Be it the crispy potato fry or the mashed tomato chutney, our food is heavily dependent on several vegetables. Rice to roti, all that we eat comes from a certain grain. Plant life, forms the basis for all the other life forms to survive on this earth. From tiny ants to mighty lions, their food directly or indirectly comes from plants. To run, to swim, to study or simply to walk up and down we need energy. This energy to live comes from our food. Plants are the only living forms that can produce their own food. We are all dependent either directly or indirectly on these plants for our food.
We can classify our vegetables and fruits in the following categories:
a. Berry bearing
b. Fruit bearing
c. Nectar bearing
d. Leafy vegetables and more…
Grow more
It is important we classify our vegetables and fruits into these categories and get to know what we eat. It is interesting to note that birds love the vegetable/fruit type. By growing specific kinds of plants in our garden space, we will be able to attract specific birds. Several birds are flying in search of a perfect habitat where they can eat, drink and rest. They change their place often, so if we have a planned garden with different kinds of vegetables/fruits planted in them, who knows, we could be the lucky one’s to play host to beautiful birds.
Earth by itself is a big ball of nutrients. Plants play the role of a machine in converting these raw nutrients into tasty, eatable vegetables and fruits. We, in turn, feed on those and live long. A fascinating journey of the nutrient from the ground below to our plates. By getting to know what we eat, we get to know our environment better. When we care for what we eat, we start caring for the environment because if we continue to pollute the environment (air, water and land,) our fruits and vegetables will come with pollutants and not nutrients.
Activity:
Walk into your kitchen, identify and pick four different kinds of vegetables/fruit.
From each type of vegetable, pick one.
Cut the vegetable carefully to remove the seeds. For eg: If you find lady’s finger, brinjal, tomato and chilly, remove their seeds carefully. Dry the seeds in mild heat.
Now take an old plastic bottle.
Ask a parent to help you cut and remove the top portion of the bottle.
Pierce two holes at the bottom end of the bottle, to permit water to drain out.
Into the bottom part add 3/4ths garden sand.
Now gently immerse the seed so that it is buried in the sand.
Pour 1/4th water and place the cup with the seed where you get moderate sunlight. Wait for the seed to germinate. The sapling will be your EcoBuddy. Plant gives us all life, its our turn to give a plant its life to see it feed other life forms.
