My hobby is gardening. It is a useful hobby, unlike some other hobbies. It has many advantages. We must have enough space in our garden to engage in the hobby.
Gardening is regarded as a pleasurable and profitable pastime too. I have planted various kinds of fruits and vegetables in my garden. Some of the fruits are bananas, mangoes, papaw, wood apples, pine apples, guavas and pomegranates and vegetables, such as beans, brinjals, tomatoes, drumsticks, ladies fingers, wing beans and long beans. I have dug a compost manure pit. I do not use any chemicals or artificial manure.
I spend about two hours daily watering and manuring my vegetable beds. I pull out weeds. I can eat fresh fruits and vegetables or can earn money by selling them. It is a nice sight to see trees laden with fruits. My parents and my brother help me in my hobby.
We lead a busy life, and gardening gives us mental satisfaction. Today, human beings are moving away from nature. Gardening paves the way for a close contact with nature.
Sri Lanka is an agricultural country. Farming is our heritage. We can learn many things from gardening, such as about various kinds of seeds and plants. Also we learn the correct way of planting trees and using manure.
At school, we learn about different kinds of soil and the correct way of preparing soil. We also learn how to make the full use of garbage as manure. This knowledge helps us very much to grow plants well.
Gardening is a wonderful hobby. It makes us active and healthy. Eating home-grown food gives us long life. We should add lots of vegetables and fruits to our daily diet. If we do hobbies, such as gardening, it is beneficial.
I tend to my garden before I go to school and after I come home. It helps me to study a lot about nature and plants. Lots of birds and animals visit my garden which makes me happy. There are many types of hobbies today. Most of the modern hobbies seem to be time wasting, but a hobby like gardening can be very useful and meaningful.
I am very proud of my hobby. Many people encourage and help me in my hobby.
Ann Dorin Rodrigo,
Grade 9,
Adventist International
School, Negombo.