Kenneth Johnson holds a 30lb pumpkin which he grew in his backyard garden in Old Harbour Bay, St Catherine. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Gardening is an age-old hobby which provides a ready form of exercise for those who engage in it. It's exhilarating to walk through your own garden and reap produce for preparing home-cooked meals. When you use fresh, home-grown foods, a bounty of goodness is added to your culinary creations.
Home gardens are gradually moving to become vegetable gardens instead of flower gardens as persons attempt to feed themselves at home in the face of rising food prices and the scarcity of food supplies. The demand for fresh produce is increasing as a result of the scare from E. coli infection and factors such as global warming and ageing baby boomers who have more spare time and their desire for the freshest produce.
Fruits and vegetables
Vegetables taste better when eaten raw and fresh when reaped from the garden. Peas, beans and tomatoes are just as enjoyable when used for meal preparation or pickled.
Pak choi is one of several leafy vegetables that can be planted at home. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
Fresh fruits and vegetables are valuable because of their rich nutritional content. The appeal of growing and reaping your own vegetables and picking your own fruits rests with fact that you are aware of all the inputs in the soil and the type of spray used to assist the growth process. You can reduce the sprays use by planting companion plants around your crops to keep pests away.
It also helps to select those resistant varieties of plants that are less susceptible to disease. Plants should be given more space to grow to reduce the chances of disease infestation. When you buy vegetables in the supermarket or from a green grocer, you are never sure what went into the growth of the produce.
Phytochemicals
Fresh fruits and vegetables also contain phytochemicals, which are helpful in the prevention of diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer. You are encouraged to eat lavish amounts of fruits and vegetables to maximise your intake of vitamins and minerals and to get adequate amounts of fibre.
To meet the recommended servings of five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day, it may be useful to start a vegetable garden at home. Planting fruit trees around the home guarantees annual supply while providing shade for vegetables planted below. An important consideration for planting fruit trees is soil drainage. Fruit trees will not thrive well in soil with slow drainage.
Dr Benjamin Rush, one of the signers of the Declaration of American Independence and also considered the Father of Psychiatry, said garden settings provide curative powers for persons suffering from mental illness.
Children and veggies
Parents who have difficulty getting their children to eat vegetables should engage them in growing them in home gardens. A study published in the Journal of the American Diabetic Association reports that children who are served home-grown fruits and vegetables are more likely to eat them than those who seldom get home-grown produce.
Style and design
Vegetable gardens don't have to take up too much space as you have options regarding planting vegetables. You can clear a space in a suitable area in the yard and consider the style and design you like. Styles include the traditional walled kitchen garden or the romantic, decorative garden known as a potager garden. A permaculture garden is dedicated to the cultivation of organic fruits and vegetables.
Containerised garden
However, you may choose to use plant pots to grow your vegetables on your veranda or patio. Cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers thrive well in containers. Cucumbers and tomatoes may need support. Containerised gardening offers the flexibility to spend the time you want with the plants without the hassle of going outdoors. Your plants would also be spared during inclement weather.
Expert help
Seeds are a starting point for planting vegetables and spring is the best time to start. You should seek expert help in identifying the vegetables you want to plant and the best conditions for them to thrive.
You should have at least a shovel to help grind the soil and a three-pronged pitch. A knee pad is useful during weeding and thinning. You will need to purchase enough to fill large gardening pots or to cover six inches of ground in a designated garden bed.
Read as much as you can about the vegetables you plan to grow and how you will care for them.
High-complex carbohydrates
To satisfy the recommendation of eating high-complex carbohydrates, yams and other ground provisions can be grown at home. With fertile well-drained soil, yams, for example, should be planted a few centimetres below the soil surface and watered frequently. To protect yam vines when they sprout, trellises should be planted for them to run.
Culinary herbs
Culinary herbs add variety, fragrance and colour to produce gardens. They provide a convenient supply for adding flavours to home-cooked meals. Herbs are ideal for garnishes and for use as infusions in beverages. Besides their medicinal value, culinary herbs serve as companion plants and as repellents for insects and pests.
Home-grown foods and herbs ensure delicious, tasty meals for family and friends to enjoy. There are increased opportunities for feeding your family from home-grown foods in the face of rising food prices and your attempts to stretch your food dollar.
Heather Little-White, PhD, is a nutrition and lifestyle consul-tant in the Corporate Area. Send comments to editor@gleanerjm.com or fax 922-6223.
Health benefits
Exercising through stretching and bending, even if it is just pulling out weeds. However, care should be taken to prevent damage to the lower back and knees when lifting heavy pots and plants.
Keeping joints active.
Allowing blood to circulate through the body.
Maintaining a healthy heart.
Relaxing the mind and reducing stress.
Obtaining vitamin D from sunlight, which helps in the absorption of calcium and is particularly useful for women.
Exposing the elderly to fresh air outside the house.