Growing Today Will Help You Tomorrow
The COVID-19 pandemic has closed many doors but opened new ones as well. Filipinos who formerly had a traditional hectic routine now have the time for some home-workout exercises because of the WFH setup.
Those who are used to having their meals out in restaurants or deliveries have switched to indulging in their home-cooked meals. Also, many have discovered their passion and improved their skills when it comes to backyard gardening. Specifically growing fruits, vegetables, and herbs at home.
Growing Today Will Help You Tomorrow
Joshua Eric Dandal, 23, started to dream of having his herb garden in 2018 before the pandemic began. He had mint and some of its varieties. To name a few, chocolate mint, eucalyptus mint, spearmint, and java mint, are his first herb collection. However, during the same year, he had to stop his hobby for a while as he was still in college. Making a bit more of a challenge to maintain the herb garden located on their rooftop.
And the pandemic happened, where the mode of learning was mainly online classes. By that time, Joshua shared that they were already developing quite a lot in a distant barangay. It had enough space, perfect for growing herbs as it would no longer require pots. When he was just a beginner in the field, he said he had lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus mint, and Thai basil. “All survived except for the lavender as it is a hard plant to grow in our USDA Plant Zone,” he added.
Herb Gardens Adds Spice To Life
Now at the moment, his herb garden grew widely composed of Stevia, Blue Ternatea, Tarragon, Basil (sweet, lemon, and Thai), Rosemary, Italian Oregano, Mint (eucalyptus and chocolate), Thyme, and a lot more. He shared that those freshly picked leaves and flowers are the ones he likes to use for his early morning tea as it gives him sufficient energy to start the day.
Joshua said that aside from having fresh ingredients, having your herb garden would save you the trip to the market to purchase both fresh and dried herbs. Also, it induces relaxation whether you consider it a hobby or a pass time. In terms of application, he has tried using his freshly harvested herbs on salads, pasta, and tea.
To name a few, pasta recipes like Tomato Basil Penne Pasta, Buttered Herb Pasta, and Lemon Garlic Rosemary Pasta, are what you could try cooking if you had the common herbs that Joshua has! And when it comes to teas, you could try making one by using Blue Ternate or Chocolate Mint that adds extra layers of flavor to the beverage.
There Are Never Gardening Mistakes, Only Experiments
Work with passion and dedication, explore with no limitation
Joshua Eric Dandal
Despite its numerous benefits and uses, growing herbs wouldn’t be as easy as pie. It requires serious work and commitment to see the fruits of your labor. Aside from researching what kind of environment one plant can grow in, you will also need to exert extra effort in maintaining the garden. Using pots, according to Joshua, could be tougher to deal with. Compared to when you have an open space, the plants would be directly planted on the soil.
Moreover, Joshua is just one of the many who have come to dedicate their efforts, to growing their food/herb garden at home. Aside from saving your money allotted for herbs, gardening allows you to share your harvests with others. Such an act is a natural stress reliever because you get a great sense of accomplishment. During these difficult times, it is not only relevant to be physically healthy but also mentally and emotionally.
Now, are you one of the new members of the plantito and plantita squad?
