By: Ollus Ndomu
Backyard gardening has become an increasingly popular option for modern households. With rising food costs, limited access to local grocery stores, and an increasing awareness of the health risks associated with prepared foods, families are now turning to their own backyards to provide fruits and vegetables. Backyard gardening can cut down on costs, encourage healthier diets, and increase environmental sustainability.
In terms of costs, backyard gardening provides an important monetary benefit. Families can potentially save hundreds of dollars in groceries when they cultivate their own produce at home. Growing vegetables and fruits requires less overall investment than what would be spent if items were bought in the store, as seeds and starter plants are far less expensive. Additionally, many of the items needed for gardening can be reused such as pots, trellises, and other supplies. Not to mention, there are very little associated costs when plants are grown from seed, and an even smaller cost as plants become well established.
Health wise, it is important to remember that a household’s choice of locally grown fruits and vegetables is often much healthier than what is available commercially. This is because the produce is not subjected to chemical preservatives or chemicals to extend shelf-life, nor are they treated with added sugars, fats, and salts. This can lead to a significantly healthier diet in families that grow their own food.
Finally, backyard gardening is an incredible tool for sustainable living. Sustainable living is defined as “finding ways to meet human needs while preserving the environment, so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but in the indefinite future as well.” When individuals with small backyards and limited outdoor space choose to garden, they are making a commitment to their own health, as well as their environment. Gardening helps to reduce waste, eliminate harmful chemicals and pesticide runoff, conserve water, encourage pollination, and establish the necessary balance for a thriving ecosystem. As a result, it has a large scale effect on the environment.
All and above, backyard gardening is no longer optional in our ever-growing world. As food costs rise, access to healthy and organic food becomes more limited, and climate change worsens, gardening is becoming an important part of limiting costs, promoting healthier diets and lifestyles, and establishing environmental sustainability. It is an incredibly rewarding and beneficial practice, and an invaluable tool to combat rising costs, flailing health, and environmental distress.
