Backyard gardens offer green solutions

Our Correspondent
Kohima, May 3 (EMN): As an antidote to the restrictions imposed due to the nationwide lockdown, many in urban Nagaland are resorting to backyard gardening.  

Some of those shared with Eastern Mirror the benefits of having a kitchen or backyard garden.

Opangmenla Jamir said that she started planting vegetables on her terrace two years ago, after she got married and moved into her husband’s house. She plants green leafy vegetables like lettuce and coriander for daily use. "For now, it is quite small but I am planning on expanding it," she said.

"It is a great source," she said, adding that whenever they want to add any ingredient in their curry, they go to the terrace and use what is available.

Another person shared that she started kitchen gardening after the imposition of the nationwide lockdown. "I was always interested in gardening and growing vegetables, but I did not have time as I had to go to the office for work. Now I am getting lots of time," she shared.

'This practice is also for food security, as we do not know what will happen later,' she added.

"Not only kitchen gardening but I am also going to the fields, and it made me realise how people are struggling for their day-to-day lives, especially the farmers and daily wage labourers," she said.

"I started a kitchen garden as a hobby three years ago and whenever I get free time, I spend it in the garden," shared Sani-I Sano.

She said that instead of going to the vegetable vendor every time, she uses her green leaves from the garden. "The biggest advantage is that it is organic and healthy and even in times of emergency, we can just go to the garden to get those fresh vegetables," she said.

Another person also shared that she is growing beans, cabbage, garlic, chives, cucumber etc., in her kitchen garden. "It is organic and it tastes better when fresh," she said.

She also mentioned that maintaining a kitchen garden does not consume a lot of time. “We can care for it in the morning or evening,” she added.

"There is also less wastage as we take it only when necessary unlike buying from shops and stocking it, where some vegetables rot before we are able to consume them," she said.

According to her, one can plant varieties of vegetables 'continuously' as per the season.

"Especially during this lockdown, when we are not allowed to go out freely, we can just take it from the garden without any pressure of going outside to search for vegetables. Without much labour and time, we are able to get the best," she said.