Vegetable gardening is a very popular hobby among people who enjoy growing their own fresh vegetables. Vegetable gardening is simply the growing of various vegetables as well as other plants that grow on a plant’s leaves and stems. Vegetable gardens range in size from a small patch of dirt on your kitchen windowsill, all the way up to a large spread of land in your back yard.
Vegetables are essential parts of the human diet or at least what we eat and drink. The origin of the word “vegetable” is from the Greek word veggies, which means “of or pertaining to vegetation”. The literal meaning is still commonly employed and is also applied to plants together with all other edible plant material, such as the leaves, fruits, roots, flowers, and roots. Vegetables are usually eaten raw or cooked. In the United States, about eighty-five percent of the vegetables are grown in the home. The other fifteen percent are grown commercially.
In most vegetable gardens, vegetables are grown in soil where micro-organisms exist, particularly helpful for the health of the soil in terms of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. A healthy micro-organisms means that the soil will be better equipped to hold on to these nutrients for the vegetable plants. It is the micro-organisms in the soil that help regulate the growth of the plants so that they grow healthy and strong. Healthy plants, therefore, will produce more vegetables.
Among fruits, the most well-known vegetable is the tomato. There are two to three varieties of tomatoes: the bulkier varieties which are used in cooking and the smaller, more sweet versions which are great for eating as a snack. Tomatoes come in many different colors, shapes, sizes, and flavors. In the United States, most tomato varieties are imported from Central America. In most European Union countries, however, tomatoes are grown in their native environments. There are many varieties of tomato in the grocery stores and farmers markets, making it easy for consumers to determine what they want.
Some commonly seen vegetables are carrots, beets, spinach, onions, peas, beans, corn, squash, potatoes, and any other kind of green plant. Carrots, beets, and peas are most often eaten raw, while potatoes and corn are often roasted or baked. Cucumbers, carrots, beets, spinach, onions, peas, and corn are all best eating steamed. Squash and snap peas are also good with soups, stews, or chili. Carrots, beets, and spinach are some of the least processed vegetables in the world.
Some of the more uncommonly seen vegetable or fruit are mangoes, kiwi fruit (which looks like a red oblong instead of a yellow, green fruit), papayas, pineapples, strawberries, and bananas. Some fruits, like avocado and mango are eaten by tropical people in tropical regions. Others, like pineapple and kiwi fruit, grow on islands in New Zealand. Vegetable scraps are the most common source of vegetable scraps, although fruit is also sometimes gathered from trees, or other plants.