Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Mine for The Picking

I am not quite certain what switch flipped C’s green thumb on… it could be the greeneries in Tagaytay or too much Farmville in FaceBook. Whatever it is, it’s all good!

A few weeks after spending the long Labor Day weekend in Tagaytay, we went to the  to do some herb shopping at the EDSA Garden House.

The EDSA Garden House is a huge garden depot, a heaven for those with green-thumbs. Numerous green seedlings welcome you upon entering.  The scent of the assortment of herbal bouquet surely to delight your senses while you walk around.  The scientific names of the herbs are on display, as well as their culinary and medicinal uses and unique properties.

For only P100.00, you get your pick of any three baby plants.  We started with the basic: Italian basil, arugula and mint.  I also decided to get a soil-less potting mix to ensure that there are no plant eating insects, weed seeds and assorted other "unwanteds" that can easily hitch a ride with the garden soil. 

Since I wanted to do container gardening, I got different container pots as well. A hanging tub to showcase and keep in check the speedy growth of the mint. A deep plastic pot with a wide diameter for the basil. And a clay planter box for the arugula.

We love picking the arugula while they are still tiny shoots.

It is so much fun to be in the middle of a recipe and dash out to the garden with my scissors for one of the ingredients. What better way to spice up a dish than throwing in herbs and spices that are just pinched off the stems a few minutes ago.  This nipping away for recipes is important to the plant.  It helps the plant get bushier and remain healthy as you enjoy the benefit of fresh flavors. Just don't take more than one third of the foliage at a time and try to pinch in a way that keeps the plant looking good too. 

I cannot wait to grow a flood of beautiful and fresh food!

EDSA Garden House
Manila Seedling Bank Environmental Center
EDSA near Quezon Ave, QC
(0632) 929.3189
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4 comments:

Chris said...

Hey honey i don't play Farmville anymore, deleted the app a few mnths ago!

Mom-Friday said...

wow! meron palang ganyan sa QC...can't wait to see your future herb garden.

The Phenomenal Mama said...

michelle, it is just container gardening, not committed enough for a "real" garden. but we have been fortunate to have pinched off quite a handful of herbs already. The fresh mint really gives a new take on sliced fruits. :)

Jen Laceda | Milk Guides said...

wow, that's quite a big garden store! we have basil and tomatoes in my "garden" as well. I agree that nothing compares to freshly snipped herbs! Too bad we can only plant stuff half the year - winters here are pretty brutal, although potted basil can grow inside the house as long as there's a light source. Thanks for sharing!

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