While city life has its attractions, the most important being that of having more options to learn and earn, it also brings with it a few woes. The most notable among the woes happens to be, the health. The rising pollution levels, the pesticide sprinkled veggies, the contaminated drinking water, the traffic jams and lack of breathing space in the form of gardens etc. dog people living in the city. To fight the pollution levels, one can use air purifiers, including natural options, and numerous water filters are available for getting safe drinking water. However, when it comes to veggies, you have to go with what happens or pay exorbitant prices for organic varieties.
This is where terrace gardening comes in. Since most city homes, do not have enough garden space, the innovations in cultivation, now make it possible to have a garden going on your terrace or even your balcony. This is one way in which you can grow few daily use vegetables for your consumption. This will also become a healthy hobby option, that can keep you busy as well.
Setting up a garden
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This is something that has caught on very fast and hence, and you will find classes being held on the basics of terrace gardening in almost all cities. There are many governmental as well as non-governmental agencies conducting these classes. The classes usually last for about an hour or two and take you through the complete process of setting up a terrace garden. The queries that you may have, like space required, where to buy what, what kind of plants and veggies can be planted, how to take care of them, whether composting also can be done and how, maintenance from pests and insects, and many more such queries that usually come to mind for starters will be answered.
In fact, in a few states, the governmental agencies that conduct these classes also hand out starter kits with mud and manure, seeds, a few tools and implements etc. after they hold the sessions. This is done to encourage the practice of terrace gardening. The truth is that people can start gardening with even a small balcony as long as it gets enough sunlight. For those, who have a terrace, there is nothing more like it. You can use the full space, by dividing into many portions like creepers on one side, climbers on another and bushes on one side, greens on another etc.
Investment and other options
As such, you need not invest much initially, if you do not want to in starting a terrace garden. The containers for growing veggies can be any old buckets, tins, thick plastic covers, and a few pots if you have. You would need to mud, sand and manure. Another option is to use coco peat, in case you do not want the terrace to get too muddy or do not want to increase the weight on the terrace. There are options and ways in which you can set up the garden so that water does not stagnate and cause any seeping.
Most Indian veggies like ladies finger, brinjal, fresh greens, coriander leaves, tomatoes, potatoes, cucumber, beans, chillies, carrots, peas, pumpkins etc. can be easily grown. If you do not have time to hunt around and set it up yourself, then there are also many service providers who can come and set it up for you initially. Once done, all you need to do is water them regularly, maintain and re-pot when required.
Setting up a terrace garden is not very costly or cumbersome, and can help you have some healthy veggies grown on your own. If you have kids at home, you can involve them also in this activity, and they too would feel good about it. All you need to get going is a little bit of knowledge which can be easily had, and you can start small and experiment with a few veggies and then start expanding, depending on the space available.
