Gardening – The Perfect Hobby
Think of a hobby that has been around for centuries that people ages 5 to 95 can partake in. Gardening is that very hobby. As long as there is earth to plant and grow in, gardening will be around. “For nearly... well ... forever, gardeners and farmers grew plants using common sense, careful observation, and the resources nature provided” (Organic Gardening,1999). Just as technology has modernized our daily lives, it has also improved and eased methods of gardening as time has evolved.
Organic Gardening states evidence of gardening and horticulture recorded dating back to 8,000 B.C. “The staples of Native American cuisine, corn (maize) and common beans, are cultivated in the
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Some gardeners take the hobby to the highest level and create vast arrays of aesthetically pleasing scenery for professional reasons. There are competitions of gardening and growing from the county fair to garden club shows to professional shows.
Gardening is practiced for many reasons. In the 18th century multiple forms of gardening and growing of certain plants became trends. “In any case it was from the Indians that these early southern settlers received the key crop that would unlock gold from the poor red soil. Tobacco (American Gardens, 1976). Other plant sources were discovered and devoured by early settlers such as roots for medicines and certain drinks. The Native Americans were not the only plant-use trend setters, as travelers would ship plants from abroad to show culture and wealth.
A craze of raising gardens in the 18th century struck and soon after was perfected by a young and wealthy daughter of a plantation owner named Martha Logan. Logan was the “Martha Stewart” of gardening and various techniques in horticulture in her time. Wealthy people weren't the only ones who sought out plants, but those who were famous had their vegetables, succulents, and flowers sought out by the public. There are records of what vegetables grew in George Washington’s garden and also recorded was his interests in other plants.
A more modern and newer use for and reason for gardening is therapy. “Horticulture has
Notably, the concept of improving plants has existed since the day humans started on the long journey toward agricultural advancement. This was
Farming has been a source of work ever since man has been introduced to the earth, but the past 100 years have been promising in continuing to provide for the needs of the growing population. The people have become more educated, and technology has become much more advanced. The two have come together to boon the land and animals so that they produce to their fullest potential. The people of the world have been influenced to the extent that they work smarter not harder to provide for the growing population. Farming, a crucial necessity to the survival of mankind, has evolved in the area of education of the people which has assisted in the advances of technology, land, and animal production which will lead to the provision of food for the growing
I’m not the Indian you had in mind; a video that was written and directed by Thomas King challenges the stereotypical image that America has towards Native Americans. King is also the author of a short novel “A seat in the Garden”. This short story also challenges the established perspective that American society has towards the Native Americans. There are various stereotypes and perspectives that a majority of the public has toward a particular group. For example some of the common stereo types that are seen throughout the media are that all Asians are good at math, women are primarily sex objects, All Africans like fried chicken, and all Mexicans are gangsters. These stereo types are not completely true for an entire group, yet they
In the novel, The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan tells the intriguing story of how plants are domesticated from the perspective of the plant with regards to four specific plants.. The four plants he chose for discussion are the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato. As he discusses the domestication of these plants, his overall focus is the desire that each of these plants have to us as humans. Pollan has written books and magazine articles among other pieces of literature that discuss the relationship between plants and humans. Throughout this informational text, Pollan tries to keep the perspective from the “plant’s-eye view of the world,” but he often slips into Pollan’s eye view of the world. As he talks about experiences that he has had with each of these plants and gives a little bit of their history, it was often hard to stay focused on the topic that he was trying to convey. However, I found that the perspectives that Pollan brings up are interesting to think about. The Botany of Desire was an interesting journal type informational novel that didn’t quite live up to my expectations of what it could have been.
The development of agriculture by Native Americans more than five thousand years ago sparked new cultures and innovations. Hunters who previously roamed the land like nomads established permanent villages. Corn, sun, and water became focal points for many societies and played
Since the beginning of the human race mankind has depended on the natural resources in their environment for survival. They utilized the available flora to nourish their body, heal their wounds, comfort their ailments and to create products to ease their daily lives. Many of the same plants utilized thousands of years ago by the indigenous people have been integrated into modern day medicines. The scientific interest and knowledge of plants for nourishment, healing, and practical uses is called ethnobotany.
The first people to start specializing their plants into actual agricultural crops were still working with mostly wild plants. Over time, they used experimentation to figure out how to make better crops. Controlling
Gardening is the activity of planting, cultivating and tending (Oxford dictionary 2015). The origins of gardening, and its fulfilment of a human need, date back to 1500bc where archaeologists discovered ancient paintings of opulent gardens by the Egyptians (Cellauro 2015). Recognition of the benefits of gardening as a therapeutic tool in occupational therapy date back to Hartwell (1933). It provides opportunities for social inclusion which is a central component in well-being (Grabbe et al 2013).
There were many new plants discovered in the Americans (beans, squash, chili peppers, sunflowers, chenopods, peanuts, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, manioc, avocado, pineapple, and cacao), however the most prime crops were potatoes and maize (corn). Many crops were also brought to the New World from the Old world, the most important was the sugar cane.
Lewis and Clarke are rewarded for their adventure westward. While in the west, Lewis and Clarke found plants that had never been seen before. The plants excited the members of the American Philosophical Society. At the time of 1806,Americans cannot change the way plants grow.
There is a huge list of plants that America received. The list includes Bananas, barley, beans, black pepper, cabbage, coffee, cotton, citrus, garlic, hemp, lettuce, oats, onions, peaches, pears, rice, rye, sugarcane, turnips, and wheat (Columbian Exchange at a Glance). Those are the things that was given to America from Europe.
science, made discoveries with regards to the life of agriculture, or just plants in general. The
Eventually, tractors came along and field sizes grew. Crop size is one thing, but what was planted during this transitional time is
Organic farming is becoming an increasingly popular market throughout the world. (Adam, 2004, p. 666). The aims of organic farming are, to decrease pollution, maintain soil fertility and biodiversity, be more sustainable, and have increased nutritional benefits than conventionally grown foods (Yaping et. al., 2003, p. 298). While the aim of conventional farming is to provide safe, proficient supplies of food, in abundance and at low prices (Trewavas, 2001, p.409). Since 1996, the amount of land in the UK dedicated to organic farming has risen tenfold (Adam, 2004, p. 666). As well, from 1992 to 1997, the amount of certified organic cropland in the US more than doubled (Tafel et al, 2007, p.182 ). The main difference between organic and
In the 16-1800s having a garden was thought to be a necessity of life says Martha White in Traditional Home Remedies. (White 2000)