A huerta () or horta (, ), from

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

''hortus'', "

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

", is an

irrigated Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been develo ...

area, or a field within such an area, common in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

and

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...

, where a variety of

vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the edible flower, flowers, ...

s and fruit trees are cultivated for family consumption and sale. Typically, individual ''huertas'' belong to different people; they are located around

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of ...

s or other water sources because of the amount of water required, which is usually provided through small canals (''acequias''). They are a kind of market garden.

Alternate definitions

Elinor Ostrom Elinor Claire "Lin" Ostrom (née Awan; August 7, 1933 – June 12, 2012) was an American political scientist and political economist whose work was associated with New Institutional Economics and the resurgence of political economy. In 2009, ...

has defined ''huertas'' as "well-demarked ''irrigation areas'' surrounding or near towns" (emphasis added).Ostrom, Elinor (2015). ''Governing the Commons'', p.71.

References

Bibliography

* Glick, Thomas F. 1970. ''Irrigation and Society in Medieval Valencia.'' Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. * Maass, Arthur, and Raymond Lloyd Anderson. 1978. ''...and the Desert Shall Rejoice: Conflict, Growth and Justice in Arid Environments.'' Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. * Ostrom, Elinor (2015

990 Year 990 ( CMXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Al-Mansur, ''de facto'' ruler of Al-Andalus, conquers the Castle of Montemor-o-Velho (mode ...

. "Huerta Irrigation Institutions." Pp.69-82 in ''Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action''. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. {{Portugal-stub Agriculture in Spain Irrigation in Spain Landforms Geography of the Region of Murcia Geography of the Valencian Community fr:Jardin_potager gl:Horta it:Orto (agricoltura) pl:Huerta pt:Horta (agricultura) qu:Muya scn:Ortu

Alternate definitions

See also

References

Bibliography