Thimna MatikaThere’s nothing more frustrating than having to rush off to the store to buy fresh herbs for a dish, so if you grow the ones you use most often, you can just make a quick dash into the garden or the pot on your windowsill or patio to harvest what you need. Starting a culinary garden is gardening and cultivating plants with a purpose to cook and explore the variety of culinary uses of the crops you grow.
Infusing a garden journey with culinary exploration and experimentation is an exciting journey that many gardening experts enjoy. It brings the benefits of nature, such as cultivating your own organic healthy food. A culinary garden can be started indoors, in containers, outdoors, and even on the balcony, as some plants and herbs can be grown in big or small containers.
Here is a 7-step beginners guide to cultivating your own garden to plate garden culinary experience:
Choose a location
Whether you have a small patch of grass, a balcony, pot plants, containers or a big home garden, you can start a culinary garden in your space. The first step is taking the decision of where to plant your crops indoors or outdoors. Choose a sunny location or one with partial shade depending on the crops you intend to grow.
Prepare soil
Preparing the soil is one of the most essential garden care and maintenance activities. Even when growing plants directly in the soil, soil conditions need to be prepared. De-weed the spot that you intend to plant in and make a garden bed with rich compost and soil. If planting in containers or pots, ensure that the container has good drainage and fill them with a mixture of compost and potting soil.
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Choose your plants
Choosing which plants to kick start your culinary experience is the most exciting as budding gardeners can diversify their palate from cultivating your favourite herbs and vegetables, to exploring unique culinary tastes and recipes.
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Choose vegetables or fruits you like.
Always cultivate vegetables you enjoy including in your diet and staples. Widen your variety of crops by selecting a variety of easy to grow fruits and berries, such as strawberry, gooseberry, mulberry, blueberries, and lemons. If growing research shows that the fruit needs to be grown, as some fruits, such as the lemon, can thrive indoors.
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Choose vegetables according to your culinary explorations
Diversify your culinary garden by including annual herbs such as rosemary, mint, sage, and wild basil.
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Research popular culinary herbs and vegetables
Exploring is always the best way to diversify your palette, cultivation, and cooking portfolio. Popular culinary herbs and vegetables in South Africa include basil, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, and cilantro.
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Cultivate your garden
Ensure that your plants have at least 4-6 hours of sunlight. Water the crops and herbs regularly, at least once a day. It is important to prune and harvest your crops regularly for new and stronger growth,
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Try out new dishes
It is essential to develop a taste and strong understanding of how to use herbs in your cooking, and the best way to do so is by growing your own. You simply can’t get fresher than picking herbs as you need them, and you won’t have to worry about the coriander, basil and parsley rotting or drying out before you have the chance to put them to work.
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Learn how to preserve your harvest
Learning how to preserve your harvest is a creative, sustainable, and delicious way to ensure that produce does not go to waste. There are various ways to preserve different fruits and vegetables, from pickling, to sweetening, cooking, in vegetable oil, and freezing.
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Starting a culinary garden is more than just growing food—it’s about cultivating a connection between your kitchen and nature. Whether you’re tending to herbs on a sunny windowsill or harvesting fresh vegetables from a garden bed, this journey brings fresh flavors to your dishes and empowers you to explore new recipes.
With a little patience and care, your culinary garden will not only enhance your cooking but also offer the satisfaction of nurturing your own organic, homegrown produce. Embrace the joy of gardening and let your culinary creativity flourish from the garden to your plate.
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Going indigenous: South African herbs to grow in your garden
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