My Herb Garden

We bought these herbs on my birthday last year. Some of them were given by officemates. I’m not the greatest cook but I can feed someone. I love herbs, for garnish and for my tea. I’ve worked with some of them back when I was still eating grilled foods. I marinated my chicken with rosemary before grilling them. These days, I shy away from them, just a matter of personal preference.

So I’m showing you my herbs. I’m thinking of selling them since I was able to propagate them. I’ve seen them grow in a shady area and a sunny spot and have noted differences. 

This is my peppermint (Yes there are different types of mints). This was given to me by my officemate (Thank you very much Ate Paz). It doesn’t thrive well in a shady spot. When I transferred it to a spot where it received at least 4 hours of morning sun, it thrived very well. I was able to snip a few which I used for my tea and for propagating. This leaves a very fresh feeling in your mouth.

This is my tarragon. Back then, the stems were very thin, the leaves were small. When I transferred it to a sunny spot, this plant became bigger, the stem, tougher. You may be surprised by its scent, especially when you’re not used to using herbs. But you will love this plant and its taste. 

This is my mint. I just call it mint. People just call it mint. Much like the peppermint, it leaves a fresh feeling in your mouth. This is a crawler. If you plant it directly on your graden, it will overrun your ground. Better to plant it in a pot. It thrives well in a spot where it receives at leaves 4 hours of sunlight. 

This is my sweet basil. It has a very strong scent and taste. When I put it in my tea, I use only 2 leaves. This plant thrives in a spot where it receives at most 3 to 4 hours of sunlight. Too much and the leaves will turn yellow. It goes well with  spaghetti and pizza.

This is my stevia, a natural sweetener. When used in tea, I usually cut 3 1-inch stalk or about 9 leaves to make it sweet for me. But if you prefer otherwise, then you may use just a few leaves. It thrives in a sunny spot or any spot with at least 1-2 hours of sunlight.

Another thing is the soil. What I did is a mixture of soil, rice hull and carbonized rice hull (if you have them). It’s usually 1 part rice hull, 1 part carbonized rice hull and 3-4 parts soil. I mix them up in a pail. The rice hull and carbonized rice hull will serve as fertilizers and help in drainage.

As to other forms of fertilizers, I just used banana peels and empty egg shells. I have my own small compost. Small meaning I’m using a rice sack for my compost. So safe to say, it’s all natural, no pesticides.

I have other plants at home... limes, tomatoes, some fruit trees and other vegetables. I want to produce my own vegetables. It’s the only way I’m very sure I’m eating all natural food, free from growth hormones or pesticides.