; all grown inside your own home. Instantly, the one thing that comes to your mind is fresh. The entire family would consume all this freshness in the form of a delicious meal later that day.
Fast forward to 2020; when you realize the first thing to greet you in the morning is the sound of the horns from vehicles, and the black smoke that comes with it. There is nothing ?green? or ?fresh? near you. You don?t have a backyard as you live in an apartment and that makes you nostalgic about the good old days. And, this is where your life can take a turn.
As we are bringing back the essence from the old times onto everything from fashion to lifestyle, organic gardening is also one such treasure that is taking center stage now. And, the best part is that the terrace kitchen garden can be set up in your own villa or apartment!
So, what is organic gardening and why is it being given importance? It is described as something that is grown in harmony with nature; meaning no harmful substances are used thereby causing no harm to the ecosystem and the people that are consuming them. Did you know that according to the UNC Healthcare Organization, home gardening has many health benefits and psychological benefits like reducing stress, good heart health and so much more?
There is another important reason to consider organic gardening. With constant price increase of fresh vegetables, it is impossible for the common man to keep up. Did you know that in April of 2019, vegetable prices saw a 40% price rise in one single week? With onions being the most expensive by the end of the year. This made onions, being the staple of Indian food, impossible to attain for the common man. The extent of the onion crisis was seen throughout the country and has affected millions of people. This extent of it was seen in prominent restaurants replacing onion chutney with cucumber chutney!
But note that expensive doesn?t always equal quality. Recently, reports show that the onions sold in India were imported from Egypt. But do we know the origins of these vegetables and their quality? Are we sure they don?t contain any adulterants in them? Organic home gardening brings the solution for all these problems!
CHECK OUT THIS GREAT ARTICLE, IF YOU WANT TO MORE ABOUT SETTING UP AN ORGANIC GARDEN IN YOUR VILLA. YOU WILL SEE HOW EASY IT IS TO GROW SPINACH, ONIONS, AND OTHER VEGETABLES IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME! HTTPS://WWW.BHG.COM/GARDENING/VEGETABLE/VEGETABLES/TIPS-FOR-GROWING-AN-ORGANIC-VEGETABLE-GARDEN/
AND, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SETTING UP AN ORGANIC TERRACE GARDEN IN YOUR CHENNAI HOME, THE FOLLOWING LIST OF PEOPLE CAN HELP YOU!
Hortitech Services – ?? ?? ?? ?http://www.terracegardenchennai.com/
Lavender Landscape – ?? ?? http://lavenderlandscape.in/about-us/
Landscape Company -? ? ? ?http://www.landscapecompany.in/
Indra Gardens – ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ??https://indra-terrace-gardening.business.site/
Anushika Agri Products – https://www.hdpegrowbag.com/
READ ON TO FIND OUT THE DIFFERENT BENEFITS OF HAVING AN ORGANIC KITCHEN GARDEN IN 2020.
QUALITY OF GOODS
TASTE
SOIL HEALTH
NUTRIENT CONTENT
MONETARY BENEFITS
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS
BENEFITS FOR THE FAMILY
SUSTAINABILITY
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QUALITY OF GOOD
We hear horror stories about how the ingredients of our food are infected and adulterated every day. This can range from injections being used to harmful pesticides being sprayed on them. When fresh produce such as vegetables is artificially made to grow to get the right color or size, it strips away the natural nutrients. The first thing you would notice when having your own kitchen garden is the quality of the produce. Since you grow the vegetables from the beginning stage in your villa, the satisfaction that they are healthy is guaranteed.
READ THIS ARTICLE TO ANALYZE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STORE-BOUGHT PRODUCE AND HOMEGROWN PRODUCE.
HTTPS://WWW.GARDENTECH.COM/BLOG/GARDENING-AND-HEALTHY-LIVING/GARDEN-TO-TABLE-GOODNESS-AND-NUTRITION
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TASTE
The same family recipes passed down through generations do not taste the same now. The evidence of the change in taste or the lack thereof is something that we have all experienced. Though the organic vegetables and fruits you grow in your terrace garden may not look the same as the ones you might buy in the supermarket, their taste is certainly far superior. The freshness of the vegetables is still intact as they are plucked right from the plant. The intense and realistic flavors are also reflected in the dishes you make.
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SOIL HEALTH
When it comes to the right soil for vegetation, there should be perfect amounts of beneficial bacteria and nematodes, protozoa, fungal hyphae and all the necessary earthworms and centipedes. Each of these species plays a part in shaping the produce with rightful nutrients. Although, with chemically-driven agricultural soil, these necessary species are way lower in numbers. This rigs the rightful balance of the healthy produce, making it survive on artificial fertilizers instead. With organic terrace gardening, the health of the soil is well managed by natural fertilizers resulting in the healthier plants and foods.
THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS VALUABLE INFORMATION ON SOIL HEALTH.
HTTPS://WWW.GARDENINGCHANNEL.COM/ENVIRONMENTAL-BENEFITS-OF-ORGANIC-GARDENING/
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NUTRIENT CONTENT
Food is where the human body gets energy from. This is one reason that we often choose to ignore when it comes to eating healthy. Toxic chemicals often reduce the amount of Minerals and Vitamins content of the vegetables to nothing. Which also means we receive none of the essential nutrients when we consume certain foods. However, with organic gardening, the Vitamin, Iron, Magnesium and Mineral content is higher than the conventionally grown produce. Your children can get access to healthier food straight from the kitchen garden in your villa.
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MONETARY BENEFITS
The constant rise in prices of fresh produce is a pain for the common people. You know it is not ideal when buying certain vegetables has become a luxury over necessity. And it is only getting more expensive as time goes by. Planting your own organic kitchen garden will save you money in the long run. Since you are setting it up in your villa, there are no major costs. The initial expenses of setting up the garden aside, the only recurring expenses are the maintenance costs; which is a small price to pay when you are getting healthy and delicious fresh produce out of it.
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PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS
World Health Organization (WHO) says that good health is often not just the absence of bad health. This means we also need to take part in activities that are bringing us happiness, positive emotions, sense of satisfaction in the things we do. You might be surprised that outdoor activities such as gardening actually improves heart health while also reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to WebMD. One Dutch study discovered that organic gardening to be a reason that reduces the amount of cortisol levels in our bodies which is the hormone responsible for stress.
THIS ARTICLE POINTS OUT THE NUMEROUS HEALTH BENEFITS OF ORGANIC GARDENING.
HTTP://WWW.SUSTAINABLEBABYSTEPS.COM/BENEFITS-OF-ORGANIC-GARDENING.HTML
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BENEFITS FOR THE FAMILY
FOR THE KIDS
Setting up an organic kitchen garden in your villa can brings tons of positive energy for your family. Teaching the children at home about the importance of growing healthy and nutritious food from a young age is similar to sowing seeds that will grow to bear beautiful fruit. The children also learn the hardships of working in the soil and will establish great appreciation for their food.
FOR THE HOMEMAKERS
With technology ruling our day-to-day lives, we see many homemakers buying groceries from online shopping sites. We know it is convenient. But, do we know if it is fresh? Are we positive that no adulterants are used in the growth of vegetables? Do we understand that toxic chemicals present in vegetables and fruits like oxytocin sachharin, wax, calcium carbide and copper sulphate are extremely hazardous to health?
Tending to your own kitchen garden ensures an enjoyable experience for the homemakers! The movie 36 Vaiyathinile is the best example. We see Jyothika as the housewife with confused identity, not knowing her calling in life. The story shows how women everywhere are fed up with the quality of produce in the markets and how Jyothika takes matters in her own hands by starting to grow her own vegetables! This serves as an inspiration to all other housewives like her who begin to build organic kitchen gardens in their own homes! By the end of the movie, we see a big change in society and their mindset towards showing concern about what they consume.
There is no better way to ensure the safety of our food than to know the source. And if that source is right in your terrace kitchen garden, then there is nothing to worry about. There is no better feeling than your family enjoying healthy food from your own produce grown in your soil.
YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT THE COMMON ADULTERANTS USED IN FOOD IN INDIA IN THIS ARTICLE.
HTTPS://WWW.INDIATODAY.IN/EDUCATION-TODAY/GK-CURRENT-AFFAIRS/STORY/COMMON-FOOD-ADULTERANTS-IN-INDIA-1370601-2018-10-19
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SUSTAINABILITY
In the book ?Farmers of Forty Centuries? by F.H. King, the author talks about the Chinese people who were known to grow produce organically in the same beds for 4000 years without the use of toxic chemicals. This shows us that preserving the fertility of the land makes it sustainable over many years to come. By following the methods of organic gardening, you are potentially saving the environment from soil damage with harmful chemical pesticides. This has also proven to be a more sustainable way of living.
THIS ARTICLE HAS GREAT INSIGHTS ON SUSTAINABILITY.
HTTPS://WWW.HUFFPOST.COM/ENTRY/SUSTAINABLE-GARDENING-AND_B_9880140
WHY ORGANIC GARDENING?
In the modern-day, the two most important aspects to man are time and care. Huge lifestyle changes occur often times when we don?t make the right use these two aspects. Though living situations and other circumstances change, the human emotion and connection to certain things of the past tend to remain firm. With something as important as food, it is no wonder we think of the healthier and tastier options that we had as kids. With organic gardening, you can recreate the same scenario that we imagined together earlier right on your rooftop, or balcony or terrace! That way, through nostalgia, you will be able to pass on the valuable experience to your children along with good health and bright hope for the future.
