Hey Green Thumbs… Yes You! Indoor Gardening is The Joy You Did Not Know You Needed

Many houses in Nigeria have little backyard space that is just there, laying idly. You can make your soil work for you when you plant a few crops in your house. From mangoes to bananas, plantains, vegetables, maize, yam, potatoes, orange, pepper, tomatoes, herbs, and so on, here’s why you should have a garden in your home.

You Plant What You Want

It is your house, after all. Gardening affords you the opportunity to plant whatever it is you feel like, as long as the soil is rich enough to make them grow. Many people plant the crops they eat regularly – like vegetables or crops that are in season – like maize. Some have trees like mangoes, oranges, and plantain. Plants like aloe vera and moringa can also be in your garden.

Healthy living

Many people stopped buying fruits when they heard stories of fruit-sellers storing these fruits in very unhealthy environments so they can ripen quickly or washing mangoes in gutter water. Others started washing their fruits with salt. Many fruits and vegetables or food crops in general that we eat have traveled through a long journey. In Nigeria, it is, in most times, from the North to the West and South. That means these food crops and fruits have been exposed to lots of carbon emissions and they are no longer as fresh as when they were harvested from the farm. A lot of farmers use a large quantity of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers to grow their commercialized crops. Ever seen vegetables and fruits so big, yet so tasteless? Exactly!

This will be a different case when you plant your own crops. While we understand that you may not be able to plant everything you consume, vegetables can be planted in your garden, fruits like pawpaw, banana, mangoes, oranges and so on can also be planted in your garden.

Save the Climate

With your little (or large) garden, you might just be saving the climate. Trees help in removing carbon dioxide from the air, storing carbon in the trees and soil, and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. That is why when you get to a place with many trees, the freshness of the air there will be very different from the one in Oshodi under-bridge. Plants act as natural air purifiers as they help filter airborne toxins, dust, and germs. A garden makes your environment look cool, calm, and peaceful.

A Little Academy

Many people learn about plants just by having a garden in their home. Growing your own food opens up a great learning opportunity. You learn about the different types of soil, how the weather and environment affect the growth of your plants, the different species of certain crops, the gardening kits you need, safety measures to take when growing your crops, when and how to water them, their life cycles, and so on. It is like a little school where each plant teaches you something new.

Reduces Stress

Are you tired of staring at that computer for long? Now head over to your garden. Gardening relieves stress for many people and keeps their hands and minds busy. If you don’t feel like tending to your crops or planting new ones, you can decide to have a little relaxation shed beside your garden. You can have a swing and a corner for little family picnics. A garden is a place where you can interact with nature and that also makes it therapeutic. It helps perk up your spirit and your sense of wellbeing, thereby improving your health.

We’ve all agreed to start a mini garden in our home, right, guys?

If you’re thinking of how to start, we’ve included a few videos to check out.

Great! Let’s make people green with envy.