As humans, we need our daily sustenance to survive. Water is essential for our existence, as it also makes up the body. Rest is also important to replenish our energy and relax our whole body to get ready for another day. We also need shelter so that we can rest our body in a safe and comfortable place. Food is also essential, as you cannot live for three days without food. Starving to death is never an option for us humans, which is why we looked for food to sustain our hunger.
Hunting animals was prevalent in ancient times, which was gradually replaced by domestication. You do not need to hunt most of the animals for food, as you can harvest them from your herd. The same situation happened with the plants. Before, we used to gather fruits and vegetables from the wilds. Now, we learned the basics of agriculture and grew the vegetation that we need.
So gardening is one of the essential skills humans have developed throughout the years. Usually, when we think of gardening, we always think about the shrubs and flowers. It may seem that the roses and geraniums that your grandma grows on your backyard are useless. However, they serve its purpose: to satisfy our aesthetic needs. We need beauty to appreciate the things around us, and this can give us pleasure. This can bring us happiness in a way that makes us feel good when we see them. The vibrant colours of flowers are aesthetically pleasing, especially is they are arranged in a way that would correspond to our tastes.
However, many experts would promote planting a vegetable or herb garden instead of flowering shrubs and other similar plants. Planting vegetables such as tomatoes and squash might not be as easy as planting a gardenia, but it has more benefits. Once harvest season comes, you can get more food. This can lead you to develop recipes or creatively thinking about other ways of preserving them. You can do canning or create jams and marmalades, which can last for a long time. Sure, you can create tea from rosebuds and other flowers, but how can it compare to actual vegetable. You can choose whatever you want, but planting vegetables can give you more.
Herb gardens are also becoming very popular in most countries. They can act as a leafy vegetable to a dish while adding flavour to the whole meal. Basil, rosemary, and thyme are popular. Mushrooms are also a staple in many recipes, and you can grow them quite quickly if you know what you are doing. You can also try cultivating or even marcot some of the plants to yield an extra or add more to your flavouring ingredients. There are a lot of herbs in the market today, and each of them has its role in any dish they belong in. They also give extra character and depth to many classic dishes. Click here to learn more about herbs.
However, one might think that you need to have a piece of land to build a garden. This is possible in places where they have a lot of arable lands and can take care of their plants and animals every time. However, it can be challenging to grow a garden while you live in the cities. There is not much space anywhere, and most apartments are tinier than anything you could have imagined. You are fortunate to be living in the present age, though. There are solutions and other tips you can look into if you are want to have fresh vegetation in your kitchen.
Choose Hardy Vegetables And Plants
If you want to start gardening, look for vegetables and plants that are easy to grow and prepare for cooking. There is a reason why herbs are trendy tabletop plants: they can have a longer life even with little sunlight and water. It also helps that these herbs don’t grow tall enough to be a nuisance. Aside from these factors, it makes it so easy to pluck the herbs right off a plant to enjoy its freshness. Other vegetables like tomatoes and mung bean sprouts are also relatively easy to grow on your kitchen. Fresh vegetables are better than the store-bought ones since you can trust the source of the vegetables.
Look For Hydroponic Solutions
You can also grow your plants even without soil. For example, hydroponics is not an old concept, but it is gaining traction since the need to grow a garden right in your room emerged in this century. It involves “planting” a seed or sapling directly into a solution and taking care of it like any other plant. This solution is made of fertilizers and other substances that are essential for a plant’s survival. There are two main types of a hydroponic plant box: the continuous and the static solution. Static solutions are plausible for smaller or personalized plant boxes as you need to change the water level manually.
On the other hand, continuous type hydroponics minimizes you plant interaction since you can program a machine to clean and replenish the plant box. If you are interested, you can always ask your local agriculture experts to help out with your problem. You can get kits online for your personal use or even for commercial ones as well. If you are living in the cities, the everlasting snow might also destroy the plants. Keeping them in hydroponic spaces does not just help them survive, but also ventilate your entire place. You can keep your plants even through the winter as long as you have the right equipment for it.
Create Ways To Preserve Your Produce
If you already have a garden of your own, check if your product is easily perishable. Most fruits and delicate vegetables only last for about a week, even in the freezer. So, you need to learn how to preserve these fruits and vegetables. Pickles and jams can be your go-to, and you can enjoy them anytime you want.
