What is a Home Garden?

A home garden is an area around the home where different vegetables and fruits are grown throughout the year to meet family nutritional requirements. This activity exists in different parts of the world under such names as home garden, kitchen garden, door yard garden, and back yard garden. The basic function of all these gardens is the same.

The essential characteristics of a home garden are:

• Proximity to the home.

• Small plot size (scattered or fixed).

• Cultivation of different varieties of vegetables and fruits.

• Cultivation throughout the year.

• Production primarily for consumption.

• Management by members of a household (wife, husband, children). 

• Use of low-cost inputs.

• Use of indigenous varieties; reducing dependence on exotic or imported varieties.

If home gardening is to succeed, it is important to consider the socio-economic and cultural norms of the target community in addition to the technical aspects. In the case of technology, home. gardening is likely to be more successful if local practices and methods are incorporated.