Benefits of a kitchen garden

Makati hotel’s garden by the lagoon

People worry about toxic and cancer-causing pesticides that are sprayed on fresh produce.

This is one of the reasons why the demand for organic kitchen gardening in the metropolis has risen in recent years. Residents of wealthy villages have begun converting their backyards into gardens containing herbs, vegetables and small fruit-bearing trees.

Landscape designer Marlene Aguilar has over 40 varieties of edible plants growing in her backyard in Blue Ridge, Quezon City—including bananas, water spinach (kangkong), malunggay (moringa), calamansi, alugbati (vine spinach), eggplants, okra, sweet potatoes, cucumber, sigarilyas (winged bean) and thyme.

“If every household grows its own food, hunger would no longer be a problem,” Marlene beams.

Even young people living in condos and townhouses have begun growing potted vegetables and herbs. Growing rosemary, sage, oregano, lemon grass and herbs from the mint family is a good way of getting rid of mosquitoes.

Even business establishments have been won over by this environmental surge—like the New World Hotel in Makati. General manager Farid Schoucair has apportioned a section of the hotel’s lagoon as an organic kitchen garden, making New World the first five-star hotel in Metro Manila to grow its own vegetables.

Soon, Marlene will be conducting workshops on kitchen gardens. Call 0918 897-5253, or visit www.marleinasfarm.com.

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