People having more free time since the start of the pandemic, it’s probable you’ve been trying out different hobbies while spending time at home. Since the weather has still been nice out, maybe you’ve tried a hobby you can do outdoors in the fresh air; or have had the reverse effect, considering it to be too hot out and have started one indoors. Luckily, if you haven’t yet thought of it, trying out gardening may be the best way to keep yourself busy and body moving despite the change in the seasons. Whether you are just starting out or consider yourself a pro-gardener, this article will give you a couple tips on some easy things to grow within your own backyard.
Why Growing Food at Home is Helpful?
When deciding to grow your own food at home, not only has this been a proven therapeutic activity but it's a way of giving back to the environment and making healthier organic choices in your life, as well for your family.
Even if you aren’t able to sustain enough fruits and vegetables from your home garden, this can still significantly cut down spending at grocery stores. Although grocery shopping can be convenient in comparison to at home gardening, the fulfilment of eating foods from your own grown garden can be an uplifting feeling as well as fuel your body with healthy and organic options.
Nothing can be fresher than picking fresh tomatoes from the garden and eating them right off the vine; the worry about the potential preservatives you could be eating is ultimately eliminated because you were the one that grew them, meaning you know what’s going into them.
Another bonus to gardening is that it supports your physical health by doing all the shoveling and planting. This hobby overall comes with an array of benefits with little to no downside. So now comes the question: What food can easily be grown at home?
5 Foods to Grow at Home
Ultimately, the list is endless when it comes to foods that you could potentially plant in your at-home garden. Whether it’s something small like basil leaves to the larger scale of foods like pumpkins, you’ll just have to research what is possible to grow in your climate and the maintenance level of the food. If you’re completely new to the planting and gardening thing, possibly, the best approach would be looking into easy foods that beginners can try to grow in their kitchen garden. As a start, this list below gives a handful of suggestions for your own little garden.
1. Tomatoes
Tomatoes, also a commonly used food in Indian cuisine, can be a great starting place for your kitchen garden. The vegetable is easy to start out in a small pot near a window sill which you’ll then need to water once or twice a day. Once the plant gets larger, if necessary, you can transfer it to a larger pot. Even if your tomatoes aren’t ripe yet, feel free to pluck them as they will ripen faster or let them naturally grow on the vine until they fall off, to then eat.
2. Herbs
Indian herbs such as basil and mint are beginner things to grow as they don't require much maintenance and essentially take care of themselves. You could even buy pre-grown herbs at the grocery store and plant those, continuing on with their own growth and not having to start from scratch with seeds. Again, like tomatoes, water the herbs once or twice a day and feel free to pick some off the vine while cooking to throw into any dish.
3. Chillies
Continuing the trend of easy pot planting, chilis are a great vegetable to grow indoors. Besides also being simple to maintain, you can cook them freshly picked or let the red ones dry out to be used as a spice.
4. Cucumbers
A hydrating food that can easily be tossed into a salad, choosing to grow tasty and juicy organic cucumber in your home garden is a great idea for beginners. Although, a straightforward gardening approach applies to cucumbers like the rest of the above list, make sure you pick them on time before they turn bitter in taste.
5. Potatoes
Potatoes may need a little more space than the previous foods mentioned but once you start growing them, you’ll be happy you did. A staple to Indian cuisine, having the convenience of this food in your backyard is a great option. The bonus here is, you’ll only need to water them every four to five days.
Conclusion
Overall, gardening is a great hobby for just about anyone to pick up with little to no previous knowledge or experience, especially during COVID-19. The added benefits of easy and organic foods that are grown right at your home can be thought as endless, in all, the food is healthier, you know where it is coming from and it’s a therapeutic activity in response to the current crisis at hand.
