My Herbal Garden

I had always find gardening a bit intimidating and that everyone else can grow a tree or plant except me. I believed that I do not have the green thumb. When I was a kid, I used to watch my mother work around her orchids and she even tend a small orchard of rambutans, guava, and some other smaller plants like ferns, roses and cactus around the house. Somehow, I did not inherit that interest. I did climb a lot of trees, though.

Ok, actually I have a confession to make. I hate dirt or soil, and I am scared of worms. The sight of worms makes me squirm... like a worm! That's why I always stay away from gardening. I actually love to plant trees. Clean ones, like an indoor plant. During my student days, I bought some potted plants at the supermarket and buy a stick-like fertilisers that you can just stick in the pot. Water them once or twice a week, and they grow beautifully. Easy. And that's about as close I come to gardening, then. After that I let other people to do it as they please around the house.

But recently I just have the urge to plant some trees. So I started with the easy one. The name, don't ask me (yet). There's this one plant that if you just cut the top where the stalk is brown enough you can just stick it in the ground and it'll just grow easily. That's my first successful attempt, so far. Then I tried another species like a bamboo types, and it worked too! I got motivated! Hey, I did have a green thumb after all, and I don't even have to paint it green...

Now its time to work on my herbal garden, which I dreamt for about some time but never got the urge to start before this. I wanted to have it so much because I want to have all my kitchen and cooking needs handy and fresh whenever I need them. I am tired of finding dried twigs of lemon grass in the refrigerator and had to throw it away, and the next day when I need to use it, there's none left. Urrrgghhh...

My current 'collection' includes pandan, lemon grass, chilies, tumeric, lengkuas, milk thistle, curry and kasturi, among others. All the basic kitchen needs. Next batch would also include some fruits and vegetables and some plants of medicinal values. I still have about 20 more plants listed to be planted. Right now the garden is still so bare, but I am working on it. I'm taking my own sweet time, though. Well you need to enjoy what you're doing rather than rushing it.

I have in preparation a pair of working gloves, an almost full set of garden tools and a big straw hat. So, gardening, here I come..!