Apart from starting it as a hobby, having a kitchen garden in your backyard comes with many benefits, especially if the garden is for vegetables and other healthy edible plants.

With your own garden, experts say, you are assured of healthy food without chemicals, as you can grow 100 per cent organic and nutritious vegetables for the entire family.

David Rukerabigwi, a dietician and nutritionist working with Slim n’ Fit, a weight loss and wellness centre in Kigali, says although this activity may seem overwhelming to some people, it’s a lot simpler than it looks.

"You don’t need to have a garden to be able to plant your own vegetables, even an indoor herb garden or inside pots can still work, it’s all about improvising,” he says.

He says in the garden, one can plant tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables that are easy to manage.

Benefits

Rukerabigwi says with a home garden, you are assured of improved health, and explains that this is because you will consume more fresh fruits and vegetables.

"This is one of the most important things one can do to stay healthy. When harvesting vegetables right from your garden, the vitamin content will be at its highest compared to when you are buying from the market or groceries,” he says.

In addition to this, Rukerabigwi says, having a home garden also means you are reducing the risk of eating vegetables that contain harmful chemicals.

Here, he says, you are sure of what exactly you are eating. Depending on what vegetables you have in the garden, you can start eating one or two every day.

These vegetables, such as cauliflower, or herbs such as mint, are loaded with medicinal benefits that include relief for respiratory disorders, improved dental health as well as treatment of fever, asthma, lung ailments, heart diseases, and stress.

Gerald Ruzindana, a nutrition and wellness expert, says if you are looking for outdoor activities, a home kitchen garden is a good start. 

He explains that gardening is a physical activity; in fact, he notes, it’s been established that pulling weeds, planting, and digging can burn up to 400 calories per hour.

He says gardening is also a good mental exercise and helps keep one’s mind alert.

Meanwhile, studies indicate that gardening is a calming activity that lowers one’s stress levels and helps one relax.

Also, being around nature itself is supposed to be good for one’s physical and mental health, with several studies showing that it does wonders for overall wellbeing.