Social benefits of urban gardens

It would be very interesting to get an idea of the future that is approaching us. In a way, technologies set the pace of our lives, and with them, we are closer to each other than ever, reducing the perception of distance, but are we really closer to one another? Or are we experiencing a sense of false socialization?

In recent years, urban gardens have become a more than beneficial option in every sense; they have become a true revolution in major capitals around the world. The reasons that have motivated this revolution are very varied, although, in a way, the main motive is care for and respect for the environment. Self-sufficiency is synonymous with care and consciousness. Knowing the origin of our vegetables, how they grow, or letting ourselves be advised, gives us a sense of security and commitment to the environment, in addition to improving the social relationships of those who practice it.

These initiatives are contributing positively to society, specifically to the neighborhood communities that participate in and support them. Below, we provide a list of benefits that having an urban garden will bring us, both for sharing in communities and with family:

• They promote a better social environment in the community, as they allow for interaction between neighbors and for them to get to know each other better. Therefore, we can say that it encourages a common identity among participants.
• They contribute to the conservation of traditional horticultural techniques through intergenerational meetings, allowing for the integration of elderly groups who find in gardens a daily activity and a constant task.
• It recovers and facilitates the contact of citizens with the garden, especially with younger generations, as they not only benefit from a cultural perspective, but also from getting closer to ecology and respect for the environment, generating collective awareness and social cohesion.
• Physical and psychological benefits, through the physical activities that maintaining the garden entails.
• It facilitates access to fresh, high-quality food, promoting an improvement in quality of life and health.
• Helps pollinators: bees or butterflies are some of the pollinators that benefit from our urban garden.
• Reuse of organic waste, which we will use to make homemade compost, thus reducing organic waste in our community.

As we observe, gardens contribute to the recovery and development of both people and the environment, which is why their inclusion in our society is so important. They provide us with great benefits that we are often unaware of. In Granada, we are already promoting this great idea, and many are already enjoying a better quality of life thanks to urban gardens, so get to work and join the urban garden revolution!