Cover Homegrown herbs are a great way to cut down your carbon footprint and reduce plastic waste (Photo: GettyImages / Karl Tapales)
Homegrown herbs are a great way to cut down your carbon footprint and reduce plastic waste (Photo: GettyImages / Karl Tapales)
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Learn about the many benefits of growing your own herb garden, plus essential tips from Nicolo Aberasturi of Down to Earth
Growing one’s own herbs increases in popularity as a passion project, especially in highly urbanised cities like Metro Manila, where space is a premium asset. Because of their ability to occupy small spaces, these edible gardens can easily be integrated into a home, whether in the garden, the balcony, or even a well-lit windowsill. Here are a few reasons why it’s high time to start planting herbs plus foolproof tips from Nicolo Aberasturi, the man behind Down to Earth: a producer of speciality vegetables that has expanded its services to installing edible kitchen gardens and farms.
Read more: Check out this foodie hotspot in San Juan: The Corner House
Above Infuse your herb garden
with your personal style
by playing around with
different varieties (Photo: Getty Images / TorriPhoto)
Infuse your herb garden with your personal style by playing around with different varieties (Photo: Getty Images / TorriPhoto)
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Why Start An Herb Garden?
Freshness
Growing your own herbs means you have them fresh whenever you need them. While you can find these botanicals at your local grocer, it’s hard to tell how long ago they were actually harvested. It also minimises food waste, as very often a pack of herbs will wilt long before it is finished.
Trimming your herbs before you need them encourages healthy plant growth. Aberasturi recommends: “Water the day before harvest early [in the] morning then wrap with banana leaf and store in the fridge.”
Unparalleled flavour
Put simply, freshness is flavour. “You can get the best flavour when [herbs are] picked fresh,” Aberasturi assures. This is particularly important with more delicate herbs like mint, chives, lemongrass and cilantro, which can quickly lose their aroma. While you may opt to use dried substitutes for sturdier herbs, these are only recommended in certain dishes like stews and sauces as the subtle nuances are lost when drying herbs.
See also: Meet Rural Rising: this social enterprise saved farmers and their produce when they needed it most
Above Explore the infinite uses
of your herbs and
experiment with various
herbal tea blends (Photo: GettyImages / Kseniya Ovchinnikova)
Explore the infinite uses of your herbs and experiment with various herbal tea blends (Photo: GettyImages / Kseniya Ovchinnikova)
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Cost-effective
Starting and caring for your herb garden is an investment. Between the planters, soil, fertilisers, mulch and other tools you will need, the project does require some capital to start with. However, it is worth the effort, as growing your own herbs will be more cost-effective in the long run.
Sustainability and safety
The most sustainable produce is one that you can grow yourself. Not only do you prevent food waste, you also reduce your carbon footprint by eliminating the use of plastic food packaging and the need of transportation. You can also ensure that no harmful chemicals, pesticides or other contaminants get in contact with your herbs.
More from Tatler: These farms will deliver fresh fruits and vegetables to your home
Above Thanks to their small size, herb
plants can be easily integrated into
your home, even sat atop a well-lit
windowsill (Photo: GettyImages / BARTON)
Thanks to their small size, herb plants can be easily integrated into your home, even sat atop a well-lit windowsill (Photo: GettyImages / BARTON)
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Design
Plants are a wonderful and easy way to liven up your space. Beyond the vibrant pop of colour they add, house plants also freshen the air in your home—an important consideration in areas where air pollution poses a serious concern.
Beyond the kitchen
Herbs offer many uses outside the kitchen, too. Sharpen your skills behind the bar and experiment with different cocktails like a mint mojito, basil smash or even a refreshing lemongrass mocktail. Mix some herbs in a gauze bag and add it to your bath for a more relaxing way to unwind, or steep some in tea to destress, debloat or even re-energise. When you’ve got extra harvests, why not craft your own essential oils or linen sprays? Not only are they great to use around the house, but they also make thoughtful gifts as well.
Read more: Essential oils: The uses, benefits, and products to try
Tips from the expert
Above Freshness is flavour:
liven up your culinary creations
with fresh herbs from your very
own garden (Photo: GettyImages / VICUSCHKA)
Above Got extra harvests?
Consider gifting some to a friend, or even crafting your own essential oils
and room sprays (Photo: GettyImages / Tetra Images)
Freshness is flavour: liven up your culinary creations with fresh herbs from your very own garden (Photo: GettyImages / VICUSCHKA)
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Know your climate
While most herbs are perennial, many require specific climates in order to thrive. “Rosemary and sage need cool and dry climates which is not common in most areas in the Philippines,” notes Aberasturi. Start out with herbs better suited to our tropical climate.
Know your herbs
Some herbs flourish when grown together, while others can be more sensitive or even invasive. “Most basil and spring onion can be very good companions,” Aberatsuri observes. Conversely, he cautions that “rosemary has to be separated due to its sensitivity to very wet soil”. Keep an eye out for lesser-known herbs like lemon basil or sangig in Bisaya, as they can make novel additions to your garden and even arouse inspiration in and out of the kitchen.
Tick the boxes
Aberatsuri highlights three essential tools for success: “Sunlight, dechlorinated water, and composting. Always grow in areas with full sun and soil with good drainage.” Additionally, Aberatsuri suggests covering the soil with mulch—a technique that helps retain moisture while preventing unwanted contaminants from affecting your plant.
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About
Lauren’s love for food came much later in life than one would expect— an obsession awakened in the streets of Melbourne’s multicultural dining scene. Armed with this newfound passion, she returned to the Philippines determined to discover the best eats in her home country, with a personal advocacy to champion local cuisines and homegrown talent. Nothing is off-limits; if it’s delicious, it’s worth celebrating.
Work
As Tatler Dining associate editor, Lauren covers all things food and drink, from listing the latest openings in our monthly Dining Radar to interviewing chefs and bartenders about the biggest obstacles crippling the industry today. Beyond the digital space, she also organises Tatler Dining’s tentpole events, including Off Menu and Tatler Dining Kitchen, as well as the annual Tatler Best Philippines awards night and guide launch, detailing the best restaurants in the country.
For leads and event invites, contact her via lauren@tatlerphilippines.com or follow her on Instagram at @laurengolangco.
Photo: Ralph Mendo
