Converting Home Spaces into Food Gardens at the Time of Covid-19 Quarantine: All the Benefits of Plants in this Difficult and Unprecedented Period

This article, written during the COVID-19 pandemic, discusses the benefits of home vegetable gardens during times of forced isolation. The author shares his experience of converting his terrace into a vegetable garden to alleviate mental stress, psychological burden, and to achieve partial self-sufficiency in food production. He emphasizes the importance of plants for physical and mental well-being, especially in urban and suburban environments lacking green spaces, and documents his scientific approach to the project, including cost calculations, material needs, and expected psychological effects.

He provides practical advice for setting up a home vegetable garden, covering aspects like water management (rainwater harvesting and efficient irrigation), scaffolding for climbing plants, container selection (recycling and drainage considerations), and suitable plant species for a Mediterranean climate. His experiences highlight the benefits of urban permaculture, including the production of healthy vegetables, psycho-physical well-being, and positive environmental impacts like air purification and providing habitat for animals.

Sofo, A., & Sofo, A. (2020). Converting home spaces into food gardens at the time of Covid-19 quarantine: All the benefits of plants in this difficult and unprecedented period. Human Ecology, 48(2), 131-139.