In this article, we have described a selection of tools and methods for the multidisciplinary study of homegardens from both a botanical and an anthropological perspective. In particular, we recognize that homegardens are a nexus where biological and cultural diversity are inextricably linked (Posey 1999; Prain, Fujisaka, and Warren 1999; Warren, Slikkerveer, and Brokensha 1999; Maffi 2001) and are thus valuable sites for the conservation of agrobiodiversity (Hammer 1998) and related knowledge. Investigating evolutionary processes and the correlation of various domains of diversity in homegardens requires the broad-based approach of an ethnobotanist and a set of methodological techniques designed to illuminate the interface between nature and culture.
We have emphasized here that studying homegardens presents an excellent opportunity to use and experiment with informal and formal techniques to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. We would not have learned much of the history and cultural context of gardening in our study areas ifwe had not included semistructured, unstructured, and informal interviews as part of our methodology. They provide means of getting to know informants as well as generating important insights that can be compared with the results of our structured techniques. On the other hand, the use of free-listing and other techniques from cultural domain analysis allows for quantitative analysis of typically qualitative data. There are many more tools and methods available for studying homegardens, such as participatory mapping, seasonal calendars, transect walks, and focus group interviews, which we will experiment with in future projects in both Austria and the United Kingdom. We hope the issues raised in this article will encourage further studies on homegardens and serve as starting points for discussions of methods used to examine them.
NOTE
1. Available online at http:www.boku.ac.at/oekoland/MitarbeiterInnen/Vogl/Vogl_ methods.htm
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